Getting the wheels rolling on bike safety

By: Deidre Haye

Posted: 8/27/07

Learning how to ride a bike is an experience no one forgets. The first time your foot touches the pedal you can hardly wait to get those darn training wheels off. Finally, the day comes when they are removed and you start whizzing around the block until your parents call you in for dinner.

Then come the usual comments from your parents such as, "Be careful" and "Don't ride your bike in the street," but you are way too excited or too busy to pay attention.

Now, years later, we have to recognize we are living on a campus with about 13,400 students and there is more than a sidewalk crack or two to be aware of.

On some days, the sidewalks by Stipes, Morgan and the Leslie F. Malpass Library are a gigantic wave of people trying to get to their classes. If you're in the crowd trying to walk, it can be frustrating. Bicyclists need to be especially aware; weaving a bike in and out of a crowd that size is extremely dangerous.

The State of Illinois Bicycle Laws and Regulations state, "Where a bicycle path has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use the path and not the roadway." There is a bicycle path near Stipes, Morgan and the library, but I've rarely seen bicyclists use it.

Why don't more people take advantage of it? It's not "uncool" or "lame." It's there for your safety and the safety of others. So, while you're on your bike, look for the bright yellow line and don't be afraid to use it.

Outside of the yellow line, I have had some near-collisions with bicyclists because they have been going way too fast. Not only should bicyclists be aware of everything that's around them, but they should be aware of themselves as well.

Most of us have heard of the Tour de France and what a demanding race it is. We all know about Lance Armstrong and his seven consecutive wins. However, students who choose to ride their bikes across campus need to slow it down and recognize their surroundings - this is not the Tour de Western Illinois University.

To wrap it up: That bright yellow painted line, Tour de Western and, most importantly, the 13,400 students whom you pass every day when you go to class - I hope these three things stay in your mind and remind you to be aware, be alert and, most importantly, be safe.