Safety Tips for Bicyclists

Regarding “Pedaling to Work” (Valley Life, July 24), I have some suggestions for designers and bicyclists that will make the community more bicycle-friendly.

I have two bicycles, one which has been in the family since 1940, and a 10-speed street bike that I have had for 12 years. Before I retired, I occasionally used my bicycle to commute to work in Woodland Hills. On other occasions, I went up to 20 miles on weekends. Now that I am retired, I use one for local errands and the other for exercise. I bike 20 to 40 miles per week.

These are my suggestions:

SPEED BUMPS: When putting in speed bumps, leave a gap for bicycles.

DRIVEWAYS: Build driveways so that there is no more than a 1/2-inch step between the street and the driveway. I have encountered some where the step is as much as 1 1/2 inches. These are hard on the bicycle and the rider, and can cause a spill.

WATER CHANNELS: At some intersections, the streets are grooved to channel water. These grooves can cause a spill if the wheels get caught in them. I have had two. These should be eliminated.

BICYCLE SAFETY AND COURTESY: Many people, especially children, ride their bicycles on the sidewalk. As a car driver, I have had some close encounters of the worst kind as a result of bicycles suddenly appearing in the crosswalk as I am attempting a left turn. This has required that I stop in front of oncoming traffic, and it gets serious when there is more than one bicycle. Bicycles travel much faster than pedestrians. The bicyclist should wait for cars that are turning.

On right turns, drivers normally do not watch for bicycles coming from the right. I have seen some close disasters from this situation.

When riding a bicycle on the wrong side of the street, the bicyclist is endangered from cars making right turns because the driver is not looking for traffic from that direction.

When stopping for traffic lights at intersections, the bicyclist should stop back of the intersection far enough to allow drivers to make right turns. This is an act of courtesy so the drivers are not delayed waiting for signals with long periods on red.

For drivers who cut me off at intersections when turning right, I have nothing more to say than I have already said when they did it.

LEON J. BASS, Woodland Hills