I recently read an article about a man in Breckenridge, Colo., who suffered a head injury as a result of swerving to avoid a 2-year-old child who darted across the bike path to re-join her mother.
This accident struck me as being so tragic because it was so preventable. I also thought about this man's lost wages from being unable to work and of the huge medical expenses he would have incurred.
Every year I have near misses on our path just like this because adults permit their children and dogs to roam all over the path without regard to their safety or that of others.
Recently, I encountered a woman talking on her cell phone who was on one side of the path who called out to her unseen dog, only as I announced "on your left." Just then, her dog, which was of course on the opposite side, sprinted in front of me. Because I'm in the habit of slowing down whenever I'm approaching others, I avoided the dog and serious injuries to both the dog and me.
I believe that keeping a dog on the side of the path as its person would go a long way in reducing collisions. As a dog-lover, I understand that people want to let their dogs run unleashed, which is why I run mine on less-traveled dirt roads, thus reducing the odds of an accident.
So as the weather warms and path usage increases, I'm asking people to use common sense and to be courteous of one another. If you still think it's an infringement upon your civil liberties to have to control your kids or pets, then may I suggest that you consider whether you can afford a lawsuit that might ensue from an accident that was due to your negligence?
Please remember: Use of this path is a privilege, not a right.
Kim Mazik
Hailey
