Posted on 04/13/2018 9:05:51 AM PDT by bgill
When JoJo McKibben was the victim of a hit-and-run on April 3 as she biked to work, she wasn't all that surprised. She was hit while biking by a drunk driver last summer and has come to expect that cars won't realize she's riding on two wheels. McKibben's boyfriend Brendan Sharpe said he has also been seriously injured by cars while he's biked in Austin, once in 2009 and again in 2015... Katie Delleoz, the executive director of Bike Austin, said she personally has nearly been struck at the same intersection McKibben was hit at last week
(Excerpt) Read more at kxan.com ...
Lets go back to sandy dirt roads. Cars will make it through just fine but not those cyclists.
When riding on roads, paranoia is your friend. I haven't been killed yet, knock on wood.
Best laugh all week.
One day, on my motorcycle, I was coming through an intersection at about 35 MPH. As I got to the green light I realized there was an on coming car with his left turn signal on. It terrified me, for one single reason: I had not prepared for him to do something dumb, like turn in front of me, and I had not been planning an escape route. I was paying attention as though I was driving a car.
Oh, and a second reason: My 15 year old daughter was riding on the back.
Keep us posted how you feel about that idea when a family member gets struck pedaling their bicycle by a careless teenager texting behind the wheel or a reckless drunk driver.
Wow. Absolutely despicable. Of course I don't think it's "legal" - or MORAL - to run over bicyclists! Or pedestrians.
Whenever I see bicyclists and/or pedestrians riding/walking on just about ANY street/road these days, I fear for their lives and safety. There is so much drunk and *especially* distracted driving these days.
Personally, I pretty much stay off the roads. I don't really cycle anymore (because of many past surgeries), but I walk on trails FAR from car traffic.
I live in a “retirement” community. Just about everyone (car drivers, golf cart drivers, walkers, runners bicyclists) pulls out in front of you at any given moment irrespective if you are doing any of those behaviors. I think there is a death wish about the place. Also, typically, there is no one on the road behind you for hundreds of yards or more.
Mountain bikes...
"...having to slam on their breaks to avoid plowing into them as they struggle to peddle ever so slowly up hill..."
"...Lets go back to sandy dirt roads. Cars will make it through just fine but not those cyclists...."Incorrect. Cyclists can contend with sand and snow, too:
Yes they do, and my roads are among those they ride on. So far I haven’t heard of any incidences, however, I know I have come close a couple of times. It really is irritating, especially when you have a large pack in front of you and you have to proceed at bike speed.
I owned a 1986 Ford T-Bird. While the car was in the shop (Goodyear) they were out test driving it after a repair. A guy on a bicycle darted right in front of them (from the side of the road) and they hit him causing him to roll onto the hood. He wasn't injured, but the car had to have the dents knocked out of the hood. I also had a tire replaced under warranty that was damaged when it ran over the bicycle.
This must be why Austin was voted the best place to live in the country. Target rich environment and one can acquire a new hobby, either dodging cars or aiming for bikes.
We will never eliminate all accidents, but we can, over time, build better roads. If we make areas safer for pedestrians, cyclists can generally piggyback on that infrastructure. There's a new invention, called a "sidewalk," that would take care of a lot of the problem. Build the sidewalks wide enough and bikes can share with pedestrians in high trafic areas. On rural roads, make good shoulders a priority. It will save lives, mostly motorists'.
Sounds like a lucky guy.
He should play the lottery....
"...we can, over time, build better roads..."
So far, none of my family members have been stupid enough to ride bikes amongst automobiles. I do have several acquaintances though who do it - every one is a raging leftist.
These are the same types that take needless risks doing rock climbing in remote areas - then when they get stuck, rescue teams have to take the same risks to get them out.
This is like climbing into the lion or bear cage at the zoo, and saying you have the right to be there.
On the water, the bigger vessels have the right of way - the smaller ones are responsible to stay out of their way - it makes sense - that’s the way it should be for bikers and pedestrians - if they get hit it is their own fault.
And using the drunk or texting driver argument is BS. Accidents will happen regardless of alcohol or texting - people make mistakes and if you’re dumb enough to be on a bike when it happens....
"...that’s the way it should be for bikers and pedestrians - if they get hit it is their own fault..."
That didn’t take long. The FReeper bike killing brigade showing its demented head.
"...that didn’t take long..."
“In a car, it’s fine. It doesn’t cost you much. On a bike, it scrubs off speed that took a lot of energy to achieve and to re-achieve. If there was a “real” reason to stop, that would be different. But for a stop sign where there is OBVIOUSLY nothing to actually stop for, other than the sign, the only logical reason for stopping is that there is a cop around.”
The problem is that when people think like this they just get in the habit of rolling through stop signs without even bothering to really look. Then they start rolling through red lights too when they think “it’s clear”. Next thing you know they splatter themselves or somebody else. I can’t count how many times as a pedestrian I was almost run over by bicyclists blazing through stop signs without even bothering to look for someone about to cross the street in front of them, because it was a “quiet area” and they were more worried about losing speed than being safe.
You think that’s bad, then I wouldn’t recommend ever visiting Amsterdam.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.