Dick Rosenberg hit on something (Oct. 17) I feel is completely misunderstood  — which side of the road should bicycles ride on?

Cars are supposed to stop or slow down for bicycles, by law. If two cars meet with a bicycle coming toward one on the same side of the road, the car has nowhere to go. Sure, it can stop, but with the bike coming toward the car, there is shorter time to do so, especially if the car is coming over a hill and meets a bike coming toward it. If the bike is going away from the car down the hill, there is more reaction time for the car, and the bike is usually picking up speed going downhill away from the car.

The law says that the bike has the same right-of-way as the car, and that cars must stay behind the bicycle if it is not safe to pass. Like any driver, bicycle riders need to be aware of their surroundings. I believe that the lawmakers who wrote the laws so many years ago had good reasons for the way they were written.

Rosenberg is not the only parent who wants his children, or all bicycles, to ride toward traffic; however, I truly believe they are wrong. The law is written for the safety of both driver and bicycle rider.

Our children need to learn and obey the law, and I do not think they are being taught to the extent they should be in order to keep them safe.

Donna Spaulding, Wales