Columnist Susan Snyder: We can’t take pass on road issues

Friday, Aug. 12, 2005 | 3:47 a.m.

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

WEEKEND EDITION

August 13-14, 2005

There's a problem in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

It has been brought to the public's attention by hordes of bicyclists outraged by the death of Don Albietz, an off-duty Metro Police officer who on July 20 was riding his bicycle on State Route 159 where he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The 45-year-old husband and father died eight days later.

Bicyclists have since staged two commemorative rides, one of which happened Saturday. Residents are making donations to an education fund set up for Albietz's two young children.

And on Aug. 23 the Nevada Transportation Department will initiate a series of meetings to address the problems created by drivers making poor decisions concerning speed, attention and proper use of a scenic road.

Before we go further I have to own up to the fact that I am among those bicyclists riding the rides, passing around the petitions and calling for solutions.

But the real problem at Red Rock isn't bicyclists versus motorists or a 45 mph speed limit versus a 60 mph one.

And it isn't a problem confined to Red Rock.

On Aug. 5, another hit-and-run driver killed another bicyclist. The 24-year-old bicycle rider killed near Maryland Parkway and Flamingo Road wasn't following proper traffic law, as Albietz was, and he was riding at night without the lights required by law.

Still, it's not OK to kill him and drive off. That's the problem out at Red Rock and across our city. Speeding, failing to pay attention, driving onto sidewalks and even hitting and killing all seems OK as long as we can get away with it.

And when a majority of people break rules because they figure they won't get caught, we demand that the government step in to fix it. But when public government replaces self-governance, we all lose.

If the majority of motorists back in 2000 had abided by the 45 mph speed limit on State Route 159 through Red Rock, transportation officials wouldn't have raised the limit to 60 mph, which many Red Rock travelers say they abhor.

The government studies a road using objective calculation and math rather than subjective standards, such as whether a road is scenic and one on which some people might drive slower because they're looking around.

Nevada officials use the 85th percentile. Whatever 85 percent of motorists are driving becomes the guideline. Out in Red Rock, the speed study showed 85 percent of motorists were driving 58 to 61 mph.

As knuckleheaded as it seems -- driving 60 mph on that road is nuts -- the government merely reacted to the choice 85 percent of us already were making. We set the standard.

So we're stuck with the decision we are living -- and some of us are dying -- with.

Or are we? We still decide how fast to drive. We still decide whether to answer the cell phone, drive when we're sleepy and use proper lights at night.

Let the government host its meetings and make decisions at a glacial pace. We have the power to make the right decisions, right now.

Slow down. Pay attention. Stop when you're supposed to. Use lights when riding your bike at night. Share the road with drivers slower than you.

We must make good choices as individuals if we hope to protect the privilege of making choices at all.