It is quite problematic for car drivers and cyclists to share a road as it poses potential threat to the travellers as well as result in accidents. In this essay I will examine the main causes of these stated problems and delineate the possible solutions to this problem.
The two main causes for occurance of problems are difference in speed and power of the two vehicles and visible difference in their size.
The cyclists travel at a much slower pace as compared to the cars, making it difficult to maintain discipline in the traffic resulting in accidents. For example a person commuting using a bicycle might be hit by an overspeeding car and leave the person with minor to fatal injuries. Another reason that increases concern about using the same road is the massive difference in size and weight.
A bicycle being relatively very small when compared to cars, might sometimes be invisible to the car drivers even through the rear view mirrors especially if hidden in the blindspot of the driver.
In such cases the four-wheeler drivers are unaware of the presence of a cyclist on the same road leading to ignorant accidents. For instance, if a bicycle rider appears to be in the blindspot for the car driver, he or she may recklessly change the lane and the danger caused to the cyclist is unavoidable.
Some possible solutions to this problem can be setting up a seperate lane for the cyclists as well as spreading awareness about lane discipline to the public. By introducing a seperate lane dedicated to the bicycles, we will be able to establish uniform traffic and hence ensure safety to the bicycle riders. Morover spreading awareness about lane discipline to the people encourages them to be mindful of cycle tracks while travelling. Additionally speed limits can also be set to restrict the cars from overspeeding which inturn lessens the problems. To make sure that the rules are followed accurately, strict laws can be formulated and right action must be taken on the once who break the rules thereby making people more cautious about their road discipline.
To conclude, sharing the same road by both cyclists and four wheelers have a negetive impact on the traveller safety. However, we can significantly reduce the dangers and instill road safety by seperating the lanes for both the types of transport as well as spread awareness among people.