Bicycles Vs. Cars

There’s a lot of ongoing tension when it comes to bicyclists vs cars on the road. A lot of it comes down to the conveniences that both parties expect when they head out for their journey on the road - bicyclists, because of their lack of an engine and the ability to speed up quickly plus the lack of having a steel frame and big metal car body around them to protect them, often feel like cars and other drivers should go out of their way to make sure that bicyclists are safe and have the ability to ride on the roads as well.

The case for bicyclists having priority on the road is a pretty big one. In accidents involving cars and bicycles it’s always the bicyclist that loses and suffers the most injury or damage. Bicyclists are also a lot more likely to be in an accident due to the carelessness of other drives especially for people who don’t watch before they turn or pull out of driveways or open their doors while parked on the side of the street. Bicyclists are killed a great deal more often then motorists are as well so the potential of danger for them is much greater. However aside the danger aspects of bicycling there are also a lot of other reasons that they might be favored as well. Bicycles are much kinder to the environment, don’t use fossil fuels, can be maintained for much less of a cost than a car and they’re also a lot better for people that are looking to stay healthy and in good shape. Bicycles can be a great way of exercising and saving money as well.

However there is also a lot of argument that cars should be given the right of way not only because the roads are meant for cars and designed for faster moving traffic but also because roads and streets are payed for by the taxes that car drivers pay and cyclists aren’t subject to these kinds of fees. It’s also frustrating for a lot of drivers to have to slow down and wait for cyclist when there isn’t room to pass them and it can cause a lot of panic to drivers who worry about hitting a cyclists. There’s also a lot of tension caused when cyclists refuse to obey rules of the road (like red lights, stops sign, one way streets etc) that cars have to obey. It can be very scary when an oncoming car has to brake suddenly because of a cyclist that ran a red light with no regard for oncoming traffic. This kind of behavior can cause accidents and it’s almost always the motorist that is held responsible. However cars also cost quite a bit more and do some fair damage to the environment so really it’s a bit of balance.

Overall it’s important that you weigh your concerns and do your best to make sure that whatever you decide you make your time on the roads as enjoyable as you can for everyone involved.