Unsafe Cyclist in Montgomery County Maryland

[ReardonSullivan]

Hi ... thank you for your honest comment. Perhaps you could advise other cyclist of the concern raised by the local citizens and ask that they comply with local laws ...

[kocbb]

I am a cyclist and I admit that this video was most embarrassing to me. I admit to having not stopped at stop signs but, I can also say I do at least slow down to a crawl. Yes, I agree, there are soooo many cyclists that arrogant and stupid and disrepectful. I'm in total agreement that cyclists should be held accountable as much as anyone else.

[nloewen]

When you say that the bikers are "putting us in danger", what do you mean? "Us drivers"? "Us MoCo residents"? What is the danger posed by cyclists? What are the stats on injuries caused by bicyclists? And what are the stats on speeders/tailgaters/red light runners/cell phone users driving? Have you chosen the wrong people to rail against, if safety is your main concern? Or do you have another concern?

[ReardonSullivan]

The concerns I have enclude but are not limited to the danger cyclist pose to pedestrians (I was almost hit several times), their unilaterally taking the right away from the cars that do stop and when added to their obvious arrogance and the view of Mo Co police that the cars are always at fault (no I having be in a bike car accident) is not fair... the cycelist should be required to obey the law just like cars, runners and peds ... fair enforcement of the law ...

[ReardonSullivan]

Sorry for your loss ...

The excuss that bikes are smaller than cars is no excuss to break the law ... should the laws be differant for a smart car than a SUV ?... For the system to work all must obey the law and it must be equilly enforced ... currently in MC if there is an accident, the car is automatically at fault and ticket issued ... that is not fair...

These bikers come up from DC and arrogantly abuse my community when they pass cars at stop signs on the left and the right ...

[quankquank]

I believe it is discourtesous for anyone to take the right of way away from someone. I also believe enforcement should match the level of danger of the action. A bicyclist can be rude -as many motorists are- but the potential to cause harm is 1/1000 that of a car. Drivers get away w/ violations constantly. I know one who was killed by a hit and run driver. 2 family members hit while walking. I was hit by a drunk driver. On all accounts, there was no or little punishment for the driver. Fair?

[ReardonSullivan]

I check with the head of the traffic division ... the guy in charge of the applicaiton of the speed cameras ... regarding the Bike=car/truck assumption of guilt ...

I tried talking the bikers ... They are nasty, arrogant self centered every day, filming or not ... These are type A, lawyers, real estate people that think they are always right, too smart for everyone and above the law ...

There is no reason to be arrogant to put lives in danger

[nogochickenfro]

Some states have passed, or are trying to pass, rolling stop laws for cyclists for some of the reasons in the other comments.

Not all of the cyclists were riding unsafely. MOST were breaking the law and only a few were not riding safely. No cyclist is making it unsafe for your family at that intersection. If a bike hits a car/truck, the cyclist always loses, injury wise. Legally it is handled like any other collision between two vehicles, or at least it should be. Cyclists get shafted often.

[ReardonSullivan]

I'm not sure where you live but in Montgomery County , per the local police the car is ALWAYS at fault and get the ticket. It should be the same but its not.

I was almost hit by bikers blowing through an intersection ... that is one reason I am pushing this issue...

If the biker(s) don't like the risk / danger of riding on a one lane road perhaps they could find another road??

What you don't see in the 2 hours I was out there was the arrogance / cursing etc of these riders from DC ...

[nogochickenfro]

You may want to check with a different officer. Maryland state law says different. With pedestrians that is correct, but in MD Bike=Car/truck/whathaveyou. Same rights, same laws, same handling of collisions.

While I agree that their behavior may have been arrogant, there may be a reason for it. Would YOU like being filmed?

[ReardonSullivan]

I agree it is even application of the law ...

The bikers in our area have not fear / respect fo the law ... their arrogance is massive ... they blow though stop signs (and red lights not on this tape).

I trust that you are not sugguesting the law is differant based on the mass of the vehicle ... i.e. a truck is differant than a smart car??

The police need to apply the law to ALL vehicles on the road ...

[jsdyeosn]

The issue isn't training for cyclists, it's fairness and proper application of the law. The law's exists to limit dangerous behavior to below a measurable standard of safety which bicycle (based on mass, size, speed, power, etc.) don't operate anywhere near. Motorists need to stop monopolizing the public right-of-ways, stop exporting their negative impacts on others, and start yielding to other roadway users.

[scratchcapoeira]

I find the education issue is more on the motorists. As a cyclist, I know both motoring and cycling laws. I'd venture that over 75% of motorists don't know the cycling laws, and in turn do not know how to treat cyclists at intersections or anywhere else on the road. Waving a cyclist through a stop sign is dangerous for the motorist, the cyclist, and other traffic, since the motorist is taking it upon themselves to violate rules of the road to "be nice" to the cyclist.

[ReardonSullivan]

The education for the bikers needs to be via a ticket from the police and impounding their bikes ... ( I almost got hit filming the video)

You see one cut from the video where a large group of bikers blows through the intersection ... that is not education it is arrogance ...

The law is the law and need to be evenly enforced for all ..

[nelsonrn]

In many instances, it makes no sense for a cyclist to come to a full stop at a stop sign. A cyclist has a much better vantage point, and is moving at a slower speed than a car. Try filming cars at some intersections and you'll see that they don't stop either.

That said, yes, some of the cyclists are riding unsafely.

[ReardonSullivan]

Glad to see that someone AGREES / ADMITS that the cyclist are riding unsafely ...

All I ask is that the police enforce the same laws on bikes that they would on cars ...

[mados73]

RS; you have a good point. I am a cyclist and a automobile driver also, a bicycle under federal law is considered a "vehicle" and as a vehicle the bicyclist has the right to take up the whole lane...but the majority of us hang to the right side of the road and let motorist pass by. If you really want to be fair, then we should take the whole lane and not let any cars pass, that means you will be going pretty much like 3-4 mph up some hills driving behind a cyclist. Common sense please.

[ReardonSullivan]

In checking with the local police, a car can pass a slow moving bike (or other vehicle) if it is impeeding the flow of traffic ...

The common sence is that bikes should be treated the same as cars and be held to the same LAW as cars ... There should not be a automatic assumption that the car is at fault ... or that bikes can blow thought intersections ....

The bikers in our area have no fear of the law and they are very arigant in their riding habits ... the law should apply to all

[snfulford]

Cyclists have much greater visibility, hear traffic noise more clearly, and because of their lower speeds spend much more time approaching and assessing intersections. A rolling stop that would be irresponsible if performed by a car is not comparable to a rolling stop by a cyclist at a similar speed. In intersections cyclists travel at lower speeds, have shorter stopping distances, and have a much lower mass than cars. I would take an 'unsafe' cyclist over a 'responsible' motorist any day.

[ReardonSullivan]

Is it the LAW that bikes can run stop signs?

Are you saying that bikes didn't run the stop signs???

Are you saying that they didn't know what a stop sign is or that they are to stop at one???

Are you saying that the bikes have the right to run stop signs??

The tape clearly shows the bikes running the trafiic signals ...

The bikes should not be treated differantly under the law and given automatic free pass if there is an accident ...

Enforce the law evenly on all

[ianlitmans]

notably absent are cars rolling through the intersections. Cars roll stops just as much as cyclists. This is clearly a biased video as show by all the cutting of tape. Also clear in many of the instances are cyclists waving back to the drivers, because the drivers have waived them through.

[ReardonSullivan]

Are you saying that bikes didn't run the stop signs???

Are you saying that they didn't know what a stop sign is or that they are to stop at one???

Are you saying that the bikes have the right to run stop signs??

No bias ... tape doesn't lie ..

the video was "cut" to keep it under the size limit on my computer ... I shot additional video of bikes running red lights, cutting in front of moving cars...

Enforce the law evenly on all

[ReardonSullivan]

This sunday I was film and noted 3 out of over 60 cyclist stopped ... the car stop rate of my neighbors was much higher ....

The bikers are arrogant people that think they are above the law... they come into my town, run stop signs, harrass people, (yell / curse at me) ... did you see the large group that blew through the stop sign .. how abou the one(s) that passed a car on the left and right while at a stop sign ... my friend .. the tape does not lie

[bobcounts]

I assure you, police have better things to do then watch a tape about something they are aware of. Note also the omitted cars which didn't stop, did this not happen?

Cyclists errors can't reasonably be enforced, we need better roads with wider shoulders, bike lanes. These improvements help everyone, cyclists and drivers alike.

It is obvious the video is biased - there are just as many driver violations, some of which potentially fatal to a cyclist. An unbiased video would show this also.

[ReardonSullivan]

... you miss the point of the video ... The bikes don't stop at the stop signs... In the event of an accident the car is automatically assume to be at fault ... that is not fair

The answer is NOT spending money to widen roads for a few sundy bike riders from another town (if they want wider roads they can ride in their own areas and pay the cost) .... The solution is for the police to enforce the the law equally on all ...

[bobcounts]

Cars are not assumed at fault automatically, any collision would be treated like one between two cars. The law applies to both equally.

I have a suggestion, you should take up biking for a few months. It might open up your eyes to a whole new view of the world. :)

[ReardonSullivan]

You are wrong ... in Montgomery County, per the head of the traffic division, the car is automatically assumed to be at fault ... this is very unfair given the actions of many bikers in my area... in a 2 hour period on Sunday there was only 3 out of over 60 that even attempted to stop...

I have several 400 hp cars and an endero dirt bike ... I'm well aware of the issue with riding a low mass vehicle ... however I stop at the stop signs.

Bicycling is too dangours on small roads

[aBikeisgr8]

I have no problem with enforcing the letter of the law on all road users, cyclists come to a complete stop as well as cars and cars cannot go over the speed limit, not even by 1mph. As soon as we allow some fluff in enforcing some laws it opens the door for fluff in other areas as well.

[ReardonSullivan]

Hi ... if you agree please contact the county officials at the end of the video and ask for help ...tx

[CyclistLorax]

Finally I should note that it is an unreasonable seizure (constitutional rights violation) for local police to sieze bicycles, or cars, etc. Please note that "Cars" are not the same as motorists and cannot be "at fault", so either be consistently sloppy and talk about "cars and bikes" or better still consistently focus on the people who can be legally "at fault" and talk about cyclists and motorists.

[ReardonSullivan]

Are you a lawyer?

[CyclistLorax]

I'm not a lawyer. Are you a US citizen? You don't seem to know the Constitution. Neither cars nor bikes can be impouded for the types of stop sign violations shown i nthe video. Even if you did manage to confiscate a few bikes, this wouldn't train cyclists to control lanes and get in the queue of stopped traffic like other drivers. Draconian enforcement of the kind you envisage is not a substitute for education.

[ReardonSullivan]

Are you saying that bike riders need a course to know to stop at a stop sign??? ... Maybe they should stay off the roads unless they can demonstrate they know to stop at stop signs....

[CyclistLorax]

Cyclists can view good traffic skills demonstrated by League Certified Instructors on the CyclistLorax Channel here on YouTube, which has traffic skills videos, skill drill videos, and links to the League of American Bicyclists, Smart Cycling Program and the TS101 (formerly Road I) traffic skills classes.

[ReardonSullivan]

You miss the point ... these people on bikes don't have good traffic skills... obey traffic signs ... that is the problem ...

[CyclistLorax]

Many states are implementing diversion classes (TS 101) analogous to how such classes are set up for motorists who receive citations. This couples enforcemetn to education in a productive way by sending the most flagrant violators to school to improve their skills. I suggest that you consider this, since simply levying fines is not going to improve the traffic skills of the cyclists in the video.

[ReardonSullivan]

The bikers have no fear of the law b/c it is not being enforced ... if they though there might be a police car in the area ... they would stop at stop signs....

[ReardonSullivan]

Are you saying that bikers need a course / training to learn to stop a a stop sign ???

[CyclistLorax]

The problem is one of education and enforcement. Clearly many of the cyclists do not act as drivers, and this trains motorists not to treat them as drivers. Without better cyclist education and the lax traffic enforcement that is ubiquitous in the US, this sad spectacle will continue. If you would like to help change this situation, please get the word out that the League of American Bicyclists has an education program called "Smart Cycling" that teaches traffic skills and group skills.

[ReardonSullivan]

You miss the point ... the only way the cyclist will be trained is with enfocement, tickets and impounding their bikes the way cars are impounded ... fair treatment fo all ...

[freddotu]

A local riding group operates in this manner at stop signs and often at red lights. They learned that law enforcement was going to be waiting for them. Rather than change to safer operation, they changed location. This does not resolve the problem. Education of riders in a proper manner will resolve this type of problem. For those too dense, fine them.

[CyclistLorax]

You stated; "The only way cyclists can be trained is with enforcement"? Are motorists trained with enforcement or do they take driver training? Enforcement can modify some behaviors, but it doesn't impart traffic skills. Driver training is not mandatory for cyclists, and this is the root cause of the problem. If you want to see cyclists' behavior, as a class or road users, improve, then you need to support education. It is the most effective way to solve the problems you show in the video.

[ReardonSullivan]

I support the enforcement of the law ... bike riders should be ticketed and their bikes impounded ... just like the police do for cars ... fair treatment for all...

[ReardonSullivan]

Did you see the large group of cyclist that blew through the intersection ... how about the ones that almost hit me as I was filming ?

In talking to some of this people, they ride 15 miles up from DC into my community putting my family in danger ... One admitted that they get tickets in DC for running traffice signs but not in Montgomery County Maryland...

The education will be a ticket, getting hit, or getting thier bike impounded ..

[bshanteau]

Impounding bicycles for a traffic infraction seems awfully heavy handed. Do you mention this because your car was impounded? If so, it must have been for something more serious, right?

[ReardonSullivan]

I mention this as a last resort when bike riders blow through intersections ...

I have never had a car impounted ... but have supported the police to get it done to cars that speed near my house ...

It will only take a few bikes being taken, strong tickets to get the bikers to obay the law ... Currently the bikers don't have any respect / fear of the law and are arigently through my community putting all in danger

[thinkersinker]

There were a few cyclists who bombed through the intersection, but most of the cyclists respected the intersection and crossed safely. My guess is that there were just as many (proabably more) cars who rolled through this intersection or were speeding prior to reaching the infrastructure. A video that shows both autos and cyclists holds more water in a discussion pertaining to roadway safety.

[ReardonSullivan]

Are you kidding me ... pls watch the video again ... the bike are passing onthe right and left at stop signs, swarming moving cars at intersections ... when the police see this type of riding they need to impound the bikes the way they do cars

[freddotu]

it appears that a number of motorists are unsure if the people on bikes are going to stop, and in some of the incidents, it's clear they are not. I would not validate these people as cyclists, simply for these actions. I've found too many of these riders have plenty of excuses for these violations. How unfortunate. It would be fun to make a cardboard cut-out of an officer and place it just in view, then record this same intersection!

Great job!

[ReardonSullivan]

Thanks ... please contact the councilmembers at the end of the video and ask for action!!!

[freddotu]

Unfortunately, I am not from MD. I don't think your council members would care to hear from a Florida rider, but I support your concern.

CyclistLorax does get the point. Education of bike riders is the most effective method of solving this sort of problem. Enforcement is not education and is spotty.

[ReardonSullivan]

I'm not sure that "educaiton" is really required for bike riders to stop at stop signs ... If they don't understand that basic law they should be on the road with the cars ...

The council members will care when it get on the local news via our videos and/or after someone gets really hurt ...

While enforcement is spotty... all it will take is a few tickets, impounding of bikes to get the attention of the arrogant riders ... they already did it in loudan co VA...

[ReardonSullivan]

Yikes