Pete Wessel was recently put in an induced coma due to his injuries he sustained while biking in the street. Pete hit a pothole which caused his front tire to come off, he fell over the front handles and it resulted in many fractures along with internal bleeding.
Many reports have been made in the area about crashes with cyclists. Some scenarios were life threatening like Pete’s, while others resulted in less serious injuries. Nevertheless, sidewalks need to be utilized to make cyclists safer.
There are many distractions that can interrupt drivers’ awareness. Calling, texting, music, or even a bird flying by can pose dangers for drivers. “There have been many times where I didn’t feel safe because drivers were on their phones,” said Justin Osmun, a frequent cyclist. A distracted driver is extremely dangerous to themselves and the people around them, especially bikers.
When cyclists are in bike lanes, they are much more prone to driver error as opposed to being on the sidewalk. On the road, drivers cross the bike lanes with every turn, which can endanger the biker if the driver is not cautious enough.
Just as it is dangerous, it is aggravating to trail a slow biker. In an absence of bike lanes, cyclists use the roads to travel, causing traffic jams and provoking reckless driving.
“I think people should start biking on the sidewalks to increase the safety of bikers and drivers,” said Ethan Cline. He claims to frequently see cyclists on the road outside his residence, and in a number of cases, he gets stuck traveling behind a cyclist.
Sidewalks in Bettendorf are constructed with a minimum requirement of five feet wide. Many sidewalks next to the main roads are six feet wide. This allows for plenty of room for pedestrians and cyclists to safely travel on the sidewalk. The sidewalks are also well constructed with fewer potholes than the streets making it, once again, safer for cyclists.
Positioning of the bike lanes in Bettendorf also pose a danger to cyclists. Bikers become hard to see due to being on the right side of the lane.
Cities like Austin and Amsterdam have changed the design of their bike lanes to protect cyclists. In some parts of Amsterdam, the wide bike lanes are bright colored which becomes more visible to drivers at night. In Austin, dividers are put between the street and the bike lanes to create an extra line of security for the cyclists.
With everything being said, due to the safer conditions of the sidewalks, cyclists should think twice before using the road unless there is no sidewalk to travel on.
