Letters: Cyclists need to take more care

Your article on bicycling deaths couldn't be more timely ["Pedal peril," News, July 14]. I was recently coming home from work at about 8 p.m. in Oyster Bay Village. A bicyclist was riding on the road, carrying a grocery sack in his right hand and texting with his left hand!

He never looked away from his phone, and as I passed him he was still reading. He had no safety reflectors. He was wearing dark clothing. He had no light.

We're spending so much effort to legislate texting while driving, but clearly texting while bicycling proves that you can't fix or legislate stupid.

Wendy Saunders, Oyster Bay
 

I am a cyclist who regularly commutes to work from Miller Place to Brookhaven National Laboratory. I have the good fortune of being able to ride on well-marked bicycle lanes for much of my ride.

Bicycle lanes have benefits beyond those that may come to mind. By making it easier for cyclists and drivers to share the road, they encourage a mutual respect that I find extends to adjoining roadways. They get drivers accustomed to seeing cyclists on the road, which I think makes those drivers more conscious of cyclists wherever they may be driving.

It would be a great loss for Long Island if Newsday's reporting about the dangers of our roads causes would-be cyclists to stay home. I hope that the article instead causes us to pay greater attention to the development of safe bicycle routes on Long Island.

John Morris, Miller Place
 

I am 61 and an avid bike rider. It is a sad state of affairs that on Long Island, the place of beautiful beaches and parks, that there are not safer places to bike.

The safest seems to be the service road of the Long Island Expressway. The shoulders are wide, and there are long distances between intersections. This puts bikers less at risk to the car going through a stop sign or a red light.

It's scary to see a car go by with the driver either talking on the phone or texting. I have been honked at for riding in my lane, cut off by rude drivers, had objects thrown at me by speeding cars and cursed at. This is all while I try to get some exercise. The same road rage on the highways is frequently directed at bikers.

Bernard Nash, Dix Hills
 

Your article was one-sided and unfair. Why didn't you also talk to drivers? Bikers are just as guilty. Many completely ignore courtesy and the rules of the road.

I've seen bikers speed, ride against traffic, blow through stop signs and traffic signals, fail to yield the right of way, you name it -- and they get away with it.

Bikers must remember that they have to share the road, too. All bikers should be required to carry licenses and plates, just like drivers.

Nick Ziino, Ridge
 

Your reporting on bicyclist deaths failed to mention how many were not wearing a helmet. Since the article came out, I counted 27 bicyclists on the road, and not one of them had a helmet on! On my block alone, there are 11 kids who ride around without helmets.

Helmets are required in New York for riders 14 and younger. Maybe if the police or the parents were better at enforcing this rule, there would be fewer deaths on Long Island roads.

Philip Chin, Wheatley Heights
 

I am amazed that there is not a requirement to wear a bike helmet for all ages. Why is age 14 the magic number? Does a 16-year-old not have an equal chance of being hit be a car? Shouldn't a parent be a good role model and wear a helmet while riding with a child?

While older teens and adults might have better judgment than those 14 and younger, better judgment does not protect them from a driver who is not paying attention or a rut in the road.

I am a triathlete and runner and have encountered my share of considerate and inconsiderate drivers, as well as sand, gravel and ruts. Bike helmets save lives, and they protect people from brain injuries.

Mindy Davidson, Seaford

Editor's note: The writer is the manager of Team Runner's Edge, a triathlon team.
 

As an avid road cyclist, I agree that Long Island roadways could be made safer for cyclists and pedestrians, especially as we move closer to alternative "greener" ways of commuting.

Your story did point out that both motorists and cyclists are to blame for many accidents, but I was appalled to see the photo of a man on a bike, not wearing a helmet and in flip-flops!

During a recent visit to Cape Cod, I rode the rail trail; a beautifully designed, paved bike path with portable toilets every few miles, bike repair stations, and shade from trees for 22 miles. We need a similar recreational venue here.

A public relations campaign promoting safe biking and driving would be nice too.

Lisa Ritchie, Lido Beach
 

On Shore Road in Long Beach, I see bicyclists routinely running stop signs. On Park Avenue, bicyclists run red lights. Both infractions clearly create hazards for motorists and pedestrians. What can and should be done to correct this problem?

Beth Rose Feuerstein, Long Beach