Make cyclists move over if they won't voluntarily

During the gas shortage in 1973, out of necessity I became a bicycle commuter from James Island to downtown Charleston five days a week.

We cyclists quickly learned the dangers of meshing with vehicular traffic and practiced defensive riding. However, today's cyclists have a totally different attitude. With bike paths available, they instead choose to ride the highways, frequently edging into the righthand traffic lane when adequate space (paved) is to the right of the "fog line."

The Cross Island Parkway is now open to cyclists. The problem comes when they insist on hugging up to the line while there is 5 to 6 feet of pavement to their right. If a vehicle's wheels are within the righthand lane, but it has trailer mirrors, there is the real possibility that a bicyclist could be clipped off their bike unless the motorist swerves out of their lane to avoid them. How insane is this?

Perhaps Hilton Head Island needs to take a proactive approach in reducing the possibility that a cyclist is injured or killed by passing an ordinance stating that if a bike path is available on the road being traveled, it is the bikers' responsibility to use it and require them to be on or to the right of an orange hash mark painted down the middle of the emergency pull-off lane of the Cross Island Parkway.

Such an ordinance could easily protect individuals from their own poor choices, much like the ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants.

Buck Creighton

Hilton Head Island