News-Record.com

The Highway Patrol continues its hunt for the driver who struck Lyndon Peak as he biked home March 9 from the Gas Town Service Center on U.S. 220.
Troopers said the 39-year-old man was pedaling south along the northbound shoulder when a vehicle killed him on impact.
"When you're riding a bicycle, you need to ride with traffic," said Trooper Jeremy Zachary, the lead investigator in Peak's death. "When you're walking, you need to walk against traffic.
"Motorist-wise, keep your eye on the road. Some people take their eyes off for a few seconds, and that's all it takes."
State law provides little guidance for safe bike travel. Rules are as follows:
Ride with the flow of traffic. Equip bicycles at night with head lamps visible 300 feet away and rear reflectors visible 200 feet away. Use hand signals to communicate movement. Obey all traffic signs.
The state's Child Bicycle Safety Act of 2001 requires children under the age of 16 to wear helmets when riding public roads and paths.
That's it.
The Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety, which falls under the state's transportation department, clarifies on its Web site some popular misconceptions about bicyclists.
North Carolina law does not require cyclists to ride single file. On the flip side, there is no law that gives cyclists the right to ride side-by-side.
Although it is not recommended for the obvious reasons, bike riders can legally wear headphones. Laws do not prohibit that unique kind of stupi … er, risk.
North Carolina has seen a steady drop in the number of bicyclists killed each year. Fatalities declined 60 percent between 1998 and 2002, according to the bike and pedestrian division.
One reason for the decline may be the child helmet law. Kids 15 and younger make up more than a third of all bike-related accidents each year. Perhaps that's why more accidents occur between 2 and 6 p.m. (when kids first leave school) than any other time.
But transportation officials hesitate to attribute the decline to specific factors.
It could be the helmet law. Perhaps bike safety programs help more.
Or, it could simply be bike shops looking to make an extra buck by convincing customers to purchase helmets with their new bikes.
"It may be a new generation of cyclists is riding more safely than older generations. It's hard to say," said Tom Norman, director of the state's bike and pedestrian division. "We really have not had the opportunity to get a very thorough assessment of what would explain the decline in fatalities."
Cycling enthusiasts Ben Sechrest and Jessica Trull, who both work at the Cycles de Oro bicycle shop in Greensboro, offered additional tips for drivers and cyclists.
For starters, regardless of age, bicyclists should always wear a helmet.
Keep bikes clean to prevent maintenance problems; maintain proper tire inflation; and when buying a bicycle, ensure it is sized correctly. Wear reflective material at night.
Once on the road, riders should not hesitate to use all the width of a lane while stopped at traffic lights. Keeping near the shoulder tempts drivers to pull around.
Note to drivers: Don't do this, regardless of how late you are for work.
"A lot of (cyclists) think they're being courteous staying to the side," Trull said. "But it makes it a little more dangerous because of people trying to scoot (vehicles) around them."
Of course, the most important rule for drivers is the one most road hogs take for granted. In simple terms: Pay attention.
"One of the biggest threats," Sechrest said, "is somebody on their cell phone blabbing away, a Starbucks coffee cup in one hand."
Wait just a second. He's talking about me.

Final thoughts
Bill & Marsha White, of Greensboro, share their thoughts on an intersection northwest of Greensboro.
"My wife takes Edgefield Road to N.C. 68 and turns left to go south to get to work, and it often takes upward of 10 minutes to get through the light between 7 and 8:30 a.m.
"Here is the problem: the light doesn't last long for people turning onto 68; it is a long time between green lights (which is understandable since 68 carries a lot of traffic).
"But if you want to turn left, you have to wait for several cars to come through the light from the other direction before you can turn left — there is no left-turn-only light. So sometimes only one or two cars get to turn left from Edgefield onto 68.
"The problem is compounded by the trucks from Epes Trucking Company, which must use the same entrance from Edgefield ...
"Add to that, there are usually many people coming from the other direction to get to Northwest High School and you have to wait for them to get through before you can turn left. This all leads to very long lines ...
"The solution seems rather simple — a left-turn only light for those entering 68 from Edgefield.
"Maybe the light could be programmed to take effect during the 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. peak hours. I don't know how those things work, but it seems like if you could guarantee at least 4 or 5 cars getting through every green light, that it would help immensely."

Fast Forward runs every Saturday. Got questions you want answered or need to vent about transportation issues? Send 'em my way at 373-7008 or etownsend@news-record.com. Be sure to leave your name and a way for me to get in touch with you.