Sharing the road helps keep us all safer

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Last week’s recent visit of bicyclists from across the state and the warm welcome they received from the local community was refreshing indeed, but it should also serve as a reminder of the importance of sharing the road for safety’s sake.

We should all stay mindful of that lesson every day, not just when visitors on two wheels are traveling through town, for the sake of all the local bicyclists and motorcyclists who frequent the area regularly.

Though participants in the Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) had a safe ride when passing through Milledgeville last week, just this weekend a BRAG participant was struck and killed in Savannah. A 61-year-old BRAG participant died when she lost control of her bike in some concrete and fell in front of a dump truck that was trying to pass the group of bicyclists.

A few years ago, Georgia became the 18^th state to adopt a three feet minimum passing distance for drivers to pass cyclists, requiring all drivers to allot clearance as a safe lane when passing a bicyclist. Some people may still be unaware of the laws related to bicyclists and drivers, which is why awareness efforts are so important. So too, are efforts promoting bicycle safety — stressing the need for wearing helmets and bicyclists obeying the traffic laws as well; bicyclists must also be mindful not to practice the distracted driving habits that put motorists in danger all too often, either, such as listening to music or looking at cellphones. The responsibility doesn’t rest entirely on the drivers.

Milledgeville has quite an active bicycling community and a considerable amount of effort is put into making the public aware of traffic laws and creating awareness of the need for bicyclists and drivers to coexist on the roadways. The local BATTY Rides (Bikes Are Traffic Too, Y’all) are held regularly, for example, to promote and encourage bicycling safety awareness.

Whether we are avid cyclists or not, however, we should all keep safety practices in mind and remain aware. Continuing to promote bicycling laws, working toward establishing more bicycling lanes within the community and simply becoming more aware of others on the roadways will help keep local streets and roads safe.

Whether traveling by two wheels, four wheels or even on foot, we all share a responsibility in making our roads safer.