Bicycles and cars and trucks sharing the same space on the road. Most of the time it works out. Yesterday it didn't.

Tragically.

The accident happened just down the street from my office. It was dusk. Commute time. Flashing lights, sirens, snarled traffic. Something had gone horribly wrong. I didn't know what.

Heading for home, I waited for an opening in the long queue of cars. Then the radio blurted out the news. My heart sank.

It could have been any one of us.

I'm pretty lousy when it comes to following the bicycling rules of the road. Be bold, act like a vehicle, and ride in the lane, or be timid and ride to the right. Stop at the traffic light because it's the law, or cruise on through because you can. Use the proper hand signal on your turn, or just figure "they'll see me." I know, I know...

Follow all the rules, though, and you can still get hurt, or worse. Cars are big and powerful and visible. Bikes aren't. And when they meet it's usually not good.

I feel awful for the bicyclist. It appears he was riding where he shouldn't have been. And paid a high price for that poor judgment. I can't imagine the anquish of the driver of the truck. He just didn't see him.

Damn.

None of us want to be, or should be, the next statistic. A refresher course on bicycle safety is certainly in order. And then, as bicyclists and drivers, we need to put it into practice every time we're on the road.