I agree with only one point in Tom Rees’ letter to the editor on Tuesday; many cyclist’s riding habits are unlawful and reckless. So I’m begging all cyclists, please, obey traffic laws.

I disagree that cyclists shouldn’t be allowed to use the roads because they don’t pay for them.

This claim is false. I’m a cyclist and I pay lots of taxes. I even own a car and pay registration fees.

While Tom could make an argument that I don’t pay gas taxes when I ride, gas taxes don’t come close to fully funding road construction. Besides, the amount of wear a bicycle causes to the road cannot compare to that of a truck bus or semi-truck.

I disagree with Tom’s back of the napkin math; 1.3 g’s won’t kill you, and a cyclist can’t “feel” a kilowatt.

Needless to say, if you get hit by a truck traveling at 30 mph it’s not going to end well.

I strongly disagree with the title of Tom’s letter, namely “Bicyclists should stay off roads.”

When cyclists use sidewalks, they end up crossing the street on crosswalks. Imagine this: you’re riding on the sidewalk and about to cross the street at a crosswalk. You can’t see down the side street you’re about to cross because of houses, bushes, etc. All of a sudden, a car rolls into the cross walk and “BLAM!” Multiple studies have shown that riding on the sidewalk is twice as dangerous as riding in the road Some studies site an even higher danger The title of Tom’s article was thus promoting more reckless cycling habits instead of promoting better safety.

Given a choice, ride in the street. It’s safer.

Aside from following all traffic laws while on your bike, you can find more safety tips at: http://bicyclesafe.com

The research studies used in this article are from: http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/index.html

(1) Risk Factors for Bicycle-Motor Vehicle Collisions at Intersection

(2) Adult Bicyclists in the United States

Chad Nelson is a senior in computer engineering.