Joe Matejka serves as the founder and president of Custom Fundraising Solutions in Westlake, Ohio, where he has spearheaded popular mattress fundraisers in schools around the area. Outside his professional life, Joe Matejka enjoys various leisure activities, including bicycling.
Despite attempts to raise awareness, many misconceptions still exist among the general public about bicycling. In the spirit of righting these misconceptions, here are three myths about bicycling and why they aren’t true:
There’s a common theme among those who don’t ride bikes that bicycling, on the whole, is not safe. The statistics, however, don’t prove that to be true. In fact, one is more likely to be involved in an automobile collision than a bicycle accident. Also, it is not the bicycle itself that represents a danger, but automobiles who tend to crash into the bikes, typically due to lack of attention.
There is also the prevailing myth that cyclists tend to break more traffic laws than automobile drivers. This narrative has been perpetuated by lawmakers, who have characterized cyclists as perpetual lawbreakers. According to a recent survey of cyclists and drivers by University of Colorado engineering professor Wesley Marshall, however, drivers admitted to breaking traffic laws at a slightly higher rate than cyclists.
For those looking to take up the hobby, it is important to seek out the best information rather than relying on misconceptions that can often be perpetuated.
Joe Matejka 