Motorists need to be reminded of their responsibility towards bicyclists just
as bicyclists need to follow the rules of the road that apply to them. Drivers
should always check before turning to make sure there is nothing coming - but
even if they do that they may fail to see the bicyclist or misjudge the speed
at which the rider is traveling towards them.
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition provides detailed information on bicycle
and driver responsibilities as part of its bicycle education web site. http://www.svbcbikes.org/bked/dtrack.html
A number of state vehicle manuals provide information on correct driver behavior
http://www.dl.state.ut.us/dhb/chapter5.html
although fewer provide bicycle-related questions in their driving test for new
drivers. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles does include such questions
and if you try their sample drivers test questions you may get one related to
bicycles. http://www.dmv.state.va.us/dmvweb/kats/kats_intro.asp
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance, in Portland, Oregon has developed a series
of Public Service Announcements that promote bicycle-friendly driving http://www.kgw.com/bikesafety/#LookRite.
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine http://www.bikemaine.org/Motorists-STR.pdf
and Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin http://www.bfw.org/safety.html
have developed media articles, handouts and other programs to help educate motorists
about sharing the road with bicyclists.
