Submitted by Alexandria Smart
06/18/2019 – Last night around 8:30, my husband, who is one of many active road cyclists in our town, was struck by a car traveling around 35 mph.
This happened on the service road near Southern Agriculture, a road frequented by cyclists.
He was well lit and traveling at the speed limit with the other vehicles, as he is able to maintain traffic speeds on side roads. There was little to no traffic at that time; however, the driver that forced his way between my husband and an oncoming car refused to wait less than 5 seconds to pass, ultimately creating an extremely dangerous situation for my husband!
The driver of the said vehicle stayed next to him long enough that my husband was able to bang on his car doors and yell for him to scoot over for a period of time; long enough that it was more than obvious this man was intentionally trying to run him off the road.
Thankfully, my husband is a stout and technical rider and was able to stay upright despite being forced into the curb, otherwise, this story might have ended completely different. Despite the fact that my husband was riding to the far right side of the lane, the driver drove right up next to him, hitting his left arm with his mirror hard enough to knock it back. This might not seem like a big deal to some since he was not seriously injured… but I assure you, traveling 35 mph on a bicycle and being struck by a vehicle, even if just in the arm, can result in serious injuries and even death.
We are both courteous and law-abiding cyclists who sometimes ride with our small children around our neighborhood or in large groups around town, and have been doing so without many issues for the past 6 years. We are not novices to the occasional rude and impatient drivers, or the unruly drivers throwing things or cursing us at stop lights, but this abhorrent behavior and complete lack of disrespect for another human being deserves attention and should not be tolerated.
Driving is a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT. Regardless of how you feel about sharing the road, you are lawfully obligated to do so. While the bike lanes around town are a great addition to the community, they are but a courtesy offered by the city. Without the bike lanes, cyclists are expected to ride on the road, with the flow of traffic.
It is ILLEGAL and UNSAFE to ride on a sidewalk. Cyclists have the SAME authority and responsibility to the road and must follow the same traffic laws as any other vehicle. There is absolutely no circumstance where a person should drive so close to a cyclist that they bump them with their vehicle. The legal distance to safely pass a cyclist is 3 feet. If you cannot pass safely, WAIT! If you were previously unaware that cyclists have many of the same laws and responsibilities as you and your motor vehicle, consider yourself informed and read up on the law!
https://bikeleague.org/StateBikeLaws
https://www.okc.gov/departments/planning/current-projects/watch-for-me-okc/safe-cycling
