0:00:08.349,0:00:12.320 When I first moved to Amsterdam, I was told[br]in order to cycle like an Amsterdammer I would 0:00:12.320,0:00:14.519 need to pass several tests. 0:00:14.519,0:00:16.180 Number 1.[br]Cycle home drunk 0:00:16.180,0:00:19.070 Number 2.[br]Send a text message while cycling home drunk 0:00:19.070,0:00:21.320 And if I was feeling truly ambitious 0:00:21.320,0:00:23.300 Number 3.[br]Cycle home drunk 0:00:23.300,0:00:26.759 at night without working lights[br]in a rainstorm on the wrong side of the street 0:00:26.759,0:00:29.579 with a passenger sitting on the back. 0:00:29.579,0:00:32.890 Of course, cycling in these conditions[br]increases your chances of injury, 0:00:32.890,0:00:37.539 and most of what I listed is technically illegal,[br]but few police actually enforce traffic laws 0:00:37.539,0:00:41.730 for cyclists.[br]Disobedience of traffic systems seems incredibly 0:00:41.730,0:00:44.890 commonplace.[br]As a result, public opinion on this topic 0:00:44.890,0:00:48.219 is divided,[br]some appreciating the current relaxed legal 0:00:48.219,0:00:50.649 structure,[br]while others feeling the rules of the road 0:00:50.649,0:00:53.499 should be enforced to the same degree for[br]each road users, 0:00:53.499,0:00:57.039 be it cyclists, motorists or scooter driver. 0:00:57.039,0:01:00.989 There was a popular study performed[br]by the University of Groningen 0:01:00.989,0:01:06.640 that received a lot of attention in the media.[br]7510 cyclists were given breathalyzer tests 0:01:06.640,0:01:10.940 between 1 and 3am[br]in the streets of Groningen and The Hague. 0:01:10.940,0:01:15.149 Of those tested, 89% had been drinking[br]and 68% were above the legal limit. 0:01:15.149,0:01:19.200 There are no statistics for Amsterdam,[br]but traffic experts estimate the numbers would 0:01:19.200,0:01:23.270 be similar here in the country’s capital.[br]Newspapers latched onto this story 0:01:23.270,0:01:27.229 and it fanned the flames of debate. 0:01:27.229,0:01:30.030 But besides biking home after a couple of[br]beers, 0:01:30.030,0:01:32.359 it is also common for cyclists to travel by[br]night 0:01:32.359,0:01:35.100 without working lights,[br]cycle on sidewalks, 0:01:35.100,0:01:39.090 fail to stop at pedestrian crosswalks[br]and blast through red lights at intersections 0:01:39.090,0:01:41.850 … the list of common infractions is quite[br]long. 0:01:41.850,0:01:44.479 There are fines to discourage this rolling[br]rebelliousness, 0:01:44.479,0:01:48.429 yet the threat of penalty does little to curb[br]this behavior. 0:01:48.429,0:01:51.200 To a visitor in the city, it’s easy to think[br]that Amsterdam 0:01:51.200,0:01:56.039 is a lawless wild west of cycling,[br]but maybe there is a method to all this madness. 0:01:56.039,0:01:59.999 The term used in active transportation circles[br]for cyclist disobedience is 0:01:59.999,0:02:03.170 non-conformist behavior.[br]This behavior was first studied 0:02:03.170,0:02:07.619 in Amsterdam by the Urban Cycling Institute[br]at 9 different points in the city. 0:02:07.619,0:02:12.590 A system developed by the team at Copenhagenize[br]called the Desire Line Analysis tool, 0:02:12.590,0:02:16.860 recorded the movement of more than 18000 cyclists[br]during the morning rush hour. 0:02:16.860,0:02:20.870 Of these cyclists, the vast majority obeyed[br]the rules of the road. 0:02:20.870,0:02:28.530 In fact, less than 5 percent[br]of all cyclists impeded vehicle movement. 0:02:28.530,0:02:31.850 These studies were also important[br]because they highlighted how swarms of bicycles 0:02:31.850,0:02:38.190 during peak hours exceed the[br]physical space designated for cyclists. 0:02:38.190,0:02:42.120 During rush hours,[br]bicycles are bottlenecked by roads, kerbs, 0:02:42.120,0:02:44.330 crosswalks,[br]traffic lights and other physical barriers, 0:02:44.330,0:02:46.640 and cyclists need to navigate a complicated[br]maze 0:02:46.640,0:02:50.170 of obstacles and traffic[br]in order to cross busy intersections. 0:02:50.170,0:02:54.960 Taking shortcuts, using sidewalks[br]or zipping across on red lights 0:02:54.960,0:03:01.320 is often the most rational decision a[br]cyclist can make during these peak times. 0:03:01.320,0:03:04.580 Disobedience of traffic rules is inevitable,[br]and in some ways justifiable, 0:03:04.580,0:03:05.930 for bottlenecked cyclists, especially if the[br]laws 0:03:05.930,0:03:08.670 or built environment were not[br]designed to match their needs. 0:03:08.670,0:03:09.130 Studies are underway to collect data for a[br]greater swath of Amsterdam in order to understand 0:03:09.130,0:03:09.390 cyclist behavior across the city, but for[br]now, the debate continues, and unfortunately 0:03:09.390,0:03:10.650 the narrative often paints all cyclists as[br]rule-breaking rogues. 0:03:10.650,0:03:14.710 In another way, cyclist disobedience[br]illustrates the high status that 0:03:14.710,0:03:19.540 bicycles have on Dutch roadways.[br]Just consider accidents involving vehicles 0:03:19.540,0:03:23.140 and cyclists.[br]In the vast majority of cases 0:03:23.140,0:03:26.430 the motorist is liable.[br]Full stop. 0:03:26.430,0:03:29.620 While it is theoretically possible for a motorist[br]to argue 0:03:29.620,0:03:34.290 that the cyclist was at fault,[br]this is a difficult case to make. 0:03:34.290,0:03:38.200 Even if an accident occurs when a cyclist[br]runs a red light, 0:03:38.200,0:03:41.180 the motorist cannot argue that the cyclist’s[br]behavior was 0:03:41.180,0:03:47.420 “unexpected and unavoidable.”[br]After all, non-conformity among cyclists is 0:03:47.420,0:03:48.760 norma[br]l in the Netherlands, 0:03:48.760,0:03:53.730 and a driver has to be prepared[br]for the erratic behavior of cyclists at all 0:03:53.730,0:03:56.760 times.[br]Judgment between these two modes of transport 0:03:56.760,0:04:00.730 differ[br]because vehicles can and do take lives during 0:04:00.730,0:04:04.090 accidents,[br]while bicycles rarely, if ever do. 0:04:04.090,0:04:08.460 Dutch traffic laws for cyclists exist[br]in that grey area similar to the country’s 0:04:08.460,0:04:12.090 drug policies.[br]Despite the international fame that the Netherlands 0:04:12.090,0:04:15.750 has for[br]coffeeshops and marijuana paraphernalia, 0:04:15.750,0:04:20.430 most would be surprised to know that[br]cannabis is still a controlled substance. 0:04:20.430,0:04:23.539 The Dutch law enforcement policy[br]is actually one of non-enforcement. 0:04:23.539,0:04:28.250 And it works because it encourages[br]police to focus on bigger criminal issues 0:04:28.250,0:04:34.460 rather than making small busts for soft drugs.[br]And the tax revenue from marijuana sales offset 0:04:34.460,0:04:38.010 the potential public health risks[br]associated with soft drug use. 0:04:38.010,0:04:43.100 There are many international cities[br]where strict laws are enforced on cyclists, 0:04:43.100,0:04:47.900 laws such as mandatory helmet laws.[br]While these policies are rooted in concerns 0:04:47.900,0:04:51.380 for public safety,[br]they also discourage many from taking their 0:04:51.380,0:04:54.820 bikes to[br]work, school or for a night out. 0:04:54.820,0:04:58.250 And ultimately, a system of punishment[br]decreases the likelihood of 0:04:58.250,0:05:04.020 fostering a strong cycling culture.[br]Thereby losing the social and economic benefits 0:05:04.020,0:05:06.370 gained from fostering an active cyclist culture.[br]While countless cities are discussing ways 0:05:06.370,0:05:11.090 to promote cycling in society.[br]all too often, the discussion hinges solely 0:05:11.090,0:05:15.180 on bicycle infrastructure.[br]But a cycling culture is created from 0:05:15.180,0:05:18.360 morethanbikelanes.[br]It is a complicated balance between 0:05:18.360,0:05:23.180 infrastructure, policy, and laws enforcement[br](or lack thereof). 0:05:23.180,0:05:27.050 The question I keep asking is[br]whether or not cycling disobedience 0:05:27.050,0:05:31.000 can be indicative of a[br]successful active transportation system. 0:05:31.000,0:05:34.350 If cyclists feel safe enough to[br]ride through red lights without concern 0:05:34.350,0:05:37.850 for injury and fine[br]maybe the system is working perfectly. 0:05:37.850,0:05:42.680 I don’t have an answer to this.[br]But I do have a bicycle without working lights 0:05:42.680,0:05:44.470 and some friends to meet for some beers. 0:05:44.470,0:05:44.910 Problem? 0:05:44.910,0:05:47.060 In Amsterdam, I think not.