Guam cyclist Jun Noche, writing a guest editorial in the Marianas Variety newspaper, discusses cycling on this small tropical island in the western Pacific Ocean, which Jun describes as “a heaven for riders on two-wheels”.
But, like any place where bicycles and automobiles share the same roads, there are potential conflicts. In pleading for “a few feet of space on the road”, Jun cites the following:
In Kansas, a group of cyclists successfully added the following “bike-safety” question onto the driver’s test: “When passing a bicyclist on the road, drivers should give the cyclist at least: (a) two feet of clearance (b) three feet of clearance (c) four feet of clearance.”
The answer is “c.” (Source: Jan/Feb. 2008 issue of Bicycling Magazine, “Broken” pp. 57 ff.)
We have approached the governor, a budding cyclist, and dedicated leaders to help us follow the Kansas example.
This is just a start of what we hope to be a more bicycle-friendly Guam.
The Bicycling Magazine article Jun referenced is online at One Really Good, Really Simple Idea:
In Kansas, drivers must pass a 20-question, multiple-choice, take-home exam as part of the license-renewal process. Craig Weinaug, a member of the Lawrence Bicycle Club and a county administrator, says, “I could answer most of the questions without looking in the drivers’ manual, but there are always a few things you have to look up.” While flipping through the 64-page book, he spotted a page devoted to bike safety. “I figured, if a question about bike safety was on the test and if I could force everybody in the state to read that section of the manual at least once, things might be a little safer for cyclists.” After two years of prodding, Weinaug convinced the appropriate Kansas official to put a bike-safety question on the test.
Isn’t it amazing that such a simple thing should take two years to accomplish, and that it could inspire someone half-way around the world to try to improve their conditions as well? Thank you, Craig.
