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letters | BICYCLISTS, MOTORISTS SHARE THE ROAD

Description of bicyclist’s course goes over the line

I found Martine Powers’s story on the concurrent increases in bike use and bike incidents both timely and well-written (“As more cyclists hit road, number of accidents rises,” Metro, Sept. 19). But I was irritated by the caption accompanying the image that ran with the story, which noted that a “bicyclist rode outside the lane reserved for riders . . . on Commonwealth Avenue.”

The photo depicted a bicyclist failing to wear a helmet. But why did you find it necessary to point out that the cycling was outside of the bike lane? Many people are unaware that Massachusetts law does not require cyclists to ride in bike lanes.

Comments

I take your point, but Massachusetts law also does not require helmets (except 16 and under who must wear them).  So the photo apparently did not depict any illegal behavior.