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Jed Boal ReportingWhen bikes and cars converge, cyclists usually lose. Each year, nearly 900 Utah cyclists are hurt and six are killed in crashes with cars and trucks.
It should be easy to share the road. Simple rules guide us, but motorists and cyclists routinely break the law, and two-wheelers take the brunt of the pain.
Theron Jeppson, Bicycle Safety Coordinator, Utah Department of Health: "If you're a bicyclist and want to be treated with courtesy, you have to obey the laws. If you're a motorist and want to be treated with courtesy, you have to show respect. There's some give and take there."
For a second year, the Utah Department of Health joins police on the look-out for cyclists and motorists who break the law. Today, West Valley City Police patrolled the streets with decoy riders. One officer described a common violation to us.
Officer Justin Wyckoff, West Valley Police Department: "A vehicle behind us straddling two lanes. They're taking up our lane, plus the lane beside them, and they're right on our tail end."
Last year, five departments issued 627 warnings and citations for bicyclists and motorists who failed to yield the right of way, failure to stop and illegal turns. Bicyclists also rode against the flow of traffic and motorists were cited for speeding and improper passing.
The idea behind the enforcement is not to give out as many tickets as possible, it's to educate the public. So when they stop motorists, officers are giving them a guide for sharing the road. It shows the most common mistakes you'll see out there.
Lt. Dale Brophy, West Valley Police Department: "There will be citations issued, but we'll hand out pamphlets on the laws that are commonly broken."
By law, drivers must leave three feet of clearance when passing a bicycle, and bicyclists must ride to the right when conditions safely allow it. Safety advocates say that law alone should help prevent many dangerous crashes.
