Conflicts sometimes arise between car drivers and cyclists, and recently they have been heard more in the public space due to new proposals in traffic rules.
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Currently, the rules stipulate that a motor vehicle driver, when overtaking a cyclist, must leave a lateral distance of at least 1 meter when driving up to 50 km/h and at least 1.5 meters when driving at a higher speed.
The Ministry of Transport proposes to turn this requirement into a recommendation only.
As Minister Juras Taminskas told LRT, currently drivers who overtake cyclists on the road and cross a solid lane marking are unjustly punished: “Drivers can no longer overtake on the road because they cross a solid line, and their licenses are revoked for at least three months.”
The professional cycling team “Energus” responded to the proposed changes.
“Respect for the cyclist does not start from one meter. But one meter can save a life,” the team wrote in a Facebook post.
A broader perspective of the team is presented there.
“We are a professional Lithuanian cycling team. For our athletes, the road is not just a way to get from point A to point B. It is their workplace. Here they train, prepare for competitions, and spend hours every day.
During the season, we travel and race in many European countries. And we feel the difference not only in road infrastructure or rules. We feel it in drivers’ attitudes.
There are countries where a car calmly slows down behind a cyclist and waits for a safe moment to overtake. Without anger. Without honking. Without trying to pass where there is barely enough space for the car and the person on the bike.
Moreover, sporty people on the road often receive support rather than irritation. We would like such a culture to grow in Lithuania as well.
Therefore, the discussion about a safe overtaking distance of 1 or 1.5 meters is not just a discussion about numbers in the Traffic Rules. It is a discussion about what kind of traffic culture we want to create.
A cyclist can swerve because of a pothole, a stone, a gust of wind, or an obstacle that the driver does not even notice. And when a car passes too close, there is simply no room for error.
We do not want a fight between drivers and cyclists. Many of us drive cars ourselves. We want one thing – enough space and respect for everyone on the road.
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So when overtaking a cyclist, don’t rush. Wait a few seconds longer. Leave more space. Because behind the wheel is a person. And on the bike – a person.
In the photos – our own experiences this season on the roads: painful traffic accidents when a car hits a cyclist, and road signs encountered abroad reminding of a completely different side of road culture – that respect, safety, and friendship between drivers and cyclists on the road are possible.”
On Thursday, the head of the “Energus” team, Povilas Šidlauskas, who himself rides a bike a lot in various countries, also expressed his opinion, titling his post “About ‘enemy’ cyclists who pose a ‘danger’ to car drivers on the roads.”
“I ride about 10 thousand kilometers a year by bike in Lithuania and abroad,” said P. Šidlauskas. “I often travel around the world and wherever I can, I take my bike or rent one locally and ride around the surroundings – it is a very good way to exercise and at the same time get to know the local surroundings in different countries. Over the past few years, I have ridden a lot by bike in the USA, Germany, Spain, England, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, the Netherlands, Estonia – in all advanced Western civilization countries I see the same trend – everything is being done to improve cyclists’ safety on the roads and to encourage more people to choose a bike not only as a sport but also as a means of transport. However, in Lithuania, we want to go the opposite way and I see no logic in that. I suggest returning to facts, numbers, and arguments:
– What is more important – the 10/30 seconds a car driver loses due to slowing down safely to overtake a cyclist, or the cyclist’s safety and life?
– What is more important – more large cars on the roads, or more green means of transport – bicycles?
– Who suffers more in a collision between a cyclist and a car – the cyclist or the car driver?
– How many cyclists does the average Lithuanian car driver meet on the roads per day/week? – 100 / 200 or 500?! In reality, a maximum of a few cyclists per week and for safe overtaking, at most 1/3 minutes per week are spent;
So before making decisions, one should be guided not by the emotions of some inadequate people, but by facts, numbers, arguments, and the goals of promoting a green movement and community in the future society.”
