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Posted
by Andrew Hartsock
November 6, 2009 at 8:22 a.m.
Reflections on reflecting
The awful story of Rachel Leek has forced me to spend quite a bit of time lately reconsidering my approach to riding my bike at night.
Leek was killed while riding around 2:15 a.m. Oct. 16 in the 1000 block of Tennessee.
In no way am I passing judgment about fault, but I noted the police report said it appeared her bicycle did not have a rear or front reflector and that each pedal had one reflector present but that each pedal also was missing a reflector and that it was impossible to determine which direction the reflectors were facing when the accident occurred.
First, the law, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation:
(a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500) feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the secretary of transportation which shall be visible from all distances from one hundred (100) feet to six hundred (600) feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.
(b) Every bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(c) No person shall sell a pedal for use on a bicycle, unless such pedal is equipped with a reflector of a type approved by the secretary of transportation which is visible from the front and rear of the bicycle to which it is attached during darkness from a distance of two hundred (200) feet, and no person shall sell a new bicycle, unless it is equipped with pedals meeting the requirements of this subsection.
Note the wording of (c). It doesn’t mandate reflectors on pedals IN USE. It specifies the sale of pedals, though there are dozens of pedals for sale without reflectors and dozens of new bikes for sale without reflectored pedals — or any pedals at all.
Anyway, that’s the law.
Personally, I wouldn’t feel safe just meeting the legal requirements.
I have the brightest head- and taillights I can afford, and I left the reflectors on my spokes, too, though many bikes are sold without them and many “serious cyclists” take them off posthaste.
I don’t have reflectors on my pedals, but my bike shoes have reflective heels that, in my opinion, are more visible than reflectors on the pedals would be.
Much of my cycling outerwear has reflective bits, too.
I don’t exactly look like a Christmas tree, but I can see and be seen quite well, I think.
I think.
Is it enough? Hard to tell.
I’m not going to go all O Tannenbaum, because I think you can do too much. I’ve been blinded by cyclists with poorly adjusted — and, truth be told, probably too-bright — headlights, and I think creating too much of a spectacle of yourself can be counterproductive. In my mind, I envision a drunk driver seeing a lit-up cyclist, doing the drunk squint, peering over the wheel trying to make sense of the illuminated rider ahead, veering and … well, you get the idea.
I used to roll on tires with reflective sidewalls, but — and I’m no rubber snob — they were awful tires, and, much like reflectors on the spokes, they only illuminate when the bike is dead in an oncoming car’s headlights. In other words, they only illuminate when it’s too late to do the cyclist any good.
That said, a few years ago, I bought a roll of industrial-strength reflective tape I had meant to put on strategic spots on my bike. I never got around to it, but I dug it out the other day and plan to apply it before the week’s over.
I’m saving up for a new headlight, too, and I have my eyes on a better and brighter taillight.
I figure I can’t do anything about everybody else on the road, but I sure can do something about me.
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Comments
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parrothead8 (anonymous) says…
"I figure I can’t do anything about everybody else on the road..."
Wrong. You can educate.
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
I have been reading British newspapers online, especially the Birmingham and the Guardian. They have a huge amount of information on bikers.
It is a lot more difficult to spot a biker at night than you might think. And there is little room for the biker to maneuver out of harms way. Then, too the car is usually moving at a faster speed than the bike.
It is a good thing to education people, whether they listen or react is another thing entirely.
denak (anonymous) says…
Although this will be the unpopular opinion on this blog, bicycles should not be on the streets--day or night. This isn't an issue of "rights." This is an issue of safety and as long as people insist that bikers have the same right--although not the same responsibilities or punishments--as drivers do, people will continue to be injured or killed.
It is a tragedy that Rachel Leek is dead but she will not be the last one. There will be another biker injured or killed soon and people will moan on how horrible it all is, and absolutely nothing will be done. If we truly cared about human life, we would repeal this ordinance.
Dena
Eride (anonymous) says…
"denak…
Although this will be the unpopular opinion on this blog, bicycles should not be on the streets—day or night. This isn't an issue of “rights.” This is an issue of safety and as long as people insist that bikers have the same right..."
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You do realize that it is state law that allows a bicyclist to be on the street correct? And also that it is actually not legal for them to be riding on pedestrian sidewalks correct? So... if the state law were to be changed (which is absolutely ridiculous, people ride bikes on streets in basically every country in the world) where would they ride at? Your opinion is asinine. Thankfully you have a right to speak it, even though you apparently don't respect the rights of people to choose what mode of transportation they use... *cough*.
The problem in this specific case isn't bikers it is drunk drivers. If he hadn't been impaired she would most likely still be alive, the issue of a rear reflector is fairly moot. The problem more generally is the drivers in this area. They just don't give a shi* about pedestrians and bicyclists. I am a long distance runner and I run anywhere from 40-70 miles a week and every day I have to be extra careful to protect myself from drivers who ignore traffic control devices and the rules of the road. Just today in fact I had 3 cars roll through a stop sign when I was already in the intersection, 1 car run through a red light heading straight when I was in the intersection, 4 cars not yield when turning left with a green arrow when I was in the middle of the intersection, 1 car run through a red light turning right when I stepped off the curb and 6 cars not yield when I was running down 23rd St because they were too busy stuffing their faces with fast food, talking on their cell phones and looking at on coming traffic instead of bothering to glance even once in the other direction to see if there might be a pedestrian coming.
If anyone should be banned from the roads it is the drivers in this area until they learn how to *actually* drive. Every single one of those things happened on one run and in every single case I was in the middle of a marked or unmarked crosswalk with the right of way and the driver committed a traffic violation that could have very well severely injured or killed me had I not been paying extremely close attention. It isn't like this everywhere. There are plenty of cities I have been to where those things I listed above wouldn't even occur once on any given run. Before you place blame why don't you look at yourself. Between the ignoring of the rules of the road, the eating, the phone usage, the *DRUNK* driving, etc... its car drivers that are the danger and specifically it is people like *YOU* who instead of taking accountability for the fact that they are using a several thousand pound metallic weapon recklessly think the solution is to take away the rights of everyone else.
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
Eride, you are only too right. I walk not run but I have experienced the same things you have. If I am in the middle of the street with a green light, there is little I can do if a car comes at me.
Leaping to one side is not really practical for me.
I have never seen a police car around when these violations occur.
parrothead8 (anonymous) says…
Dena, going by your logic -- that it is a matter of caring for human life -- we should ban cars from the roads. Far more drivers of automobiles than bicyclists die on the roads.