As the hustle and bustle of the new school year begins, students need to be equipped with the right information to stay safe while bike riding on campus or in town.
The potential risks that come with riding a bicycle in Auburn have led at least one experienced cyclist to stop riding all together.
Having lived in Philadelphia and traveled around its busy streets, David Mante, a graduate research assistant in the department of civil engineering, is no beginner at getting around on a bicycle.
"I used to ride every day for the first two years here, and I had a couple close calls, so I stopped riding," Mante said. "It seems to be that people aren't educated--both drivers and bicyclists."
Both motorists and cyclists have a responsibility to obey city regulations in order to stay safe on the road and avoid accidents.
"A lot of bicyclists may not realize they are supposed to follow all traffic laws and rules of the road that cars follow," said Susan McCallister, associate director of public safety information and education at Auburn University.
In addition to these rules, cars are required to give bicyclists the proper amount of space when passing them to avoid any accidents.
"It is a city of Auburn ordinance that cars need to leave at least three feet of space for bicyclists when passing them," McCallister said. "If they don't have the space, they need to wait until they do."
Many of Mante's "close calls" involved cars trying to pass him.
"I've been almost clipped on multiple occasions from people going by and trying to pass me on a double yellow," Mante said.
Auburn's bicycle policy is described in detail in the "War Eagle Wheels" section of the official Auburn University website. Cyclists are "required to ride with traffic, obey all signs and signals, and have a light when riding at night," according to the website.
Cyclists are also not allowed to ride on downtown or campus sidewalks, according to the website.
"The concourse is technically not considered a sidewalk because of it being wider than 10 feet, which is why we have bicycles on the concourse," said Eric Smith, director of health promotion and wellness services at Auburn University.
Students can visit travelwithcareauburn.com to educate themselves further on the rules and regulations of bicycle safety.
Travel With Care is a "transportation safety campaign that encourages courtesy between all modes of transportation such as walking, cycling and driving," according to the website.
The city of Auburn, Auburn University, Auburn Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff's Office are all part of the campaign that "aims to educate citizens on the laws and rules established to enhance the safety of all road users," according to the website.
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