My answers to a driver’s questions.

“We have evolved from the horse and cart days to motorizing,” according to a recent letter to the editor. Why, the writer seemed to be asking, don’t bicyclists accept this evolutionary development and get out of the way?

That’s a fair question, and, having done a bit of bicycling and car driving, I can answer it.

First, state law gives bicyclists and automobiles equal rights to be on roadways. “Same rights. Same rules. Same roads.”

So, bicycles are not where they do not belong; cars, bikes, pedestrians and farm tractors are all required to safely share our roads.

The letter writer raised a couple of specific questions that many non-bike riders may have.

Why don’t bicyclists get up on the sidewalk and out of the way?

This is forbidden by ordinance in most communities because it is unsafe and impractical.

Drivers often back cars out of driveways from between rows of hedges and shrubs not expecting to find a bicyclist whipping along at 25 mph.

The tail ends of cars are often left hanging across sidewalks, and telephone poles and tree limbs tend to jut across sidewalks at weird angles.

Plus, people walk on sidewalks, completely ignoring the evolutionary mandate to drive cars.

Believe me. Riding on sidewalks just doesn’t work for anyone.

Why do bicyclists often run through stop signs and red lights?

The cyclists I’ve ridden with do not. The law is clear that they must stop and wait, just like a car driver.

Bicyclists are occasionally unable to set off automated traffic lights and can be left stranded at a red light waiting for it to change when there are no cars behind them. Sometimes, there is no solution but to look both ways and go through the light.

Honestly, I more often see cars drifting through stop signs or running red lights. In any event, it shouldn’t happen.

Why shouldn’t you blow your horn to let a bicyclist know you are approaching?

I am almost never surprised by a car approaching from behind. Bicycles are quiet, and without even looking you can hear a car approaching. And a dump truck hauling a trailer? Well, you can really hear that.

By the same token, if somebody gives me a friendly toot of the horn as they approach, I don’t mind.

Why do bicyclists sometimes ride in the middle of the road?

The law on this is also clear: When the travel lane is not wide enough, or when the bicyclist is making a left-hand turn, they should take the “travel lane.”

This may happen when crossing a narrow bridge or where cars are parked along a narrow street, or where there is a left-turn lane.

Why don’t bicyclists move over?

The law says they should move over as far as safely possible. Here’s the problem: Maine’s rural roads are usually cracked and broken at the edges. Often there is sand, rocks and glass on the road, forcing bicyclists further from the edge than they would like to ride.

Again, believe me, bicyclists want to be as close to the edge as they can be and out of the way of cars and trucks. That usually means about a foot from the edge.

Riding much closer puts a cyclist in danger of dropping off the road, which can involve a disturbing head-over-heels event and a face full of gravel.

Why don’t bicyclists have headlights and taillights for riding at night?

They must, according to law, and they are reckless if they do not. But lights and reflective clothing are expensive, which probably explains why some do not. Many people ride bikes because they cannot afford cars or do not have a driver’s license. Sadly, the safety gear may not seem like a priority or a possibility for them. Still, I agree: It’s scary and dangerous.

Finally, I’m sure some drivers will continue to see bicyclists as an impediment to their speedy travel.

But I hope others will consider that with the high price of gasoline, fossil fuels threatening our planet and an obesity crisis on our hands, bicycles may be an evolutionary step in the right direction.

Rex Rhoades is executive editor of the Sun Journal.