[SDCBC] all road users need education

[Gene Carman]

"...given that we can connect with people who ride bicycles... "

I don't see this as a "given."

How exactly do you propose to efficiently reach "people who ride 
bicycles..."  through what special means are cyclists alone able to 
be contacted, to be made aware of their need for education?

The current situation is that most cyclists are not even aware that 
they have a need for education, and thus do not even seek any form of 
cycling education...  nor do bike shops (which many cyclists may not 
even visit) have any awareness nor provide any education connection.

Since the majority of cyclists also are drivers of motor vehicles, it 
seems quite simple to me that a network already exists to reach most 
bicycle riders...  through driver's ed...  or through the state 
drivers license system.

An even better way to reach all users of the road would be through 
public schools where nearly every citizen (less those home schooled) 
would pass.

We must raise the "education of road users" to at least a similar 
level to that of "health" education.


At 04:25 AM 2/12/2007, JonIsaacs at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 2/11/07 11:21:33 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
>serge at issakov.org writes:
>
>>That is, better education of all motorists is an excellent idea, 
>>but I think the alleged "need" for it tends to be way overblown, 
>>particularly with respect to making cycling in traffic "safe".  I 
>>have a particular distaste for the implication that riding in 
>>traffic is not safe, and will not be safe, until motorists are 
>>better educated, or cyclists are physically separated.  That 
>>implication makes cycling seem much more dangerous than it actually 
>>is, and is hardly a boon to making cycling be more popular.
>>
>>But as far as Gene's point about reaching all road users regarding 
>>the spreading of the knowledge that Dan wrote about, yes, training 
>>through existing channels is probably a good idea.  But I don't 
>>know how we get that to happen.  In the mean time, I would like to 
>>at least see the information spread within the cycling community 
>>through the existing channels that we have, like this one.
>
>------
>
>Serge:
>
>Well said.
>
>I would like to see better education/training for all vehicle 
>operators, not so much because I am a cyclist but rather because I 
>am also a motorist...
>
>But given that we can connect with people who ride bicycles and that 
>it is clear from observing people riding biycles that many lack 
>basic road skills, efforts at educating cyclist seems to offer the 
>most return on any effort.
>
>jon
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