It's unusual to see a motorist driving the wrong way down a one-way street. It's even more unusual to hear the driver, completely sober, explain to a police officer that he knows he's going the wrong way, but it's the shortest route to work. In Charleston, this is happening more and more frequently -- with cyclists and skateboarders.

Yes, it's against the law, but neighborhoods are more concerned that these Wrong Way Charlies will end up injured or worse. Even with a helmet and protective gear, a biker is no match for a car, nor a skateboard for a truck.

Law enforcement has begun to crack down. "We're just trying to get them to obey the rules of the road so everyone is safe," said an officer from Charleston. In the city, 60 bikers and boarders received citations over a recent two-day period. At the College of Charleston, safety personnel issued 40 warning tickets.

It is hard to fault people for using more environmentally-friendly modes of transportation -- and it makes perfect sense with gas prices as high as they are. But in areas like Historic Charleston, with its warren of narrow one-way streets, a "share the road" philosophy is more and more difficult to defend.

A couple of fatal biking accidents showed all of Charleston the seriousness of the risk. In July, a cyclist was struck by a van on the James Island connector. He fell 40 feet to his death. Earlier this year, a cyclist was killed by a driver who has been accused of driving drunk. Last year, another cyclist died when an SUV struck his bike.

While the motorists were deemed responsible in all cases, these accidents put biking and boarding safety at the top of the community agenda.

Police agree that motorists should be on the lookout for cyclists and skateboarders, but they say, too, that safety is a two-way street. Increased enforcement of traffic rules may be the best way to protect bikers.

Bikers disagree. Vehemently. One college student said he wasn't doing anything wrong and ended up with a $200 ticket. Another says the main roads are dangerous, and bikers are taking side roads for their own safety.

City officials have some ideas on how to address the problem. We'll get into that in a future post.

Source: Post & Courier, "Wrong Way: Actions of cyclists, skateboarders prompt crackdown," Glenn Smith, Sept. 19, 2011