I was nearly wiped out of existence by an automobile while cycling on Gibraltar Road last Sunday evening. The driver crossed the middle of the road and drifted into my lane as we were both navigating a narrow switchback. I avoided a head-on crash by instinctively maneuvering around them.
It was nearing sunset, visibility wasn't perfect, and I had
my light on — this wasn't my first near-miss. I recall many over the years, and
it seems that a cyclist gets injured on Santa Barbara's mountain roads every
year.
As a road user like anyone else, my goal is safety and
responsibility for everyone. Cyclists should obey the laws of the traffic. But
please, Santa Barbara drivers, slow down to stay in your lane on these
narrow mountain roads of ours.