Re: Time to crack down on irresponsible cyclists (Letters, April 5)
As a cyclists that shines brighter than a Christmas tree when I ride in darker conditions and at night, I appreciate Mr. McMillan’s concerns regarding cyclists’ safety. As he mentions, it is the few who insist on breaking the law that ruin it for the many, just as it is with motorists who continually break the laws that govern traffic.
Speeders, tailgaters, those who run yellow or red lights, those who continue to drink and drive, those who still text and talk on hand-held devices – the list goes on, and yes, it is the few who reflect poorly on the many.
Education and respect would seem the best solutions to such problems. More enforcement as suggested by Mr. McMillan might be useful for cyclists and motorists as well. Unfortunately, police resources are already spread very thin and there seems to be little public appetite for higher taxes to increase enforcement.
Suggesting that cyclists lose their bikes for six months when stopped for no light seems a bit harsh. You can be stopped for drinking and driving and receive a slap on the wrist, with as little as a 24-hour roadside suspension.
Cyclists never win in a confrontation with a vehicle, and I agree no motorist should suffer emotionally after an accident with an ill-lit cyclist. But drunk drivers kill. Let’s make the punishment commensurate with the crime. There are already fines and punishments on the books.
We will never change some people’s irresponsible actions, but hopefully those cyclists who continue to ride darkly in the dark see the light before they end up dead.
Wayne Clayton
Colwood