Israel Cycling Federation President Bonnie Eshel, how dangerous is it to ride a bike on Israeli roads?

Bonnie Eshel, 43, president of the Israel Cycling Federation, has been cycling on Israel's roads for more than 20 years. Eshel is a mother of four who lives in Karmei Yosef and was Israel's cycling champion several times in the past. She brought her love of cycling with her when she immigrated to Israel from the United States 20 years ago.

She is very upset by the death of Shneor Cheshin, a son of former Supreme Court justice Mishael Cheshin who was killed Friday while riding his bike near Rosh Ha'ayin in training for the Ironman Austria triathlon, but she is not particularly surprised by it. Eshel realizes that every time you hit the road you are taking a life-threatening risk, and the cycling federation recommends preparing for an accident.

	Bonnie Eshel
	Photo by: Haaretz

"I, like other riders, understand that cycling on Israeli roads is a genuine life-threatening risk," she said. "I, like other cyclers, go out for a ride with some kind of identification and the phone numbers of relatives so that if, heaven forbid, we die on the road, the rescue forces will know who we are and who to notify. We also advise our cyclers to do so because everyone who goes out should also know that he may not come back, and it's better if he can be identified. We live with the risk of dying."

Do Israeli cyclers die on the roads to such an extent?

Riding in Israel today is super-dangerous. Practically every day there are accidents, and the fact that we don't have a higher number of fatalities is more a matter of luck. I feel this personally. One time they will throw things at me from a car that is traveling 80 kilometers an hour, another time they spray water, and once they even held a knife to me from out of the car window. Just last Friday, a truck passed me and honked when it was right next to me as it tried to get close to me and just at the last minute I managed to control the bike, but I was very close there to sprawling onto the road. We live today facing the threat of death every time we decide to hit the road on a bike."

Where does this attitude toward cyclers in Israel come from?

Everything starts first of all with the fact that Israel does not have a driving culture, and not just toward cyclists. In Israel, no one wants to be a sucker and everyone fights on the road. I am on the roads in Israel a lot, both as a driver and as a cyclist, and there is no mutual respect. If a driver feels he has to give way, he feels like a sucker and will do anything not to end up that way - and in many cases this can lead to the death of a cyclist, but that is of no interest to the driver. In places where it is common to ride, there are signs, and still this is of no interest to the Israeli driver.

Is the punishment for those aggressive drivers too lenient?

On average, 14 riders die each year on Israeli roads, and that is a shocking statistic. Too bad Shneor Cheshin had to pay with his life for the issue to reach the public's awareness, but there is a real crisis among cyclists. It is very difficult to catch these aggressors because they disappear from the scene very quickly. In the most recent collision, they say there was a drunk driver involved, possibly even a drug user, but we also come across lucid drivers who allow themselves to behave in a criminal fashion on the roads. In my assessment, the punishment should be a lot harsher. Today, the law should be clear with regard to cyclists as well, in order to protect them from these drivers. Someone has to address what is happening on the roads today to cyclists.

Have there been meetings with the authorities to discuss the matter?

There have not yet been any meetings with the current transportation minister, but there were a lot of meetings with previous ministers. Each time we would come to these sessions and receive a lot of sympathy from these officials, but everything would stop the moment we left the meeting room. Everything discussed at those sessions was tossed out, and to this day nothing has come out of those meetings. We came there with formal plans and nothing was implemented.

What plans does the Israel Cycling Federation have to make cycling safer?

The issue of bike lanes has to be promoted. Today we ride on the shoulders even though we are endangering ourselves and risk getting flats and even though this is no guarantee of safety - and the proof is that Cheshin was killed on Friday as he was riding on the shoulder. All over the world, it is standard practice to have bike lanes. We already have plans for routes adjacent to Route 5 and the coastal road. These plans also reached the Public Works Authority, but nothing is happening yet. These things could be pushed forward very quickly if someone would have wanted to, but until now we have not received any indication that this is the case.

Do cyclists abroad have an easier time?

Abroad and especially in Europe, it's a totally different story. The most significant thing in the differences among the countries is the culture. In Europe there is a driving culture and people know how to respect one another on the road. In Europe there are amazing bike lanes and it is given priority and treated much more seriously. I felt the differences myself. A few years ago, I cycled in Holland to train for a competition I was participating in. While cycling I reached an intersection, and suddenly I see that the cars are stopping and letting me cross the intersections smoothly without stopping to pedal. I was in shock. In Israel that would never happen; here, in order to cross an intersection you have to risk your life over again every time.

What is the federation planning to do now?

We cannot fight this on our own because it is necessary to have other powerful forces that we are trying to mobilize for our cause. We as a federation are trying to launch various cycling projects in different places in order to provide children and adults with the experience of cycling. Our goal in these clubs is to provide all the necessary information about proper cycling and through that to reach as many people as possible; we are working mostly in outlying areas. We are actually the representatives of the European Cycling Union, an international cycling organization with whose help we organize competitions, such as the upcoming European championships that will take place in Haifa. And there too, we will use the publicity to fight this phenomenon.

What role do the cyclists play in the accidents?

The truth should be stated here, and that is that there are also cyclists who do not do everything in order to minimize the risk. Among the statistics on cyclists who are killed in cycling accidents, there are also Thai workers and other foreign laborers who ride with no identification on them. Riders must make sure to carry adequate identification. The situation on the roads is not good and it is still dangerous, and therefore cyclists must also make sure to take care of themselves.