Portland Bicycle Club Safety Policy

It is the policy of the Portland Bicycling Club to develop and foster a culture of safe riding and to develop training, communication, and corrective procedures to implement this policy. The responsibilities of the Members-at-Large positions on the executive board are hereby expanded to include safety education as the standing Safety Committee. One member-at-large will serve as Chair. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Target provision of monthly articles on safety and related topics for publication in the Quick Releases
  (QR). Contributors may be members or nonmembers with a unique perspective on road safety. Articles
  may include summaries of outside articles if appropriate citations or links are included.
• In consultation with the Program Committee Chair solicitation of a county sheriff, police officer,
  lawyer, or other community member to speak at a club meeting about rules of the road and cycling
  safety at least once/year.
• Recommend short (5-7 min.) videos on bicycle skills or safety to be incorporated into club meetings as
  agenda items or as links on the club website.
• Work with Road Captains in any revision of the “Safety Spiel” (found on the website page “Ride
  Leader Info.”
• Work with Road Captains in planning of Ride Leader meetings.
• Report Committee activities at monthly Board meetings.

The duty of the Membership Secretary is expanded to include electronic distribution of the document Riding in Groups to all new and renewing members upon receipt of their membership dues.

The duty of the Club President is expanded to include publication of a short description and explanation in the
QR of our liabilities and how our insurance addresses them, to be updated every year after insurance renewal.
Ride Leaders and/or members involved in accidents are responsible for reporting them online to the Safety
Committee. A link to the online accident submission can be found under Ride Leader Info and under Bicycle
Safety. The Safety Committee will present descriptive information regarding any accidents at Board meetings
as an agenda item to determine if measures could have prevented the accident and what action may possibly
prevent a recurrence. The accident, the discussion it provokes, and any conclusion will be documented in Board
meeting minutes, but also reported in the QR if deemed essential to share with members. A yearly summary of
accidents and follow-up regarding affected riders is to be presented to the Board by the Safety Committee at the
December Board meeting.

The Board encourages on-the-road communication between riders to address unsafe actions in a timely manner,
but if additional response is needed, complaints regarding reckless riders are to be submitted to the Safety
Committee. In turn, the Safety Committee will present descriptive information regarding any specific incident
to the Board. The discussion it provokes and response by the Board should be reported in the meeting minutes
(specific names kept confidential) and also reported in the QR (specific names kept confidential) if deemed
instructive to share with members.