god! Do we have to read this stuff over and over agian. Everyone knows this stuff; they just don't follow the rules!

Using hand signals is important while on a bike in traffic. Be aggressive with that. Some people don't know what those signals are and yet they drive a car. If they get mad what you can do is chase them to the next stop light drag that bastard from out of his seat through the window and bash his face in. (LOL just kidding.)

Yeah, we need to enforce them kids to use hand signals. if not we should be allowed to take their bikes away.

What about all them kids driving without a helmet. Shouldn't there be a law against that, why are the cops not reinforcing it. They should set up traps, nail the little bastards and throw them in the clink. What about the parents of the little bastards, there getting too drunk to care if their kids end up being participant of the BIG.

Ok, maybe I shouldn't call them little bastards.... sweet little angels.

lol to much

How about all the immature adult parents who do not set a good example for their kids by wearing a helmet and using hand signals?
metalman.

Prince George is about the last place on earth that I'd want to ride a bike in traffic.

"Bicycles are defined as vehicles, so treat them as you would any other vehicle on the road."
Maybe the cyclists should also start to ride like they are a vehicle on the road then? ie: stop at stop signs, wait for lights, stay off the sidewalks, dont use the pedestrian crossings, wear a helmet (drivers have to wear seatbelts)
OH - and if anyone knows the guy who insists on riding down 5th every morning at about 7:45 am please let him know that bikes are not supposed to be on 5th at all, let alone during rush hour...

reasonable is correct--the last place I'd want to ride--

Interceptor is right on. The article is written from the point of view of what a motorist should be doing.

We now need the same for what a pedestrian and, even more so, the cyclist point of view and responsibilities. That is the main problem as I see it.

The other day I thought I had seen everything when someone was riding their cycle in their special lane on Foothills but going in the wrong direction. Is there anything in the law for cyclists that says which direction they are supposed to be going. They need to put some direction arrows inot those lanes.

if bicycles are defined as vehicles maybe they should be paying a license fee same as motorists.

"if bicycles are defined as vehicles maybe they should be paying a license fee same as motorists."

Shh! Don't give the government any ideas!

Not only license fees, they should have to have bicycle insurance. Why do they get to ride on the roads without insurance and vehicles cant?????

There are a large number of cyclers who do not wear helmets, however the Police do not enforce the laws. They just drive by and ignore the cyclists. The fine is $29.00 plus change so its not worth the effort to get out of the car. However a $350.00 fine for a motorist makes it worthwhile.

We have what is called selective law enforcement from a Police force who have discretionary powers even though they are not supposed to have it. This allows them to enforce the law as they see fit, rather than just enforce the law.

The only area in BC where the Helment law is enforced to any large degree is the greater Victoria area. In the rest of the Province it is basically ignored.

Those little 4 wheeled motorized wheel chairs that run around on the roads are also illegal, however they are never ticketed, the Police just ignore them even though they are somewhat of a traffic hazard.

I wish our Mayor would get out of Bicycle mode and start to look at tax reduction, and staff reduction at City hall. Leave the small stuff to others. We are not paying him $85,000.00 per year plus, plus, to have him tell us how to drive. Most of us were driving while he was still wet behind the ears.

"We have what is called selective law enforcement from a Police force who have discretionary powers even though they are not supposed to have it. This allows them to enforce the law as they see fit, rather than just enforce the law."

That one way to look at it. The other way is that there are too many laws and not enough police. They'd rather bust a grow op than write a ticket for no helmet. That's the way it should be.

Gave the cyclists a bike lane and they don't use it. Still have to ride three abreast in the vehicle lane. No helmets (some do) ride on the wrong side of the road, down sidewalks, go through stop signs and red lights, no lights, no hand signals, no insurance, no gas tax and the motorist is supposed to share the road? If a motorist did the things bike riders do the motorist would be in jail. Want to share the road then ride legally.

Common bicyclist errors
1. ride on sidewalk
2. ride on wrong side of the road
3. at intersections pretend they are pedestrians but are on wheels
4. do not use bicylce lanes provided
5. ride on road which is too narrow and restricted to motorized vehicles
6. do not signal their intended lane change and turn
7. ride in the dark without lights and often without reflectors
8. ride in the wrong direction on a one way street

Luckily we have few cyclists on the roads in PG compared to other communities, otherwise I am sure we would have more car/bicycle crashes than we have.

Does anyone have any statistics on the number of cyclists injured enough to be killed or having to go to the hospital?

As far a licenses go. Many moons ago when I grew up in Ottawa we had to have a license plate on our bikes. It was attached to the hub of the bike. Issue them here, get people who they are issued to to write an exam. At least they will have shown that they know the rules of the road.

http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/serving_ottawa/support_units/traffic_bicyclesafety.cfm

The above, or something similar should be included in an awareness campaign of "sharing the road". To address only the car driver is wrongheaded thinking. It sends a totally wrong message to pedestrians and cyclists.

An interesting comment about bicycle licenses on this blog.
http://westenddumplings.blogspot.com/2008/07/retroing-my-bike.html

I think they are right on with the idea that it might be time to look at bicycle licenses for those bikes that travel on the streets again when we are promoting them as a transportation tool.

I'm sure the cops would love bicycle licensing... not. Just more laws and regulations they don't have the resources to enforce. All it would be is a (another) revenue generator for the government.

remember when ...... http://www.plymouthpolice.com/images/Bicycle%20License.jpg

Enforcement is not needed in the first instance. They are a symbol of having to know the rules of the road. A bicycle is closer to a car than roller blades and skateboards.

Why license motorbikes? Why license cars? You can still catch a speeder and give a ticket if there were no licenses on cars.

Licenses on bikes are typically too small to read at any reasonable distance. I doubt that bicycle licenses would help catch anyone doing something wrong.

So, remove the license from the bike and license the person. Much better idea. Thank you. :-)

All I know is this. There is an awareness raising campaign going on. It appears, based from the article, that it is directed at car/truck/bus drivers not at bicyclists.

Why the campaign? What do the people who decided to create the campaign know that we do not? For instance, do they know that for at least 90% of the time, the fault of a bicyclist being injured is the fault of the motorized vehicle driver?

This campaign in Columbus, Ohio is clearly directed at both:
http://www.sharetheroadcolumbus.org/pg/safety.shtml

Well, maybe it's just me who thinks we have enough rules, regulations and laws and government of various levels in every aspect of our lives.

Maybe we need more. Bring 'em on! License pedestrians too.

Hey, what about helmet laws for pedestrians? Maybe it would save some people from getting hurt?

The idiot that rides down 5th avenue sounds like the same idiot that rides up and down airport hill riding right on the white line. There is at least 6 feet of shoulder to ride on but he doesn't ride there. He has to be right on the white line. If he thinks you are too close to him when you go by him he flips you the bird. I think someone is going to hit him some day because if yoe have two vehicles side by side the vehicle in the right lane is very close to him.

First off, I can see that almost every commenter is NOT a cyclist. Dust off your two wheel eco-friendly petroleum free shed tenant and enjoy some fresh air.

Hand signals are part of the driver's test and should be known by anyone that operates any vehicle on the road. This is required of motor vehicle operators just in case one has faulty signal lights.

There is a helmet law that was implemented more than ten years ago. It is just not enforced. They did an initial roll out sweep, then just do not bother.

I always insist on my kids wearing there helmet and have made sure that they have a current, valid bike helmet. Every time they get on wheels (roller blades, bikes, scooters, skates) I bother them to wea4r a helmet. Next thing you know, they come rolling into the driveway from a ride with no helmet on the person. So, wtf am I supposed to do. I have locked up their bikes, grounded them, etc., to no avail. So don't be putting this one on parenting. Safety consciousness cannot be legislated only. It must become a cultural thing to be accepted across the board.

If you think it is tough to ride a bike in PG, try it in Vancouver or Kamloops. Besides, there are plenty of "bike" trails criss-crossing the city.

Gus: This article was written to remind motor vehicle operators that they are not the only road users and also because you never hear about a car driver being injured by a cyclist. Only the other way around. Yes, cyclists can and do cause accidents, but it the cyclist that pays the steepest cost in injuries. Absolutely, cyclists need to take responsibility for their own safety and that of other road users. It is a vehicle just like a motor vehicle.

The reason that cyclist was riding the white line is because that is the smoothest part of the road and foothills has cracks and pot holes all over. Cyclists are supposed to go with the flow of traffic, so he was breaking the law. Cyclists should know this, direction arrows not required. This is rarely enforced.

Motor vehicles do not pay a license fee, they pay insurance and registration fees. Are you suggesting that bicycles should be insured? They tried that before but did not get the participation nor was it mandatory. One can include their bike in their home insurance if it is registered with the insurer and the serial number documented. Bikes get to ride on the road without required insurance because: 1 a 30 pound bike going 30 km/h do not normally cause extensive damage beyond a few scratches and dents whereas a 2000 to 3000 pound car traveling highway speeds do.
Those little 4 wheeled motorized wheel chairs that run around on the roads are not illegal, they are electric scooters that come under the same regulation and legislation as a bicycle.

As to enforcing helmet laws selectively, the police will use it if they notice someone riding in an unsafe manner.

Bicycles are not prohibited from the sidewalks provincially. Some municipalities do impose this restriction, but it is not generally illegal. It is sometimes a necessity to get out of a traffic snarl, one of the bonuses of riding a bike. Cyclist do try to stay of the sidewalks, but it does state that a bicycle shall use the roadway whenever possible. In PG, bicycles are prohibited down fifth from Carney to Winnipeg street.

acrider54: if you object to a gas tax, ride a bike. ;>
I noticed that several of your complaints are regarding fees imposed on motor vehicles, are you just pissed that you have to pay those fees and cyclists don't? Are you suggesting that pedestrians, scooters, horses, stray dogs, and every other road user pay these fees as well? Talk about a tax grab!

I would gladly license my bicycle if only to register and insure it against theft.

Critical mass, last Friday of each month! Watch for it, participate in it.

Loki, I pay taxes, insurance and other fees to drive on the roadways. If there is a bike lane use it, ride single file and stay out of the vehicle lanes. User pay, I pay. Did I suggest anything you mentioned about pedestrians, horses, scooters, stray dogs? I don't think so. Sorry I can't ride my bike 50 km a day back and forth to work especially in the winter, no buses either, so save gas and take a hike.

I ride a bike and what bothers me are: cars parked in the bike lanes, bikes going against traffic, car drivers ignoring hand signals, and yes bikers that do not use signals.

What really surprised me was the time I got a ticket because I used hand signals while driving my car. I was told that I couldn't use them as most drivers did not know what they stood for. It has been a long time since I took a drivers test but is that still not part of the test.

I do use a helmet which I thought was stupid as when growing up we never needed on, but I had to do it so the grandchildren would use theirs. Now I won't ride without it as has saved me from a serious injury

What's the law on that? Are bike lanes supposed to be 'no parking'? If that's the case, there are a lot of no parking streets in town.

Bike lanes are indeed not for parking or as I saw during lunch as turn out lanes.

I hike as often as I can, would you like to join me? The reason vehicle owners pay road taxes is not what you think. It is to support mass transit, as in the Vancouver Transit authority. Yep, BC drivers pay road tax to support buses and mass transit infrastructure in Vancouver, only. That is how they are paying for the LRT.

What is the law on that ...... a very common question and, unlike more and more cities, Prince George has an absolutely useless web site which has no information like that on it and, when it does have information on it, it is like finding a needle in a haystack to get to.

Again, let me direct you to the Ottawa Police site. There is more information on here than most people really want to know, I am sure. But compared to ours, which has no such site, it is like a breath of fresh air. The members of the community can be as aware as they want to be.

http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/resources/crime_analysis_statistics/weekly_activity_reports.cfm#

The bike info is on that site as well as I posted previously.

Obviously, local bylaws are different from municiplaity to municipality and I'm surprised the City of PG doesn't seem to have a definitive answer for the question if you can park in the bike lanes or not.

You would figure there would be some information on fines for parking in bike lanes if in fact it is against local bylaws. Has a ticket ever been issued for parking in a bike lane?

Ottawa's rules are fine, but they don't necessarily apply here.

Unless there are no parking signs on the road which has a bicyle lane at the side, a vehicle may park adjacent to the curb to the best of my knowledge. I am not aware of any law that says otherwise. If you know where the law is written for all to see, please let us know Loki. It is a question I have asked on several occasions but I have only received "opinions", not factual, legal information.

Here is the BC Motor Vehicle Act and what it has to say about riding bicyles on "highways", which includes City streets.

http://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/freeside/--%20M%20--/Motor%20Vehicle%20Act%20%20RSBC%201996%20%20c.%20318/00_Act/96318_05.xml#section183

"The law" is provincial, not municipal. There are a few applicable bylaws made by municipalities, but mostly it is provincial legislation that governs our roads. So whatever was found from Ontario does not necessarily apply in BC.

http://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/freeside/--%20M%20--/Motor%20Vehicle%20Act%20%20RSBC%201996%20%20c.%20318/05_Regulations/27_26_58%20Motor%20Vehicle%20Act%20Regulations/26_58_00.htm

jinx

Alot of talk about insurance. House insurances usually cover biking accidents & theft, providing you have the correct rider. ACrider, most of us pay taxes & fees
as well, the point is roads with or without bike lanes are for vehicle use & as mentioned...bikes are vehicles. I agree
that alot of bikers are irresponsible but isn't the reason for bike awareness to educate those individuals.
As for registry, liscensing etc. ,don't give the govrernment one more reason to intrude on our lives. Just one more piece of red tape BS.
My petpeeve? People that walk in bike lanes or on the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk. There are 2 ladies that walk down Tabor Blvd. (literally) every morning & will not move for anyone. Now if Bessie & Bossie were
to be hit or cause an accident who would pay or be held liable?

Loki .. you wrote: "Bicycles are not prohibited from the sidewalks provincially"

Please read the posted section from the BC MVA ...

It states in section 183
"(2) A person operating a cycle

(a) must not ride on a sidewalk unless authorized by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign"

That is the default for the province. A municipality can make a different law. The powers are outlined in section 124. I am not ware of a bylaw in PG tht allows bicyles on sidewalks, nor have I ever seen a sign in the city that allows bicyles on sidewalks.

This is one of the problems. We have far too many people who think they know the law, but have never really checked it themselves.

So, if we can ride on the sidewalks in PG, please cite the bylaw which allows that since the provincial legislation does not but allows it to be locally changed from the default.

So, since there are a lot of people, including me, that think they know everything there is to know of how to ride a bicycle according to the rules of the road, and we know that many, if not all are not quite accurate, maybe it would be a good idea to figure out a better way to educate new riders at the least, of what the rules of the road are.

Common sense is often not as common as most people think.

BTW, I did not realize that the MOTOR Vehicle Act had regulations about UNMOTORIZED vehicles in it.

It then seems that this is just one more part that the police do not enforce.

"There are 2 ladies that walk down Tabor Blvd. (literally) every morning & will not move for anyone."

Have you ever walked on some of the so called sidewalks in this City? Some are too narrow to be sidewalks; many have utility poles in their path; many more have slopes so steep towards the curb that some people have trouble walking on them, especially older folks with knee and ankle problems.

"Now if Bessie & Bossie were to be hit or cause an accident who would pay or be held liable?"

The motorist I would assume. The people are visible if the motorist is paying attention to their driving.

What do you do when a car makes an illegal left turn at an intersection and you see it in time to slow down to avoid the car? You slow down and maybe even come to a stop rather than keeping the same speed and plowing into the car.

In the case of Bessie and Bossie the BC MVA has this to say:

"Duty of driver
181 Despite sections 178, 179 and 180, a driver of a vehicle must

(a) exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian who is on the highway,

(b) give warning by sounding the horn of the vehicle when necessary, and

(c) observe proper precaution on observing a child or apparently confused or incapacitated person on the highway."

As for the duties of the pedistrians on a highway:

"182 (1) If there is a sidewalk that is reasonably passable on either or both sides of a highway, a pedestrian must not walk on a roadway."

So, the question to Bessie and Bossie then would have to be "is the sidewalk reasonably passable".

BTW, try walking on downtown streets in the section between Winnipeg and Victoria. On block there is a sidewalk on one side, the next it is on the other, then the tree branches are too low for anyone taller than 5'-6", and adjacent shrubs narrow the sidewalkd to a couple fo feet. Finally, there are no sidewalks worth calling a sidewalk. Potholes on the road? you should see the beat up sidewalks in some places.

I stand corrected.

“To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.”
(Paul Ehrlich)

I have one of them ...... that is why I really foul up so often...... I would be perfect without one .... *smile*

Gus, have you ever walked down Tabor Blvd.?
There is not one metre of that sidewalk
that is impassable. While some people have motor difficulties it is totally understandable if they choose to walk in a bike lane or on the road, no one I have seen including these two women have physical limitations
that would not allow them to successfully negotiate a sidewalk. For the record I have initially tried a friendly toot of the horn to let them know I was approaching
(as they were in the oncoming lane they had zero difficulty understanding a vehicle was coming) I got the Trudeau
Salute from both for my effort.