We could not agree more withRick Huggin's comment in the Des Moines Register's 'letter to the editor'.
Iowa's lesser traveled roads are excellent for biking at speeds that are unsafe on the trails. It seems to me that equipping a bike with a rear view mirror, even though it might not be considered an attractive adornment on a racing bike, makes sense when riding on a road. Being aware of what's approaching from the rear could possibly help a bicyclist avoid an accident.
It troubles me that some drivers refuse to slow down when approaching a bicyclist on the road. The letter writer complains that in an accident between a motor vehicle and a bicycle, the motorist ends up in a lawsuit and suffers mentally.
In Iowa the fine for killing a bicyclist is approximately same amount that it costs for a brand name golf club driver. If the fine was raised to a couple of thousand dollars, it might give more drivers reason to slow down when approaching a bicyclist.
— Rick Huggins, Urbandale