Ray Thomas – also known as Portland’s bike lawyer – recently spoke about bicycle law and safety on KINK.FM’s “Speaking Freely” radio show, hosted by Sheila Hamilton. During the interview, he discussed some of the issues that arise when cyclists and drivers share the road, as well as common types of bicycle accidents.
Ray became interested in bicycle law in 1983 after realizing how different the law was for bicycles than for other type of vehicle – and how few people understood it. “I felt like bicyclists were sort of an embattled minority in the city,” he said.
“When people go through driver’s training, they really think about things from a driver’s perspective. … The folks that you deal with when you’re on a bike or trying to cross the street in front of cars, many of those people who are driving, they went through driver’s education 20 and 30 years ago when the laws were very, very different, and they have not a clue what the current laws are.”
Ray also spoke about Portland’s role on the leading edge of bicycle commuting.
“We’ve got more innovation in terms of human-powered vehicles than any other city in the country,” he said.
Listen to the full interview for more tips and information about bicycling in Portland.