Fionnuala Quinn, a FABB board member had a letter to the Post this week in response to Ashley Halsey's article about the conflict between drivers and cyclists. Quinn calls for more bicycle education in schools.
Comprehensive school bicycle curricula abound in Europe. I recently visited a Belgian program where 10-year-olds receive 30 hours of bicycle training during the school year. The students spend 20 hours riding in traffic, and they have to pass a four-kilometer road test. With this level of education, students are likely to grow up to have a much better understanding of bicycles in traffic, whether they are riding or driving.
The successful bicycling that can be seen in Europe is in part a reflection of a commitment to teaching the population how to share the right of way. We instruct our 16-year-olds on how to drive cars, so why not take a little time to learn about safe bicycling on our roads also? We would all benefit.
I think it's a great idea.
Another good idea would be to require the completion of a Smart Cycling course prior to getting a driver's permit. I love to throw this one out when people suggest that cyclists be licensed. In order to get a commercial driver's license you have to get a normal driver's license first; so in order to get a driver's license shouldn't one have to get a cyclist's license first?
Adding pedestrian and bicycling instructional curricula for middle schools and high schools is going to be mentioned in the Baltimore County plan.
Posted by: Richard Layman | May 29, 2010 at 11:59 AM