Right to the road: Motorists and cyclists have same rights

The morning of June 30, 2004, dawned beautiful and clear. As he did every day, Jason Bultman was riding his bike to work around 7:30 a.m.

Then he was hurled into every cyclist's nightmare.

A distracted motorist driving an SUV while talking on his cell phone collided with Bultman, causing multiple injuries, including a shattered ankle. Now, two years later, Bultman has had his fourth surgery to repair the damaged ankle and has been crippled since.

However, he still rides to work every day.

"I don't really have a better option. I'm not going to get into a car, because I hate cars; buses are too slow, and TRAX doesn't go where I need to go. Biking is the most efficient mode of transportation," he said. "Biking is much more enjoyable than sitting in a box, especially when it's a great day outside, or even when it's not a great day outside. . . . Biking is an outlet to exert and be free."

With summer in full swing, many bicyclists, such as Bultman, will be enjoying the great outdoors on the seat of a bicycle, whether they are riding to work or recreating. However, with greater numbers of cyclists, concerns regarding bicycle safety arise.

Bicycling safety woes

Statistics from the Utah Department of Health show each year approximately 870 Utah cyclists are hurt and six are killed in crashes with motor vehicles.

Statistics also reveal that from 1995-2004, Utah's bicyclist death rate was 11th highest in the nation. Sixty-three cyclists were killed during that time; 8,717 were hit by motor vehicles; 3,748 victims were children ages 5-14, and medical treatment for bike-crash injuries totaled $2.9 million. These numbers don't include cyclists who get hit but figure their injuries are not bad enough to report.

Cyndi Bemis, UDOH education coordinator, said that part of the problem stems from motorists' attitudes toward cyclists.

"Motorists don't respect bicyclists, who have every right to be on the road," she said.

One of the major areas of concern seems to be intersections, says Brian Price, a bicycle advocate.