Impatience, poor driving put lives at risk

On Thursday evening (July 29), an SUV driver made a sudden left-hand turn into the path of an oncoming cyclist who had the right of way. I am a bike racer and commuter who has seen this same move made by far too many drivers. In this case, the 51-year-old female cyclist, a member of my cycling club, was hit hard and the consequences were tragic.

We do not yet know the full circumstances of the fatal crash, but I know that when I was hit in a similar circumstance several years ago­ - and nearly hit just a week ago­ - it was not because the driver didn't see me. In both cases, the drivers thought they could get to a road on my right before I did, so they sped up and made a corner-cutting turn into my path without signaling or slowing down. Too many drivers misjudge the speed of approaching bicycles and gamble that they can make a quick turn before the cyclist gets there. They are gambling with someone's life.

Drivers: Signal your turns, don't cut corners and yield right of way to oncoming vehicles, especially cyclists, whom you can easily kill.

Cyclists: Ride defensively and know that oncoming cars often make left-hand turns without slowing down or signaling.

We all need to stop letting our impatience and poor driving habits put people's lives at risk.

Julie Foertsch

Cedar Rapids