Bicycles Banned!

    

The school district recently issued a directive stating that “…effective immediately, employees are not permitted to use bicycles to travel between worksites…” This includes travel “ to and from meetings – both on and off district property”  My reaction to this directive: bulls**t!

The reasons cited for this directive (issued by the Superintendent) are “safety and efficiency”. These reasons are both misguided.

First, safety. The use of bicycles is covered in Worksafe BC regulations. Workers may use bicycles, provided they “…wear headgear meeting the requirements of CSA standard CAN/CSA-D113.2-M89…”  (8.13 [1]) and “If a bicycle is operated at speeds not exceeding 20 km/h within a specific location, safety headgear meeting the requirements of    of section 8.11 is acceptable when worn with a chin strap” (8.13 [2]) The WCB, being the safety regulator for worker safety, should be the ultimate authority, not a policy thought up  board office because “we know best”

Some statistics about relative safety as reported by   Exponent Consulting, 1998:

Activity                                                                                                 Fatalities per million hours

On-road Motorcycling	8.80
Scuba Diving	1.98
All Causes of Death, Average	1.53
Swimming	1.07
Snowmobiling	0.88
Passenger Cars	0.47
Bicycling	0.26

These numbers show that a person is almost twice as likely to die in a car than on a bicycle! They are 34 times more likely to die on a motorcycle. If safety is the true motivator, it is clear that the School District must ban motorcycles immediately.

The second stated reason is “efficiency”.  It is true that cyclists often take longer to travel from one location to another. As a responsible employee, I take this into account when travelling to and from meetings. I leave earlier to get to a meeting, and allow time at the end of the meeting to get back to work. Sometimes this means I miss some of my lunch break – a sacrifice that is well worth it given the very obvious health benefits – benefits that include improved health, making me more productive, not less .    

So, to sum up:

• Statistics show that biking is safer than driving
• Lack of exercise is more likely to kill a person than biking
• A worker who suffers from a stroke, heart attack or death (!) is much less efficient than a worker on a bicycle
• The worker safety regulator allows for the use of bicycles, provided appropriate safety gear is worn.

This directive appears to me to be poorly conceived, far too sweeping in nature and an over- reaction to an issue that really isn’t a safety issue at all.