06-12-2018, 01:29 PM
I'm not sure how to interpret WRPS' comments. Sharrows are literally supposed to provide the location on where the safest location to ride is on a particular street (away from the curb and obstacles).
Does that mean if I am not riding my bike literally on the curb at all times (which seems to be the definition of "as far to the right as practicable" in WRPS' view) they can ticket me?
Even taking sharrows out of the equation their advice does not make sense. There are so many situations where you can't just stay as far to the right all the time.
Maybe there will be clarification from the Chief himself:
"Our next #WRPSTalks is coming up soon featuring @Chief_BLarkin! Tune in and bring your questions on June 26 at 6 p.m. We will be live on #Facebook, #Twitter and #YouTube! You can also direct message us questions ahead of time!"
Do the police drive their cruisers right next on the curb? No, that wouldn't be safe - there is no margin for error there; they use the middle of the lane. They leave a buffer to their left AND right. Always leave yourself an "out" I believe is the language I recall from driving school.
A standard regional lane is 3.35m.
A police cruiser is 1.90m.
That leaves 1.45m unused lane width or 0.73m to the right of the car which represents a buffer of 38% of the vehicle's width.
A standard bicycle is 1.1m.
38% of that width is 0.42m.
So at an absolute minimum cyclists should not be expected to be within nearly 0.5m of the curb or any obstacle.
I am sure it is coincidental and observational bias/priming, but it was a particularly harrowing cycle commute today dealing with inattentive and aggressive drivers - twice squeezed to the curb (once on Park and once on West) when trying to take the lane.
Does that mean if I am not riding my bike literally on the curb at all times (which seems to be the definition of "as far to the right as practicable" in WRPS' view) they can ticket me?
Even taking sharrows out of the equation their advice does not make sense. There are so many situations where you can't just stay as far to the right all the time.
Maybe there will be clarification from the Chief himself:
"Our next #WRPSTalks is coming up soon featuring @Chief_BLarkin! Tune in and bring your questions on June 26 at 6 p.m. We will be live on #Facebook, #Twitter and #YouTube! You can also direct message us questions ahead of time!"
Do the police drive their cruisers right next on the curb? No, that wouldn't be safe - there is no margin for error there; they use the middle of the lane. They leave a buffer to their left AND right. Always leave yourself an "out" I believe is the language I recall from driving school.
A standard regional lane is 3.35m.
A police cruiser is 1.90m.
That leaves 1.45m unused lane width or 0.73m to the right of the car which represents a buffer of 38% of the vehicle's width.
A standard bicycle is 1.1m.
38% of that width is 0.42m.
So at an absolute minimum cyclists should not be expected to be within nearly 0.5m of the curb or any obstacle.
I am sure it is coincidental and observational bias/priming, but it was a particularly harrowing cycle commute today dealing with inattentive and aggressive drivers - twice squeezed to the curb (once on Park and once on West) when trying to take the lane.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.