Motorists and bicyclists should respect each other's right to be on the road.

But they don't.

Out of ignorance, a me-first philosophy and/or mean-spiritedness, too many motorists drive as if the road belongs only to them.

Lake Fong, Post-Gazette A cyclist rides in the inside, or passing, lane down Baum Boulevard recently. The safest place for a bicyclist in along the far right side of the road, yet not on the sidewalk or hugging the curb. Click photo for larger image. For cyclists: A few reminders Always wear a helmet Always wear bright-colored clothing. Always signal your intentions, including verbal notice to any cyclists you are about to pass. If in doubt, always follow the Golden Rule.

And too many bicyclists blatantly disobey traffic signals and signs, weave in and out of traffic and turn sidewalks into their own bike lanes.

It may come as a surprise to me-first motorists and clueless cyclists that such conduct behind the wheel or the handlebars violates state law.

The first paragraph on page 48 of the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual reads:

"Bicyclists are vehicle operators, and they are expected to obey all traffic laws and regulations. As a motorist, you should know that a bicyclist has the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as you. Respect for each other will aid in the smooth flow of traffic."

The manual also tells motorists that "it is illegal to force a bicyclist off the road" and that they may face criminal charges.

To help that sink in, persons taking their driver's license exam -- and every person who is taught how to ride a bike -- should have to recite those paragraphs verbatim before they receive their license or get on a bike for the first time.

It might have prevented some of the vehicle-bicycle collisions that have occurred in Western Pennsylvania this year.

In response to some of those accidents, an editor asked me to write a story about bicycle safety. The story appeared June 18. The e-mails criticizing it appeared within hours.

The major complaints were that I didn't properly explain where bicyclists should ride on the road, that bicyclists have a right to ride on the road, that bicycles are vehicles, that too many motorists are jerks, that some bicyclists are jerks and that roads are safer than rail-trails.

I said the safest place for bicyclists to be is along the far right side of the road. One reader mistakenly thought I was encouraging bicyclists to ride on sidewalks. Others mistakenly thought I was advising cyclists to ride right next to the curb and subject themselves to slotted sewer grates and tire-flattening or tire-jarring objects.

Bicyclists are to ride in a straight line to the right of traffic -- but not on the sidewalk or next to the curb.

"Riding about 3 feet in towards the center of the lane from the usable right edge of the right lane is the best place to ride for a number of reasons," said Marc Yergin of Squirrel Hill. Motorists and pedestrians can see them, cyclists can see around blind spots into side streets and alleys, and drivers won't be tempted to squeeze by them when there isn't room.

When the right lane is occupied by parked vehicles, bicyclists don't have much room between them and moving traffic on their left. They should ride in a straight line, even if there are long open spaces between the parked vehicles. They also should watch out for anyone in a parked vehicle who might suddenly open the driver's door or a left passenger door.

Adam Maeroff, an East End artist who bicycles in the city and country, said too many motorists aren't aware of -- or prefer to ignore -- the state's "Share the Road" directive.

"The drivers here simply don't share the road with us," he said. "I have never seen anything like it. I am regularly run off the road, cut off and cursed for being there. The driving culture in this region is such that without mandatory training and fines, I don't think any words will make a difference."

Maeroff lived in New York City before moving to Pittsburgh. He regularly commuted by bike between his home in Queens and his job in Manhattan. "In all the years I cycled in congested New York and rode out to Montauk [Long Island] and upstate on the weekends, I never encountered this type of disregard and hostility toward cyclists."

Veteran cyclist Eric Ash said the city could learn from Boulder, Colo., "which has bike lanes in every direction," and Chicago, "which has repeatedly been recognized" by Bicycling magazine as a bike-friendly city.

"[Pittsburgh] may think it's come far, but there's still a lot to learn and education should be at the core of [resolving] this problem," he said.

Lars Lehtonen, a Minnesota reader, challenged my statement that rail trails are safer than roads. He said studies have "shown that mixing pedestrians and cyclists on narrow pathways has proven detrimental to both."

Since most of the rail trails in Western Pennsylvania are 10 feet wide or wider and restricted to non-motorized vehicles, I'll continue to consider them to be safer than roads.

I'll leave the final word to Yergin.

"Bicycle safety is more an attitude rather than any specific techniques that are applied all the time," he said. "A bicyclist has to remember the answer to the following question:

"Which weighs more, a 200-pound rider with his bike or a 3,000-pound car? To avoid finding out the hard way, a bicyclist must do everything possible to be visible, to ride predictably and not do dumb things like riding too far to the right or left in a lane of traffic."