Jun 12, 2020 08:00:00

Pointed out that 'the idea of multicultural coexistence' is necessary to resolve the conflict between cars and bicycles

by

Kristoffer Trolle

Automobiles and bicycles that pass on the road sometimes have a fierce confrontation because they have different speeds, different user groups, and different thinking about traffic rules. The automobile side tends to think of the bicycle side as 'an obstacle to traffic,' while the bicycle side tends to think of the automobile side as 'a dangerous presence that impairs road safety.' In order to manage such a situation well, it is necessary to consider the conflict between the two as a kind of ethnic conflict and introduce a multiculturalism idea, researchers at the University of Melbourne point out. doing.

Multiautoculturalism: Reconceptualising Conflict on the Roads: The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology: Vol 0, No 0
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14442213.2020.1754894

Drivers v cyclists: it's like an ethnic conflict, which offers clues to managing'road wars'
https://theconversation.com/drivers-v-cyclists-its-like-an-ethnic-conflict-which-offers-clues-to-managing-road-wars-139107

It is generally considered effective to eliminate the conflict between cars and bicycles by installing a 'bicycle lane'. In recent years, the movement to install bicycle lanes on roads in urban areas with heavy traffic has been increasing, but actually installing a bicycle lane requires a large amount of cost, narrowing the road width and increasing traffic congestion. There is a possibility that it will end up.

Also, the installation of a bicycle lane is unpleasant for the driver of the car, and there is a risk that there will be a feeling of disgust from the majority of drivers who use the roadway. According to a

research conducted in 2007, as the installation of bicycle lanes progresses, cars traveling in places where bicycle lanes are not installed do not pay attention to the safety of bicycles, and as a result, the risk on the bicycle side increases. That's right.

Drivers and cyclists on the road tend to be aggressive, but they are not always aggressive people. Researchers have described the disagreement between drivers and cyclists as 'ethnic conflict' and argue that special thinking is needed to solve problems.

It was not just a metaphor that compared the conflict between bicycles and automobiles to an ethnic conflict, and organizations that actually seek the rights of bicycles, like cyclists as well as people with disabilities and LGBT, are

'minority and oppressed. It is said that it is considered as ' . In this context, the car is the ruler and the bicycle is suppressed on the roadway.

Of course, cyclists do not meet the requirements for ethnic minorities, but according to a survey conducted by researchers on drivers and cyclists, the people who belong to each are clearly identified as a 'driver' or a 'cyclist'. It turned out to have. At the same time, it turns out that many cyclists have a feeling that “cars are the predominant thing on the road,” and they think they are low.

Interestingly, researchers pointed out that it was the 'cyclists who sometimes drive cars' who had the most negative sentiment towards conflicting groups. This structure paradoxically showed one's identity in the conflict between Bosnia and Herzegovina by expressing intense hatred of racially ambiguous people against the conflicting Bosnians , Croatians, and Serbs. It seems to be similar to.

Considering the point of view of ethnic conflicts when considering the conflict between drivers and cyclists, the researchers think that the 'spirit of multiculturalism' is useful in eliminating the conflict on the road. Just as a better understanding of different cultures can help resolve conflicts, it is important for drivers and cyclists to understand each other's ideas and vehicle performance.

Also, cars and bicycles that drive on the road have different cultures and abilities, and in some cases it is better to make subtle adjustments to each vehicle rather than to clearly share a code of conduct. For example, in the state of Idaho in the United States, a special traffic rule '

Idaho Dopp ' is adopted, 'The bicycle does not need to stop at the intersection when safety is confirmed and it may pass even at a red light'. Traffic accidents are decreasing due to the system.

Adopting different traffic rules for cars and bicycles in this way may increase the tolerance between users by allowing drivers and cyclists to recognize each other as “culturally different”. Researchers argued that it is important for people traveling on the road to understand that 'roads are multicultural places, not just ours.'

by Thomas Hawk