Cyclists respond to proposed helmet and buffer zones

As Regina pedals ahead with drafting bike safety bylaws, some cyclists say they would welcome a change to help educate drivers to share the road.

Bert Seidel rides to work at Western Cycle almost every day and he said a buffer zone of 1.5 metres between vehicles and bikes on the road would keep him safer than the helmet he already wears.

“I like the idea of the buffer zone to have it written down because even if you wear a helmet, when a semi passes you with 10 centimetres to your handlebars, it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a helmet,” Seidel said. “Or (it could be) even a small car; it doesn’t have to be a semi.”

Seidel said he is more neutral about introducing a mandatory bike helmet bylaw, because it feels unnatural to ride without one now. He is originally from Germany where helmets aren’t mandatory, but said most cities there do have a minimum passing distance between vehicles and bikes.

“From the perspective of a cyclist, it’s nice to have something like that so at least then people know, ‘OK, if there is a cyclist in front of me and I have to pass them, I should give them at least that much space,’ ” Seidel said.

Here in Regina, Seidel believes the traffic bylaw is too vague. As far as he knows, it only directs drivers to pass at a safe distance without any specific direction about what that means.

Seidel understands a bylaw requiring one or 1.5 metres of distance between vehicles and bicycles on the road may be difficult to enforce, but he thinks simply having it in place would serve to educate drivers about sharing the road.

“From what I’ve heard and what I’ve been yelled at, a lot of drivers think that cyclists don’t even belong on the road,” Seidel said.

He said introducing a new law would get people talking about it and help inform drivers they do have to share the road with cyclists. Even if drivers think it’s stupid, Seidel thinks the majority will at least try to follow the rules.

” ‘It’s the law (and cyclists) are allowed on the road, and I might not agree with that but at least I’m going to follow it to my best (ability),’ versus, ‘Well, they don’t belong on the street, I’m just going to pass them with like two centimetres of space,’ ” he said.

As a customer browsing in the bike shop on a warm March day, Steve Greve was interested to learn about the proposed new bike bylaws. He agreed with making bike helmets mandatory for all ages.

“I think it’s a good idea, I always ride with a helmet and it has saved my head at least twice. I’ve fallen and hit my head and without the helmet I would have had a severe concussion,” Greve said.

Greve said most kids he sees riding bikes already wear helmets, but thinks a bylaw might help reinforce a safety message to older teenagers or adults.

As for the buffer zone idea, Greve can see the pros and cons, noting on some streets it’s impossible to feel comfortable riding a bike in traffic.

“(It would be) hard to enforce I’m sure, but I think it’s a good idea that cars then are at least informed and they’re made aware and they think about it a little bit more, because I’ve had a lot of close calls,” Greve said.

A lot of people on social media have a different perspective about introducing more laws, with many arguing that they see many cyclists disobeying traffic laws already.

Elizabeth Doyle wrote on Facebook she would like to see cyclists more aware of traffic: “Too often going down a single lane street a cyclist riding in the parking lane will go around a parked car without even looking. Right into the driving lane. How is that the driver’s fault?”

Brad Brown agrees, writing: “The campaign to better inform cyclists of safe riding practices would be better use of money and police resources. Creating more bylaws is not the answer. And for the helmets I would say anyone under 18 needs to wear one but over 18 it is up to the cyclist. If I were riding every day in rush hour traffic I would wear a helmet but leisurely riding on a bike path I would not wear a helmet.”

Opinions are more divided on the idea of mandatory helmets, with some people arguing it should be a personal choice and others saying it’s baffling that Regina doesn’t already have the law.