Last Saturday the bicycle fraternity came out in significant numbers to support the Arrive Alive World Day of Remembrance for victims of road accidents. As our nation and members of the international cycling fraternity would know, we suffered yet another loss as a result of a motor vehicle causing lethal trauma and taking the lives of Joe Brown and Joanna Banks.
Thereafter, a goal was set to get a thousand bicycle wheels on the road of the Queens Park Savannah as a show of solidarity and from all indication, that goal appears to have been surpassed. Directly after the devastating accident on November 10th and in the days leading up to this event, many people took to social media and radio call-in programmes to give their views on what had taken place. Among the genuine show of empathy by well-wishers, there were those that used the opportunity voice their displeasure with the fact that cyclists traverse our nation's roads.
Some went as far as questioning the legality of a cyclist as a road user.
With some deplorable comments, the issue of race and privilege also reared its ugly head. Despite the display of intolerance and misguided perspectives to the rights of a cyclist, I see this as an opportunity to educate and inform.
Firstly, the legal reference “cyclist” in accordance with our laws in simple terms refers to anyone riding a pedal cycle. This includes not only standard road bikes but all other bikes including the “ Cocoa Benz, Snowcone, Ice cream, doubles and pieman bikes”. Guess what? All of those forms of cycles have the indisputable legal right to be a road user.
According to Police Service (TTPS) statistics, the majority of cyclists road deaths, serious injuries or collisions have happened on main roads and secondary roads. My own risk assessment and rationally tells me it is because most of these roads have no shoulders, they have more intersections, vehicles coming from all directions, more pedestrians and taxis as well as driveways, not to mention more potholes. Simply put there is no part of the country that there has not been a serious accident or fatally involving a cyclist with the great majority being ordinary commuters. The reality is the same could be said for all forms of road users.
The only way to eliminate the risk is to stop road use of bicycles altogether. This is highly unlikely to happen as every government in the world is doing more to encourage the use of bicycles for health and transport reasons. We know there are risks but all of the bones I have broken never involved a bike/car accident but that of hitting the road, trails or the track while racing or training. I too have been hit by a motor vehicle (an old red Bedford) while riding out of Chaguaramas, it was a hit and run accident. It was a traumatic experience of which I still have the scars as proof.
Competitive cyclists have the tenacity like rock climbers in the pursuit of a goal. We sometimes take a beating like an MMA fighter and we have the most collective loss of skin (as we say here in T&T white man) of any sport.
Some of the people involved in the accident two Saturdays ago were back on their bikes the next day, not because they were not hurting or affected, but because you need to have the mind of a fighter to do what we do.
For some of us, our business is pain and risk and every one of us has taken a trip to the hospital. We accept our scars and then we keep moving forward. That is the focus that has brought international cycling medals and glory to T&T for many decades now and it will be that attitude that will help inspire more success tomorrow and the days after.
All we are saying are two things 1. Respect the laws that we are legally accommodated on the nation's roads, including the highways. 2. Motor vehicle operators, please drive responsibly and wait your turn. I again make reference to TTPS statistics all road fatalities were caused by people killing themselves in cars, people killing other people with cars, people killing pedestrians with cars and people killing cyclists with cars.
The response cannot be that we need to regulate everyone else's behaviour but people driving the cars. Put it like this, just imagine if the dangerous dogs' act did not require owners to be responsible but placed the onus on the potential victim to not walk in an area that where dogs could cause harm, would that be right. The foundation of that analogy is the point I hear being commonly made. The reality is because there is a lack of knowledge about road rules it contributes to intolerance. I am sure if you have a negative view of cyclists it may just be in part that you don't want to have to slow down and proceed with caution. In other words, you are saying “go somewhere else and ride”.
Finally, I cannot say that cyclists can never be at fault and need better awareness. Cyclists can benefit if they learn to use proper hand signals, manage their routes better, show gratitude when drivers are courteous, use safety lights, headgear and recognise that the need to anticipate driver error. Also, cyclists need to be courteous - say hello or good morning to as many people as you can when you are on your road rides. Building stronger relationships with the simple use courtesy may just be the thing that gives us more space and understanding in saving our lives.
Michael Phillips
Former National Cyclist
Diego Martin