Columnist Susan Snyder: Bicyclists, motorists need better teaching

Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 | 1:57 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday and Sundays. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4082.

WEEKEND EDITION

December 24 - 26, 2004

This is for Ted.

Ted Abrahams was killed Sept. 1 by a speeding motorcyclist who struck him from behind as he rode his bicycle on State Road 159. That's the popular scenic route through Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Bicyclists who ride to Red Rock likely remember Ted. A big American flag flapped from his hydration backpack. He wanted to make sure motorists saw him from behind.

One didn't. Nevada Highway Patrol reports say the motorcyclist who hit Ted was traveling at excessive speed and failed to use due care.

At 81, Ted was an avid downhill skier and cyclist. He was pedaling a Cannondale he'd had about two weeks. Ted sure was proud of that bike. He couldn't wait to show it off to his fellow members of the Las Vegas Valley Bicycle Club.

People ought to know a little bit about Ted. He's one of the faces behind a record number of bicyclists killed in Nevada this year.

At this writing, state figures show 14 bicyclists died here -- 11 of them on Las Vegas Valley streets. It is the highest number of cyclist deaths recorded since the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety started keeping track in 1982.

It represents a rate of six bicyclist deaths per 1 million population. That's three times the national rate.

Of all the ratings Nevada earned in 2004, this one breaks hearts. It is totally preventable and within each person's reach to change it.

It's not a matter of building more bike lanes and bike paths. With 14-foot-wide outside lanes required on our big roads and posted 35 and 25 mph speed limits on most smaller ones, there is absolutely no concrete reason for Las Vegas to be as poor for bicycling as it is.

We don't need to wait for the government to do more.

We need to stop driving like self-absorbed idiots.

And that's from both sides. Fault for these crashes is split nearly equally between bicycle drivers and motor vehicle drivers. The most recent death was that of a 12-year-old who pedaled into the path of a car without looking first.

This doesn't even include bicyclists' injuries, for which there is no official tracking method. An informal tally by a local nonprofit group shows at least 73 bicyclists had been treated at area emergency rooms as of Oct. 1. No word on how many involved collisions with cars.

The Nevada Office of Traffic Safety receives a fee from all new and renewed driver licenses that pays for classes in which adults may learn how to be safe bicycle drivers and how to teach those skills to children.

The courses are open to anyone -- teachers and police officers also earn education credits. Classes are offered locally throughout the year, but the agency has trouble getting people to sign up.

If your child received a new bicycle for Christmas, what will you teach him beyond wearing a helmet and watching for cars? Do you know the bike laws, proper riding skills and how to teach them? If not, you also likely don't know how to treat the bicyclist who rides properly and legally.

On Saturday the bicyclist death toll rolls back to zero. But Ted's wife will remain a widow. We don't get him back.

Crash statistics get second chances. Crash victims don't.

Stop killing our friends. Log onto www.ots.state.nv.us/bikeped/ to learn how.