Why do some cyclists break the rules of the road?

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LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS1130) – They blow through red lights, ride the wrong way and hog the road — we’re talking about bad cyclists.

A study is underway in Colorado to find out why so many riders go rogue.

According to Erin O’Melinn with HUB: Your Cycling Connection in Vancouver, it’s not that they want to break the law; it’s that they don’t feel comfortable or safe using most of the roads in the region.

“There is a case of inadequate infrastructure in a number of areas in the region. That’s what we would want to focus on. How can we design things to be better?”

“We want people to be respectful road users,” she explains. “That being said, the road systems that we have have been built for motor vehicles and they’re not structured very well for people on bike. So, there is frustration out there, for sure. Many people don’t feel like cycling infrastructure is safe enough. Often, when it’s shared with cars, people feel like they’re in danger.”

O’Mellin says safer streets include reduced vehicle speed limits on bike routes.

“When infrastructure is put in place specifically for people on bikes, it can include things like bike boxes. That puts the cyclist at the head of the line so that they’re well-seen, so that people know that they’re there and know that they’re trying to turn,” she tells us.

She also points out the rules different based on where you are.

“There are certainly different laws regarding cycling in different jurisdictions,” she tells us. “Even within Metro Vancouver, there are some different laws on what people on bike can and can’t do.”

“I’d love to see a universal cycling understanding,” adds O’Mellin.

The people conducting the survey say most of us — regardless of the mode in which we travel — break the law at some point, but there’s greater disapproval when cyclists ride through stop signs.

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