This one hits close to home...

[Running Mommy]

Lost another shining light due to a distracted driver.

http://www.redding.com/news/2007/nov...-cyclist-dies/


Sigh... This is so sad..

The neighbor and running buddy Christine quoted in this article is my BF's sister.
She could have been there that day as they often rode together.

Sigh.... I have such a heavy heart right now..
Praying for all, and praying for all those on the road right now that they may reach their destination safely.

[mimitabby]

Very sad. In related news, a 50 year old pedestrian was hit and killed in Seattle yesterday by a drunken PU truck driver.

[ibcycling]

How incredibly sad for all parties involved. My thoughts are with you and her friends and family.

Lora

[silver]

Oh my! I am so saddened. This stirs so many emotions in me.

I've been trying to put together ways to correctly convey thoughts when these issues come up locally.

I simply do not understand how/why people blame the cyclists. While I have great sympathy for the trauma that the driver must feel, the driver is at fault.

I think one point is that we need to stop referring to these occurances as "accidents" We need to call them collisions. Others will try to bring up cyclists who break the rules of the road, but we must be firm that in many/most and certainly this case, that the cyclist was following the rules of the road and that the driver was negligent when he/she took their eyes off the road.

A vehicle becomes a weapon when driven by a distracted driver.

I know that I'm preaching to the choir, but I just feel better by saying it and hope that maybe presenting things this way when we can redirect those who try to blame the cyclists.

[li10up]

I agree with Silver on this one. We should stop calling these types of incidents "accidents." To me an accident is an "unexpected and undesirable event." Taking your eyes off the road and reaching for a bottle for your child in my opinion could very likely lead to an undesirable event and is therefore not an accident. Accidents are the result of wet or icy conditions. Carelessness, inattention or indifference is an incident. I'm sick and tired of the innocent losing their lives because others can't pay attention while hurtling down the highway in a two ton weapon.

I'm sure the driver will be affected by this the rest of her life but I still feel a price should be paid for her negligence.

[Eden]

There was a big article in the latest Bicycling about cyclists who have been severely injured or killed, the nature of the incidents and what happened to the drivers. The mother of one of the victims had what I think was the best idea. She felt the driver (reached into a grocery bag for something to eat and crossed the fog line) shouldn't necessarily be sent to jail, but rather should have to do community service in a rehab hospital. Make the punishment have something to do with the crime.

There was also a very eye opening column on the Velo News web site about the double standard that is often shown with cycling accidents. Apparently "I didn't see him/her" is often quite acceptable and drivers who hit cyclists often walk away without even getting a traffic ticket....

[Aint Doody]

I'm with you, too, Silver. It's a collision, not an accident. Let's spread the word on this.

[mimitabby]

As a motorist, I am terrified of the thought of accidentally hitting a cyclist.
True, we keep hearing about cyclists who are wearing brilliant yellow jackets and have bright lights, but here in Seattle, we also have a large group of cyclists who wear dark clothes, do not wear helmets and do not have lights. They are poor people, not scoff laws. They are hard to see. Accidents DO happen, and yes, it's horrible, and we should be more careful, but stuff happens. People are distracted, too easily. Last month I was driving at the speed limit (20 mph) past a school where the buses were loading. I was watching the buses and kids, and ... the car in front of me stopped. I barely had time to hit my brakes, scared me to death.
stuff happens. People sneeze, drop things in their cars, etc, etc. cars are scary.
The irony of it is that I am more afraid of aggression in motorists than inattentiveness, and more often than not, it's the inattention that is killing us!

[salsabike]

As a motorist, I am terrified of the thought of accidentally hitting a cyclist.
True, we keep hearing about cyclists who are wearing brilliant yellow jackets and have bright lights, but here in Seattle, we also have a large group of cyclists who wear dark clothes, do not wear helmets and do not have lights. They are poor people, not scoff laws. They are hard to see. Accidents DO happen, and yes, it's horrible, and we should be more careful, but stuff happens. People are distracted, too easily. Last month I was driving at the speed limit (20 mph) past a school where the buses were loading. I was watching the buses and kids, and ... the car in front of me stopped. I barely had time to hit my brakes, scared me to death.
stuff happens. People sneeze, drop things in their cars, etc, etc. cars are scary.
The irony of it is that I am more afraid of aggression in motorists than inattentiveness, and more often than not, it's the inattention that is killing us!

Yes. I am a very good and very careful driver. But I think it is possible for accidents to happen to any of us.

[mimitabby]

so bottom line, I think we're safer in the middle of the lane than we are on the side in the "bike" lane because there we have more space.
Motorists might not like it, but they SEE us.

[pinkychique]

so bottom line, I think we're safer in the middle of the lane than we are on the side in the "bike" lane because there we have more space.
Motorists might not like it, but they SEE us.

They really don't like it:

I was riding home last night, and some jerk decided to buzz me when I was taking the far right lane (because at this particular part of the road there is no bike lane, and it's a really small section). And I decided to tell him that we have rights in the lanes, and he just ended up screaming at me and driving off . I of course should expect this, but it's law that says 1) that we cannot ride on the sidewalk and 2) that we are to take the lane if we have to.

I was thinking I should make a pamphlet of local laws to hand to drivers like these when I can. Maybe then it will spread the word?

I'm so sick of jerks like these!! I try not to think of the ones that are completely distracted...I can't do much about those

[Geonz]

Well, there's a lot of in between.

Let's face it, this lady *probably* will hesitate before reaching for a bottle again. It was an accident... but an avoidable one. LIke my T-shirt says -"“Drive Now, Talk Later: It only takes a second to
cause an eternal heartbreak.” ... and it doesn't just apply to cell phones.

So... the question is: how to help people learn from this *before* they get the reminder that "oh! your car is a deadly weapon, BE CAREFUL!!" the hard way

COmmunity service... and a big magnetic sign that says "killed cyclist reaching for a bottle" ... okay, that might be more distracting... perhaps a billboard that says it?

[Thorn]

Well, there's a lot of in between.

So... the question is: how to help people learn from this *before* they get the reminder that "oh! your car is a deadly weapon, BE CAREFUL!!" the hard way

COmmunity service... and a big magnetic sign that says "killed cyclist reaching for a bottle" ... okay, that might be more distracting... perhaps a billboard that says it?

How about community service that involves giving lectures to high schools about the accident? Reminder to the person and instructive, even if only 1 person in a large number actually "hears" the message.

[KSH]

I'm very sorry to hear this RM. Very sad. Very sad indeed.

As far as drivers becoming distracted and killing a cyclist... if they got distracted and killed someone else who was driving a CAR... that driver who killed the other driver would be brought up involuntary manslaughter.

I find it odd how a person in a CAR can PLOW DOWN someone who is walking or on a bike... and they don't even get a ticket. I'm sorry, but if you kill someone... even if you didn't mean to, you need to have sort of consequence.

How is it, in today's society... that we can allow someone in a car to kill a cyclist and not do a damn thing to them? HOW?

[wannaduacentury]

Apparently "I didn't see him/her" is often quite acceptable and drivers who hit cyclists often walk away without even getting a traffic ticket....

If you're driving a car, how can you NOT be aware of all around you(blinkers, mirrors, turning your head if necesssary to look around you. You need to be attentive and prepared as much as possible and be a defensive driver. I almost got backed into the other day in town by an SUV with a blind spot- I honked and steered left and avoided getting hit. The "I didn't see him/her" a copout and devoids responsibility like you said. We may just have to take the lane so they can see us like the other poster said. Jenn