2008 Woodie Awards
Cyclists worry about road injuries due to obscurity of safety rules
Alex Moorman
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: News
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More students at MTSU have switched from battling traffic and parking on campus to riding their bikes, but with the heavy traffic flow on campus riding bikes can prove difficult according to Sarah Borguez, junior photography major.
"I think that cars try and watch for bicyclers but for the most part I think they just cant see us," Borguez said. "I do have trouble on campus sometimes, because you can't use the sidewalks; they are covered in people."
With this increase in bicyclists over the Murfreesboro area, bicycle shops have had an increase in business over the last couple months.
"Business is doing great," said Alex Gomez, owner of Pro Cycling in Murfreesboro. "I think that gas prices have a lot to do with our increased business, but any reason is good if it gets people to ride instead of drive."
There are some rules that both bicyclists and the people around them must remember to insure the safety of both the cyclist and the driver.
Bicyclists are permitted to ride on certain sections of freeways, so drivers should be alert and prepared when choosing to pass a bicyclist. Bikers must also ride in the same direction as other traffic to avoid a collision.
Cyclists are expected to ride in a straight line as near to the right curb or edge of the roadway as practical, and biking on sidewalks is prohibited. Also when making left and right turns, cyclists are to turn in the same way that drivers do, using the same lanes.
When riding a bike on main roads cyclists must also remember that they are entitled to use the left turning lane but when traveling straight, they must use a center lane as opposed to riding along the curb.
Jinsol Park, junior political science major said that she usually feels uncomfortable when riding her bike on main roads because she doesn't think there are enough regulations for people who drive cars.
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