to err is human

*askMO submissions are italicized and published as received. 

hey MO: I understand that bike lanes exist for everyone’s safety – especially the bikers! Even with these designated lanes, I’ve see so many bikers who refuse to obey the rules of the road, e.g., running red lights, cutting off pedestrians when turning, and  not using reflective protective gear at night. I’ve seen this most often with food delivery bikers, but casual and recreational riders are also at fault.

Education for bikers should be required just as education for drivers. I also believe we must foster a shared sense of responsibility among everyone who bikes, walks, or drives.

hey you: it’s true that not everyone on the road—whether driving, walking, or biking—always follows the rules. This unpredictability can make city streets feel chaotic and unsafe.

We often see people who ride bicycles get singled out in this conversation, with many arguing that they frequently break the rules and should be required to complete mandatory education—just like people who drive cars. But the challenge on our streets is much bigger than individual behavior or any single group of road users. The core issue is that the rules themselves are inconsistent, rapidly changing, and still largely designed around automobiles. These regulations don’t always make sense for lighter, slower, balance-based vehicles like bikes, scooters, and e-bikes.

At the same time, technology and app-based services—like Uber, Amazon, Grubhub, Citi Bike, and Lime—have flooded our streets with new vehicles and more delivery workers, all moving at different speeds and with different demands. Our behaviors, expectations, and systems haven’t fully caught up with these dramatic traffic pattern shifts.

If we want safer streets, we need to rethink how we teach and regulate street use for everyone. That means:

• Modernizing traffic education for all vehicle operators at the state, local, and community levels
• Raising awareness about the evolving mix of street users and the limitations of different vehicles
• Continuing street redesigns that slow traffic and create safer, more inclusive spaces

But this alone is not enough, we also need to fund training for traffic educators and invest in inclusive traffic education centers that serve diverse communities and learning needs.

Thank you for raising this important issue and for advocating for more education.