[NMCycling] Yellow line elucidations

[M. John Jordan via Bike-racers]

NM Bike Racers,


Putting on my Official's hat, I have to say that I was grateful to see, read, think over, and ultimately agree with the definitive interpretation from the USAC Official's blog.  It will allow me to adjudicate yellow line infractions in a meaningful and non-arbitrary manner.  


Putting on my NMBRA hat, I completely agree with John V.'s opinion that we, as members of the racing community, have a responsibility to at least try to ensure that our fellow racers are not put in danger due to a limited understanding or a willful disobeying of a rule of racing that is intended to do just that, take responsibility for ensuring a safe race.

And thirdly, putting on my simply human hat, I think part of the endangerment that should be acknowleddged is to the oncoming motorist who very likely might rather run off the side of the road into unknown danger rather than hit a bicyclist.  I do believe that most folks (but definitely not all!) would probably do just that, move to endanger themselves rather than take out another human who is acting foolishly or recklessly.  Forcing someone in a 2 ton vehicle to have to make that kind of choice, usually while traveling somewhere north of 40 mph, is not something that can be called intelligent nor insightful, especially when the circumstance could have been avoided by the racer simply deflecting the angle of their handlebars by a few degrees.

We have lost enough racers and cyclists in our small community, some when racing, like Ben Hall, some when training, like Jesse Hawkins and Paula Higgins, some from the disastrous outcomes of unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances like Bill McLain.  Wanting to not lose any more means that I will *always* err on the side of doing whatever I can and have the authority to do at a race that I am officiating to ensure that safety overrides expediency while out on the race course.  I think having an interpretation for the yellow line rule (and the forthcoming clarification of same) does just that, gives our on-course racers the maximum allowable expediency while ensuring, as much as possible, that the minimum allowable safety is enforced.  


With respect,

John Jordan, NMBRA President, USAC Official, NM bike racing community member


 
M. John Jordan (mjohnjordan at yahoo.com)
On Saturday, May 17, 2014 6:52 AM, Jerry Shere via Bike-racers <bike-racers at mailman.swcp.com> wrote:
 
I was moto for the Cat 5 pack one year at Estancia. There were about 35 riders and they were right on the line. The road was a narrow 2 lane with no shoulder. I looked ahead and coming at us at a high rate of speed was a big dually pulling a large stock trailer. The riders had no clue of the approaching danger. I wish I had a picture because it clearly illustrated just how much of rider and bike were on the left side of the line. Fortunately, we squeaked through. The reality is, we're out there to race hard and have fun. Contact with oncoming traffic would dramatically change that in an instant. If an official warns you about the centerline, whether its painted or not, please understand that they are trying to keep you safe.

Jerry Shere
Cat B Moto Ref


Jerry Shere
Category B USAC Motor Referee
Santa Fe, New Mexico



On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 4:37 PM, David Halliburton via Bike-racers <bike-racers at mailman.swcp.com> wrote:

(for the non-mtber folks)
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>http://www.usacycling.org/blog/usa-cycling-officials/may-2014-rule-of-the-month.htm
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