Recently, on my way home, I took the gravel detour around the Mountainview construction work, following the car lane, as there was no bike lane there.
As I was rejoining the bike lane, a driver rolled the window down and shouted the obvious: I was in the car lane. Um, yes. Considering how many Yukoners got their “learner’s” at age 15, having had to do no more than answer a few multiple-choice questions, it is not surprising that people could have been driving for years without knowing some of the most basic facts about our road laws. In fact, the Yukon Motor Vehicle Act Section 211(1) states:
“Unless the context otherwise requires, a person operating a bicycle, motorcycle, moped or snowmobile on a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the duties that the driver of a vehicle has under Parts 11 and 12.”
So yes, this “car” lane is where I was lawfully riding my bike and the driver of the car should have known better. Cyclists constantly have to beware of drivers who are in a hurry to get to their destination and think they have priority over us. Our roads are for all people, not just car drivers. Ninety per cent of accidents between vehicles and bicycles are the fault of the vehicle driver, not the cyclist.
We have a right to be there, and you have the responsibility to respect our safety.
And to know the law.
Michele Markley
Whitehorse