ON THE ROAD: Cyclists must obey the rules of the road

Driving into work recently reminded me of two things: this has been an incredibly mild and virtually snow-free winter and there are still a fair number of cyclists on the roads because of it.

At this time of the year, a significant part of the early morning commute occurs amid varying degrees of darkness as dawn slowly approaches. With a bit of rain coupled with the pre-dawn darkness, visibility is restricted in the sense that pedestrians crossing the roadway are more difficult to spot, requiring extra care on the part of all motorists.

Fast forward to an intersection on Duplex Avenue posted with stop signs in all four directions. After coming to stop, I spotted a cyclist approaching at considerable speed.

My attention was immediately drawn to the cyclist for several reasons.

First, the bicycle did have the requisite lighting required under section 62 (17) of the Highway Traffic Act with a flashing white LED strobe on the handlebars; good given the darkness and rain combination. Focus then on the rider, wearing a helmet, also good, and with flashing red and blue LED lights all around the brim even better; more visibility.

But what really caught my attention was the fact this cyclist had no intention of stopping at his stop sign, which he didn't. He went straight through with not a care in the world.

Thank goodness for all the lights on the bike and helmet otherwise being seen could have been a problem.

Now I have taken a bit of heat in past columns writing about cyclists and the fact the law also applies to them.

I'm not anti-cyclist by any measure and in fact I strongly advocate cyclists have as much right to use the roadway as do motorists and pedestrians.

I also believe all users of the roadway, including cyclists, have a shared responsibility to do so in a safe and lawful manner.

Using the roadway also requires being responsible under the law and being responsible under the law means obeying the rules of the road including the need for cyclists to stop at stop signs.

There I have said it.

Not in any anti-cyclist fashion, purely in a legal sense.

Cyclists, similar to motorists, are required to obey traffic signs and signals including stop signs and traffic lights the same as motorists.

Police officers will enforce the Highway Traffic Act when it comes to cyclists and pedestrians disobeying the law and placing themselves as well as others in jeopardy or at risk.

I know this particular careless rider doesn't represent the majority of cyclists who are safety conscious and rely on the rules of the road to keep them safe.

However, I share this story as a reminder that cyclists are vulnerable when using the roadway particularly during hours of darkness and in addition to motorists taking extra care to watch for both cyclists and pedestrians, it's also important for all users of the roadway to ensure they give drivers the best possible opportunity to see them.