This one hits close to home...

[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....

[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

[PscyclePath]

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

Jenn:

Ever notice how we do our best to soundproof our cars from road noise, add in just about as much stereo equipment as we have engine and air conditioning, then throw in window tinting, big fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror, rebel flags, posters, or one of those little bobble-headed dogs in the back window, etc., etc.?

As an LAB instructor (Ed Wagner from http://cycledog.blogspot.com) notes:

A car is much larger and heavier than your bicycle. It cannot turn or stop as quickly. In fact, cars are about as nimble as a brick, so it's imperative that you learn their limitations. This means that cars are fairly boring to drive since they can't dodge around potholes, patches of glass, and other road debris. Basically, you just sit there and sort of keep the car going straight down the road without wandering from side to side. You find yourself staring at roadway that changes oh-so-slowly. It's like watching a video game where nothing exciting happens.

Modern automobiles are equipped with high-power sound systems, so you can listen to music at deafening levels. The sun visors are equipped with vanity mirrors so you can check your makeup, style your hair, or insert your contact lenses while you're behind the wheel. A cellular phone will let you keep in touch while driving, and a small television can be propped up on the dash. All modern cars have cup holders, so you don't have to juggle a drink and a sandwich. Also, the dash is convenient for placing Chinese take-out, though eating with chopsticks is best left to advanced drivers. (Practice your technique in light traffic.) Older, less technologically astute drivers may enjoy reading a book or magazine to relieve the tedium.

Ed's writing with a great deal of humor mixed in, but the essence is still true, cars are built so as to put us in a little cocoon, isolated from the rest of the world... and it's a shame that cyclists, pedestrians, or other motorists should want to intrude on that... After all, car ads on television always show someone zooming along on an open road. They never show a car braking heavily to avoid a collision.


Tom
After riding on the street, you may believe that motorists are maniacs in motor vehicles. Congratulations! You’ve come full-circle. While some cyclists believe that motorists are deliberately trying to kill them, it is not true. There’s seldom anything deliberate about it. Motorists may be distracted by a cellular phone, an AM radio talk show, screaming children on the back seat, an inflammatory article on the sports page, or a fumbled burrito that just landed in their lap. When they inadvertently run over a cyclist or pedestrian in such a situation, they inevitably say, “But officer, I never saw him!” They sometimes pay a stiff fine totaling several hundred dollars.

[Eden]

Someone I met from Germany (I'm pretty sure) expressed a great deal of disbelief at the things people do in their cars here - chat on phones, eat, read, etc. He said where he comes from cars are for driving and if you get caught doing anything else while driving one there are stiff penalties.....

[mimitabby]

Even in Italy, you see people stopped along the side of the road to talk on their cellphones. Here sometimes it's hard to find a driver that does not have a phone stuck to his/her ear.

[silver]

Someone I met from Germany (I'm pretty sure) expressed a great deal of disbelief at the things people do in their cars here - chat on phones, eat, read, etc. He said where he comes from cars are for driving and if you get caught doing anything else while driving one there are stiff penalties.....

When we were in Germany, my friend who lived there told us how very strict the German's were about driving. I believe she said that you aren't allowed to eat and drive. When there is a posted speed limit you follow that speed limit. Stop at stop signs. If someone puts on their turn signal, you are required to let them in, immediately. But I dont' know whether it's really any safer for cyclists there.

I saw a lady driving through very complicated intersection recently, with a cigarette in her left hand, a cell phone in her right, her right turn signal on and merging left. She was driving a VERY large SUV.

[Tri Girl]

That's really sad, RM. Prayers to all family and friends.

Distracted drivers suck! I'll admit I've been distracted before, and probably will be in the future, and know that it only takes a second to change a life/lives forever. I wish we had much stiffer laws- but then people would cry about their civil liberties and such being violated. Damned if you do and damned if you don't sometimes, but at least we should try to make it tougher for people to do so many things in their car. Reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer is driving and in the front seat is a t.v., cappacino (sp?) maker, toaster oven, frying pan and blender all going at once.

[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?

[Jo-n-NY]

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

I have thought of doing similar things to educate drivers. I think "Share the Road" signs help in educating as it says "road" on sidewalk.

~ JoAnn