Last week, as I bike commuted to work, there was an incident during which I felt that my safety was disregarded. This is not an uncommon occurrence, however. In fact, in my experience it seems that even though I spend less time on my bike on the road in the winter, events that compromise my safety happen more frequently this time of year, when road conditions are the worst. It is this seasonal concern that motivated me to write this letter so that I could ask of my neighbors and local community, please take a second to consider the safety of a bicyclist if you happen to encounter any of us out on the road, especially in the winter months.

This morning’s incident was notable for two reasons. First, it occurred at 10:15 a.m., when road traffic is much lower than my normal commute time. Second, the vehicle that encroached upon my safety was a police SUV. Of course, this immediately encouraged me to report the license-plate number to the appropriate office along with my plea that the Police Department encourage its officers to “slow down” and give plenty of room for cyclists (just as we are required to do, by law, when approaching them or other emergency vehicles). I feel that police officers are held to a higher standard, thus it would be appropriate for me to report this incident that I typically would have ignored. But a direct report feels a little like a child tattling on another for a bump on the playground, and truly, it wouldn’t achieve my goal, for my message is for the whole community.

What happened was that as I climbed a rather large hill, I was passed by the SUV from behind. Why I felt this was an unnecessarily dangerous pass is twofold: 1) The driver did not slow the vehicle, 2) The pass was made with at most 3 feet of space. Legally, the pass was perfectly legitimate. However, from my perspective, 3 feet of space on an icy and sandy road was not sufficient and moreover, much more space could have been given with a minimal disruption to the driver. What I mean is that the reason the driver didn’t give me more space or reduce his speed was because of oncoming traffic. There were a couple of vehicles approaching from the opposite direction during his pass. What irritates me about this is that those vehicles had fully cleared me literally within five to 10 seconds. So had the driver simply slowed and waited for a more appropriate time to pass, he could have given me a full lane (or at least much more than 3 feet), and done so at a lower speed to boot.

So I ask you, my friends, my neighbors, my local community: Please consider the safety of a cyclist as you pass us this time of year and always. Road conditions are worse now, and while there are fewer of us out on the road, we are still there. It is appropriate to slow down and give us even more space than you think we may need, and we greatly appreciate it when you do. As you approach us on the road, think to yourself: Is now the optimal time for me to pass this cyclist? Can I momentarily reduce my speed? Can I give them more space if I wait for them to clear other vehicles or road obstructions?

I’ve found in most unsafe passing situations fewer than 30 seconds can make a world of difference in the safety of cyclists. So my final question to you, is my life worth 30 seconds of your time?

Steven Davis

North Liberty