Editor: 

I understand bicyclists have laws now to protect them on the road, but the danger going up (especially) and down the mountain on a bike is potentially (very probably) going to injure or kill someone.

I usually go no more than 40 to 50 mph up and down the mountain road. The speed limit is 55 mph unless otherwise posted. Bikes can’t do that going up; they are barely moving. So a car going around a partially blind corner at about 30 mph could fine a bike and/or body in a car grill.

Going down isn’t as bad because the biker can go faster and a car can usually see them better. The 3-foot space on a two-lane mountain road is ridiculous. All it does is cause a traffic backup and possible/probable accidents.

If we vehicle drivers pay taxes via our vehicle registration for road improvement and the use of roads, why don’t bicyclists? We have laws for bicyclists — same as for a car, truck and motorcycle — bike lanes and now a 3-foot space to drive by a bicyclist, so I think they need to pay registration for their bike and also stay off mountain roads, except for certain allocated times posted on the road.

The life they save may be their own. By the way, I ride a bike also, but smarter.

I will be contacting our government reps to have them look into registering bikes and changing the laws for two-lane mountain roads; they are always looking for a way to get more tax money and this one makes sense.

John Schunn
Idyllwild