Hopefully not a Freaky Friday, and the Feed

Dad is talking with his PT therapist right now and doing exercises to strengthen his legs and core and also walking around the porch working on his balance. I had another good morning and was able to get both socks without breaking any teeth from gritting them or clenching my jaw.

Up first because of lots of links, a Portland OR woman is killed by a semi truck turning across the bike lane in a classic right hook. Portland bicyclist killed in collision with semi and Bicyclist hit by semi in downtown Portland also Police Identify Bicyclist Killed By Truck Last Night The major difference between this wreck and most right hooks is the cyclist was hit from behind and then run over by the cab of the truck, but as I recall from my truck driving days you could hide a Mini in the right front blind spot of those trucks. The cyclist could not have avoided this wreck as you have to depend on other people seeing you at some point or else wait until every other vehicle is gone from the road. To prevent would require changes made to big trucks or the outright banning of the trucks from urban areas, because if you don’t even with the best possible infrastructure you are going to get wrecks at intersections.

Because it’s close to WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. Help Out A Fellow Cyclists Nothing on the mode of the wreck yet, but the location is just a ew miles from my home. Comments on FB indicate this might be a hit-from-behind wreck caused by a distracted driver but nothing to verify that from any official source, or even coverage from the local news paper.

A cyclist is killed in CA by a hit-and-run with a rare and expensive car. Bicycle Rider Killed in Hit and Run Identified and Dublin bicyclist killed by hit-run driver is IDd Hit-from-behind and hit-and-run, with a $100K (or more) car. Unless the car was stolen this makes almost no sense. Anyway, to avoid use the protocols, to prevent get cars the heck away from people on bicycles.

Two young boys in UT are hit while riding 2 up on a single trick bike. 2 Payson boys injured after being struck by SUV There was an important detail left out of the narrative of the wreck, when the kids were turning left from the main road to the side road who had the stop sign or red light? Anyway it was during a turning movement at an intersection, so use intersection protocols to avoid. You know what would have prevented this wreck, Infrastructure!

A NJ cyclist is injured crossing the street. Jersey City bicyclist, 21, suffers non-life threatening injuries after being struck by car The narrative so far is the cyclist came from between 2 parked cars (SWSS). Use hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A cyclist is killed right after the RoS in TN. Cyclist killed Wednesday in Lakewood-Old Hickory identified Another blind driver hits a cyclist from behind. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and enforce the 3-foot passing law for crying out loud. To prevent, it’s almost always infrastructure.

From a little further east in TN, problems in the Choo-choo city of Chattanooga. Chattanooga cyclists: Cars often don’t share roads Several hit-from-behind or near misses that cyclists used the protocols to avoid, but they shouldn’t have to be avoiding these wrecks. TN has had a 3 foot passing law for ages and it is seldom enforced. this is a bit of infrastructure that needs to be strengthened.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, dead cyclists get no justice after a woman falls asleep at the wheel and runs over 2 cyclists. No criminal charges filed in fatal causeway accident Drugs in her system and asleep at the wheel and they still couldn’t find anything to charge the driver with other than a ticket for failure to maintain a single lane… TANJ!

In the Great White North, tickets were issued immediately to 2 of 3 drivers that hit cyclists this week. Fines laid after cyclists hit Two of the drivers made unsafe turns and hit cyclists at intersections, investigation is still ongoing on the third wreck. Intersection protocols to avoid the 2 wrecks they know what happened and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Still in the GWN, the local DoT is blamed for roads that lacked bicycle provisions in the wake of one of the most deadly bike wrecks in Canadian history. Transport Quebec defends its road repairs in wake of coroner’s report And we all know that government agencies don’t lie about their performance goals not being met…

A report from Enn Zed about a guy that was hit while riding a bike. Male cyclist, 50, hit by car And that pretty much sums up the entire known situation of the wreck.

Not every European city is like Amsterdam or even Copenhagen. Navigating Europe’s Most Congested City by Bike Scary by European standards, a taste of home for me. I would love to have things so nice in the suburbs of Hell.

And some important things to know when you’re shopping for a new helmet. Best bike helmets to protect riders Just understand this test is totally unlike the real world where people’s heads are not independent of their bodies.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

More observations on hit-from-behind, and the Feed

Well most of you have seen the post from yesterday on hit-from-behind wrecks becoming statistically large in bicycle deaths, rising from 1 in 22 deaths from the 1970s through the 1990s (with very minor fluctuations) to 1 in 4 bicycle deaths in 2011. Along with this increase in hit-from-behind was a similar increase in hit-and-run. Just my impression but I think that a majority of the hit-and-run I see are also hit-from-behind, and it is well-known that the single most important factor in surviving major trauma is quick response. In fact there is something called The Golden Hour (with caps) in major trauma that getting medical care and stabilized in the first hour after the initial trauma improves survival something like 90%. When someone is sitting in a broken heap on the side of the road they aren’t getting care, and they die. That’s just my opinion as an interested observer, not anything you can take to the bank.

Most of the links I got today were either notifications of or reports on the Ride of Silence as it unfolded around the world in over 320 locations worldwide. TEMECULA: Cyclists on Ride of Silence sign “get well” cards for injured girl and Memorial honors injured cyclists another one Ride of Silence: Cyclists roll for safety still more Cyclists remember those killed on road with ‘Ride of Silence’ not done by a long shot Cyclists Ride in Silence For Bike Safety Month more Richmond Cyclists Organize Ride of Silence wow not done yet Ride of Silence pays tribute to killed and injured bicyclists still more from just up the pike from WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell A silent ride remembering those injured and killed while cycling not done yet A long, slow line riding for remembrance and safety another Bike Rally in Shreveport when will it ever end? Ride of Silence honors injured, killed cyclists still not done Ride of Silence Tonight to Honor Injured Cyclists more West Michigan bicyclists honor riders killed in crashes, call for more understanding between bikers and motorists from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike Ride of silence honors cyclists killed and injured on bikes from the Heartland of the US Bicycle riders pay respects to those killed/hurt with Ride of Silence more from CA Dozens of Richmond riders pay respects to injured cyclists still more Ride of Silence from Iowa Ride of Silence calls attention to cyclists killed in accidents not done yet Sharing the Road in ‘Silence’ Song quote “How long can this go on?” “Ride of Silence” reminds drivers to watch out for bicyclists another one Cyclists ride to honor, raise awareness From MI Ride of Silence May 16 advocates cyclist awareness, memorializes fallen riders still more Ride of Silence 2012 Tonight from Wilmot Park from the town my brother works in Myrtle Beach-area cyclists to support Ride of Silence and last link (finally) Ride Of Silence Hits Several Northern Michigan Communities By WordPress’ count that’s almost 500 words between the links and the comments just on the RoS.

From CA a SWCC or possible red-light runner. Santa Clara man killed while riding bicycle is identified If the report is accurate (the only witness was the driver) then don’t run red lights to avoid a similar wreck, otherwise intersection protocols besides not running red lights, and to prevent get the infrastructure right so that speeding cars are not trying to occupy the same space as slow bikes.

Another report on the cyclist killed near Citi field in NYC. Bicyclist dies after he gets hit by driver: Cops Still the same damn thing, the only surviving witness claims no wrongdoing on their part so NYPD agrees and drops the investigation…

A cyclist falls from the shared path into fast traffic on a bridge in Detroit. Cyclist injured after tumbling into bridge traffic in Grosse Ile I lay most of the blame for this one on the infrastructure and Detroit’s inability to pay for fixing things. I don’t know how a cyclist could prevent the loss of control that preceded this wreck as I don’t know what caused it.

Last link from Cycle Twin Cities again today. One on One Invades St. Paul I’m glad they have a bicycle service vendor for their bike center in downtown St. Paul.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Verification to a gut feeling.

I just got this link, and I thought it was important enough that I had to share it with you now instead of waiting for tomorrow.

I have been having the feeling that I was seeing a lot more hit-from-behind links than I was 6 years ago when I first started doing this blog at the original hosting site. Well it isn’t just a “feeling” any more, it’s a verified statistic. Are more cyclists getting hit from behind than ever before? What had been a 1 in 22 chance back BCP (before cell phones) is now a 1 in 4 chance on 2011. A link to the raw data. Every Bicyclist Counts All I know is of the wrecks I get links to I get a lot of hit-from-behind wrecks and a large number of them are fatal. And a very large proportion of those are hit-and-run, so there may be a correlation between those 2 statistics (more hit-and-run equals more fatal wrecks).

PSA, Opus

Trying not to kill anyone, and the Feed

I was able to put my right sock on by myself this morning, which meant I could wear my shoes, which meant I had a level pelvis when I walked and I had a lot less pain in my leg. So yay! getting the sock on. Dad had a rough day yesterday but seems to be in much improved spirits today, and showed marked improvement in his strength and balance after therapy. So everybody is doing better this morning.

Today is the Ride of Silence. As I was saying yesterday, this will be the first time I have been totally unable to attend a Ride since Larry Schwartz died. I am totally bummed about the situation. but if someone could wear a red and black armband for me I would be much obliged. Red because I was injured, black because, well I was dead for a little bit. And also because you “know” a deceased cyclist. Ride of Silence Tomorrow Night Honors Princeton Anchor House Cyclist Doug McCune and Hernando cyclists’ Ride of Silence makes plea for safety also Rock Hill’s Ride of Silence a tribute to victims of bicycling accidents even Bicyclists to honor fellow riders in Ridgeland another link Salado: Memorial Bike Ride Honors Cyclist Killed In Accident getting close now Quincy Bicycle Club plans ‘Ride of Silence’ Wednesday not done yet Evansville’s Ride of Silence remembers fallen cyclists, raises moving issues are you kidding me? Ride of Silence honors fallen riders, urges awareness last link WILDOMAR: Bike safety event Saturday

More on that cyclist killed on Folly Rd. Folly Road bike fatality: Victim ‘swerving in and out’ of bike lane before accident That’s an interesting statement since there isn’t a bike lane in the Google Street View of the crash scene, but one may have been placed since that picture was taken. Interesting thing about the description of the wreck, the SUV sideswiped the cyclist, not the other way around.

An assisted bike is cut off by a car pulling from a driveway in AZ. Motorized bike rider killed in midtown crash Driveways are intersections, so intersection protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right (including laws and enforcement) to prevent.

A cyclist in IA survives a hit-and-run. Injured Cyclist Needs Your Help With the cyclist being dragged 150 feet by the weapon vehicle I’m surprised the charges didn’t include some kind of assault charge. Hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid. Get the infrastructure right to prevent oblivious drivers from hitting cyclists and dragging them 150 feet under their vehicles.

Cycle Twin Cities catches you up on the news from around the twin Cities in MN, (DUH). Twin Cities Cycling News From Around the Web Some citizen bike races and infrastructure news as they have a major bike/ped bridge that is still out of commission until someone decides to fix it.

From the Great White North, drivers are too stupid to know when they are tired so they need technology that will tell them it’s time to get off the road and take a nap. Quebec coroner calls for driver drowsiness alerts So, 2 years on and they still haven’t found anything to charge a guy that hit 6 cyclists and killed 3 of them? TANJ!

More from the GWN. Cycling safety in the spotlight after trio of crashes All 3 of the wrecks listed in the article were at intersections, as well as most of the anecdotes in the story. Use intersection protocols to avoid a similar wreck, and get the infrastructure right to prevent one.

Speaking of infrastructure, which is more important safe streets or pretty streets? Absurdist Shrubbery If there’s all this room for landscaping (not to mention budget), why is it so hard to get 5 feet to put a bike lane? You really have to wonder some times.

And coming on the heels of an absurd “statistic” from a driving web site (“57% of cyclists run red lights”) comes an equally absurd response. Cycling’s kitten bothering shame Yes, 21% of cyclists in the UK have bothered a kitten while riding, sort of. At least as rigorous as the “statistics” offered from the other article. Not mentioned was the 31% of drivers that admitted to running red lights in that same poll. Links to the poll are in the article linked in this paragraph.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today that were still good by the time I got around to posting this in my blog. There were some doozies out there that were broken by the time I got ready to put them in the blog.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Waiting on the Ride of Silence, and the Feed

No, I’m not forgetting about the Ride of Silence. It’s just that this year I’m going to be in a place without a Ride and also without a bike, which makes me a little depressed about the Ride. I’ll get over it, but for now I’m a bit on the down side. That’s why I’m not posting as many links in the run-up to the Ride as I usually do. Also this is the first time I won’t be able to make the Mother Ride. I mean I have missed a few RoS because of scheduling snafus (the BPAC meeting being held on the same day and a couple of cities away from the Ride being the biggest impediment to attending the Ride), but this is the first time I have had absolutely zero chance of making the Mother Ride.

I’m not going to post any links to the death of the cyclist killed when she hit the back of a team car during a race in CA, but that doesn’t mean I disregard the death. It was just as meaningful as any death, but it was during a race on closed roads and there is nothing I can say that would apply to people riding on the roads in “normal” traffic. So while I feel just as bad about this wreck as I do about all the rest of them, I’m not going to link to this story.

Up first a NC cyclist was wearing clothes instead of a glow in the dark clown costume so it was obviously his fault he got hit, right? Cyclist was wearing dark clothing, lacked large reflectors on bike The cyclist in this case was seen to be drinking prior to the wreck, so there is a possibility he was impaired and rode out in front of the driver too close to be avoided. To avoid use intersection protocols and wear lights on the bike, to prevent get the infrastructure right so cyclists don’t have to cross busy high-speed highways to get to or from things like restaurants.

A little away from that wreck the guy that died on Folly Road in Charleston was also charged in a DUI death of a pedestrian on the same stretch of road. Skinful felony DUI suspect under legal limit for alcohol, tested positive for THC I’m still trying to get a handle on this wreck as a local tells me that there were no parked cars on the street where the cyclist was killed, but that this was a street that saw a lot of bike traffic because of the bridge it connected to and that trying to ride on side streets would cause you to keep crossing Folly as the through streets crossed the road several times. As far as the previous wreck is concerned he may not have had enough alcohol in his blood to be legally drunk but add a contact high from pot… and I’m still of mixed feelings about this. Sure he was a drunk/impaired driver who killed a pedestrian, but he died a cyclist… So does he go to the hot place of eternal torment because ha drove drunk and killed a pedestrian, or the comfy place with bad music because he died a cyclist? Questions like that are beyond my pay grade and security clearance…

A CT cyclist and several passengers are injured when a bus is hit from behind as the cyclist was loading his bike on the bus front bike rack. Several Injured After Truck Hits Bus OK there is no earthly way a cyclist can avoid this one as it was a pinball wreck where a second vehicle hits the cyclist after being hit itself, and in this case the bus was hit out of the field of vision of the cyclist or any of the rest of the passengers of the bus. To prevent this would be a good case for installing bike/bus lanes so that there would be no trucks in the lane to hit the bus from behind at a high rate of speed.

A really nasty hit-and-run in PA. Charges Expected In Weekend Hit-And-Run From the information in the article I would say that this was either a case of an impaired driver or a deliberate assault on the cyclist for being “in the way”. To avoid use the hit-from-behind protocols from the link at the top of my blog, to prevent get the stupid infrastructure right so drivers don’t feel compelled to get angry at a cyclist “in the way”.

A cyclist in Enn Zed gets right crossed (the equivalent of the left cross for those that drive on the wrong side of the road). Cyclist hit in rush hour traffic Not much I can say about this one really except the usual platitudes about using intersection protocols to avoid a similar wreck and getting the infrastructure right to prevent a wreck like that from ever being able to happen.

Infrastructure! news from around NY. Westfielder Walker Makes Strides for Safety at Tamaques Park Apparently pedestrians feel like they should walk in the bike lanes. And the sidewalk, and anywhere else they feel?

Another article ranking infrastructure along with intangibles for cycling in the US, by city. Minneapolis Ranks #1 For Cycling…. Again. I noticed that Dallas and Garland both failed to make the top 1000 of cities in their size…

Cyclists in Jolly Olde don’t like being stationary targets. We jump red lights for our own safety, cyclists claim I have been hearing this for years, and there is some factual evidence to back them up on this one, specifically the study on why more women than men are killed by HGV at intersections. Advocacy & Safety – “Are women cyclists in more danger than men?”

Links to Ride of Silence events. The Ride of Silence: a loud cry for bicycle safety and Freeloaders: Two wheels are better than four

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Up to my ears in links and the Feed

Another weekend of e-mailed links and stuff sent over my FB wall and also a metric buttload of links in the Feed. So since I brought everyone up to date on my situation yesterday, on to the mayhem.

Up first from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, LEO are doing “something” about bike safety. Bike lane wars reach Weston as deputies issue warnings, tickets to cyclists That’s right, they are giving tickets to cyclists for leaving the bike lanes to pass slower cyclists rather than ticketing drivers that pass with less than 3 feet of clearance. And the thing is FL laws specifically allows a cyclist to leave a bike lane to pass a slower cyclist as well as to avoid debris, trash, or other unridable conditions in the bike lane. And also the shoulder of a road is NOT a bike lane, the picture that accompanied the article showed a shoulder full of loose gravels and trash.

Still in the state of FL a SWCC is hit-and-run then hit by a second vehicle. Hudson bicycle rider killed in Saturday night crash Not much I can say about this one. Either the cyclist was riding in the travel lane and was not seen by the first driver or he was crossing the road and did not clear the lane in time. intersection protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right so cyclists don’t share high-speed highways through town with motor vehicles and that will prevent a similar wreck.

Moving to Upstate NY, a child is hit in an intersection. Child on bike hit by car, injured From looking at the satellite view I could not see any traffic controls at the intersection, so I’m going to use the narrative provided and say the kid most likely did not stopyeild at the intersection with the more through street when he got hit. Intersection protocols to avoid a similar wreck. Get the infrastructure right to prevent it. Seriously there is no earthly reason to be driving that fast in a residential area with kids walking and riding bikes.

A wreck in IL, near the home of Bigfoot (the monster truck, not the cryptozooid). Colorado Man Killed While Cycling In Madison County Intersection between a trail and a major highway, use intersection protocols to avoid and fix the intersection to prevent. The intersection in question, Illinois 111 & Horseshoe Lake Rd notice the trail makes a right angle turn here across the main highway, I don’t know if there is a dedicated phase for the traffic control on the trail or not. More Bicyclist struck, fatally injured in Madison County and a late link Bicyclist killed along Madison County bike trail

In CA some links to a cyclist that had some kind of bike malfunction that flipped him over the handlebars and on his (helmeted) head. Man killed in King Street bike accident identified; Stephen Pollard was a well-known Santa Cruz ‘original’ and Man killed in King Street bike accident identified; Stephen Pollard was a well-known Santa Cruz ‘original’ Well, when I filtered they had different headlines… This is a wreck that could happen with any kind of infrastructure.

More from CA as the driver that ran a cyclist over from behind is charged. CHP recommends vehicular manslaughter charge in fatal bike crash

A wreck in NYC with “no criminality suspected”. Cyclist Struck & Killed Near Citi Field the cyclist was hit from behind by a vehicle that was “sharing” the lane. To avoid use hit from behind protocols, to prevent get the cars off the streets where they expect bicycles to ride. This is another street that cyclists get funneled into by bike lanes on either end but nothing in the middle and really bad roads on parallel streets.

On the run-up to the Ride of Silence comes this item from Charleston SC. Ride your bike to work this week

More from Rockford IL Guest Column: Bikers, drivers must be aware of each other

New problems in CA. Tour de theft targets high-end racing bikes

A pretty picture at first glance, fraught with meaning at second glance. On the Street….Lafayette St., New York For the slow ones, look hard at the cyclist’s right leg.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Weird news on a rainy Saturday, and the Feed

Dad is still doing well, getting around more on his feet and getting up and doing things. He had a busy day yesterday of OT and PT and just getting lots of visitors, so he slept well last night. Me, not so much as I’m out of my pain pills and can’t get my right foot folded up under me enough to get a sock on to wear shoes

Up first, that SC cyclist that “sideswiped” an SUV and was run over by a second vehicle was the alleged perpetrator of a DUI fatality last fall. Victim of Folly Road bike fatality was the driver in Skinful felony DUI The wreck still does not make sense, unless the SUV he sideswiped was parked, because he was forced into the parked cars by motor vehicles passing too close and then bounced in front of the car that killed him. but the fact that he was alleged to be the driver in a DUI fatality and then dies riding a bike, well let’s just say the needle in my irony meter is bouncing off the peg.

A SWSS wreck in Ogden UT. Bicyclist injured when struck by car in Ogden Looking at the bike in the picture, it was definitely struck from the left. The impact seems to be well left of the vehicle center and the bike seems to be sitting in the left turn lane. So from the evidence this does seem to be a cyclist that made a lane change that was either ignored by the driver or too late for the driver to stop. To avoid use intersection protocols, specifically the ones on how to make a legal left turn, and to prevent get the infrastructure right so a cyclist doesn’t have to negotiate a 4-lane highway with motor vehicles moving at high speeds to get from one place to another.

A MI sidewalk cyclist is right-hooked. Accident Leaves Cyclist Injured In Traverse City This one is super-simple to avoid: Ride in the street where drivers can see you and not turn in front of you and also use the rest of the intersection protocols, likewise to prevent get the infrastructure right so cyclists don’t feel compelled to ride on sidewalks.

A UK wreck is easily explained and prevented. Train-death cyclist had headphones on OK I have to do at least one of these every couple of months. These are so simple to avoid I just can’t believe people get hit by trains: Stay off the track when a train is coming. If you have headphones on be very careful about looking around to make sure you are not about to step in front of a moving train.

Last link today is an Infrastructure! article from AZ. Scottsdale Personal Injury Attorney Quoted On Local News About New Arizona Bicycle Law I’m not convinced I like the bit about making cyclists at fault in wrecks, I’m hoping this means only wrecks where the cyclist failed to yield the right of way to the motor vehicle that would have had right of way (like if the driver was first to a 4-way stop or was on a through street and the cyclist had the stop sign).

And that’s all the news that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Still plugging along, and the Feed

Dad is still making progress at recovery, and I am still in pain from trying to take care of him. I have lots of help taking care of Dad which is making the pain more tolerable, but I would greatly prefer to not have any pain while I’m trying to help my Dad. But I don’t get to make that choice so everybody just muddles along as best we can.

Up first is an update on the dog, that stayed with the man, who was killed in a hit-and-run, and who was riding the bike across the country to memorialize a friend. Cyclist’s dog adopted by family friend after he’s killed in hit-and-run accident The dog is taken care of, and appeared to know the person who was fostering her. Now they need to find the low-life scum that killed her master and left his body on the side of the road.

Still in CA a cyclist is hit by a tour bus, and barely survives. Injured Cyclist Identified, Still Hospitalized There was a lot of blood on the street after that wreck. From what little I can find out and from the picture the bike was hit from the left and the rider knocked into the street by the impact while the cyclist was crossing in front of the bus, and LEO are not blaming the cyclist for making an illegal movement like running a stop sign or a red light. So I’m going to go with the bus ran into the cyclist because the driver was not looking for a bicycle on the road (I bet that won’t be the case in the future if the driver continues to drive). To avoid use intersection protocols, to prevent get the infrastructure right and keep the bikes and the buses away from each other except in tightly controlled conditions.

More from CA about that wicked left cross in SF. Cyclist Critically Injured In SoMa Crash Cyclist still not doing so good, driver barely mentioned. Same synopsis as yesterday.

Moving east we find another wreck in SC. Bicyclist dies after accident on Folly Road They blamed the cyclist for sideswiping the first vehicle? What was traffic that backed up that the cyclist was moving faster than the cars on the road? And then how did the second vehicle hit the cyclist if the cyclist was going that much faster than the motor vehicles? Aside from 2 vehicles and a dead cyclist this all reeks of fiction to me… Street View of the location 2323 Folly Road Boulevard, Charleston, SC

A cyclist is either right-hooked or just plain squeezed off the road by a firetruck in Denver. Cyclist hurt when he rode too close to Denver fire truck I blame this one on FRAP laws and poor cyclist education, plus crappy infrastructure that puts bikes to the right of heavy vehicles that may be turning right.

The kinds of wreck we are most likely to see when they get the infrastructure right, except the driver did not go immediately to jail. Child on bicycle hit by car on Jergee Drive Notice the child in this case had only superficial injuries? When the infrastructure is done right this is about the only time bikes and cars will be together on the same paved surface.

A bike v ped wreck in OR. Man injured on path in critical condition This wreck exemplifies why I think bikes are better than cars for other road users: If this had been a car v ped wreck, how likely would it have been that the driver of the car was injured in a wreck the pedestrian survived?

From MI a kid hit on his bike is improving. Hartford boy’s condition upgraded to good after being struck while riding his bicycle Again I say that this is a wreck that at least half of the blame could be placed at the infrastructure level, mixing cars and pedestrians and bicycles all in the same space without slowing the cars down to speeds that are easily survivable in a wreck in cases where the kids jump out in front of cars, and that give drivers lots of time to react and stop or otherwise avoid contact with pedestrians or cyclists.

I make no secret about my enthusiasm for e-assist bikes, here’s a program that is testing them in areas where e-bikes haven’t made significant headway before and trying to understand why that is. Danville testing bicycles with electric motor assistance This program is well away from the usual e-bike “strongholds” of big cities on the coasts, trying to see if it a generalized “bike” thing, or just that there is a lack of exposure to assisted bikes that is the problem causing a lack of e-assist bikes away from big cities.

LifeStyle from the area around the US national capital. Vigilante Bicyclist Gets His Stolen Bike Back Not a recommended way to do this, but having seen the lack of effort shown by LEO in recovering stolen bicycles when Gigi went missing I completely understand.

Last link is to a custom 3-wheeler for the Minnesota Twins’ mascot TC, because wearing a bear suit is hard work. Behind Bars Makes TC’s Custom Trike The bike is only using SLA technology, but given the short trips it’s going to make and the lack of hills to get up (the pitcher’s mound is the highest point on the field and the trike normally won’t leave the field except for the rare parade) that should suffice for a very long time.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Wow is this late, and the Feed

Life is conspiring against me getting this out before midnight tonight, but I will try. Dad is improving daily, with the steps back being smaller and smaller and the steps forward getting bigger and bigger. Me on the other hand, I’m just trying to keep circling without going down the drain.

Up first, the guy with the dog that stayed with his body after the cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run was on a memorial ride for his best friend. Cyclist killed in coastside hit-and-run was on memorial ride for his dead best friend He was just a day’s ride from completing his ride across the country in memorium to his friend when he was killed. There are words I could use, but they fall so short of the real meaning of this story that it makes me want to cry.

Update on the driver that hit a cyclist from behind on Hwy 360 in Austin. Driver who hit cyclist on 360 was trying to pass traffic The driver was trying to pass on the shoulder, illegal in TX, when he killed the cyclist. But still somehow they managed to not file any charges against the driver?TANJ! Fix the legal infrastructure starting with the LEO that investigated this wreck.

Back in CA a PG&E utility vehicle left crosses a cyclist causing serious injuries. Cyclist critically injured in collision with PG&E vehicle Left cross, intersection protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A sidewalk cyclist in WI gets truck-smacked. Sparta cyclist struck by cement truck That has to hurt. AFAIK this was a salmon cyclist riding on the sidewalk and crossed with the green light in front of a turning truck and almost cleared it, but got knocked off the bike. That got caught under the rear wheels while he slid out into the street. To avoid don’t ride on the sidewalk and ride with traffic, also intersection protocols, to prevent get the infrastructure right so kids don’t ride on the sidewalk.

Another WI wreck. Vehicle strikes girl on bike in McFarland The driver went about 50 feet after hitting the cyclist in a 15 MPH zone. Either excessive speed or driver distraction or a combination of both were factors in this wreck, not the cyclist’s lack of a helmet. There should not have been any huge SUVs that a driver can’t see out of around the school during an active school zone, I’m placing a great deal of blame on the infrastructure in this one after the driver.

A serious non-fatal wreck in LA. DeRidder teen seriously injured in Vernon Parish crash From what I can tell the kid rode into traffic from a driveway without looking, something drivers do to bikes all the time. It’s much more painful when the bike does it to the car. To avoid use intersection protocols at all driveways and parking lot entrances, to prevent… well I think everybody is starting to get the message by now.

A NJ kid is hit because drivers don’t slow for a blind corner in a residential area. Eight year-old boy suffers serious injuries after being struck by car The driver was doing the speed limit but was driving too fast to see the kid riding legally in the road in front of him. Nothing the kid could do to avoid this wreck, but the driver… I also place a great deal of the fault in this wreck with the infrastructure for placing too high a speed limit on a curvy residential road that will have children on it, as well as adults riding bicycles and jogging or walking. notice from the video there were no sidewalks or any kind of bike infrastructure, you’re either in the grass/ditch or you’re in the street.

In the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 6 years running, a blind driver killed another cyclist. Boy, 12, killed when SUV hits his bike Note the driver was absolved of all guilt by the media outlet, the car did it… Hit from behind wreck, use the proper protocol to avoid, and stop letting drivers get away with negligent assault when they can’t see where they are going to prevent.

A fatal wreck in VA from cyclist on a group ride. Reston Bike Club Rider Dies From Injuries My condolences to the victims in this wreck. Bike v bike wrecks are mostly non-fatal, except when they aren’t.

The driver in a hit-and-run turns himself in after taking the time to detox after the crash. Man charged with hit-and-run death of bicycle rider turns himself in I find the bond set to be oddly specific at $101,092. I think they left a few charges off the list, they “forgot” obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence that he was (possibly) DUI…

I think this wreck was in CT. Cyclist injured in collision Because this is a paywalled link I can’t figure out the mode of this wreck…

In the Great White North the driver that hit a cyclist has been charged with a crime. Driver charged after cyclist struck in Kitchener I still haven’t figured out how this wreck happened, but the police have and they decided the driver was at fault, so I’m going to assume the wreck was not exactly as described.

Another wreck north of the border. Cyclist injured in Melton Apparently this was an intersection wreck caused by the driver violating the cyclist’s right of way, LEO in the case being very quick to assign blame. To prevent, get the infrastructure right, but the legal part of the infrastructure seems to be working fine.

Another Canuckistan wreck has LEO on the lookout for a hit-and-run driver. Burnaby police looking for hit-and-run driver So, ninja cyclist is hit from behind, driver sees the cyclist and then bugs out. Lights and reflectors to avoid, and get the freaking infrastructure right to prevent.

A cyclist in Oz is injured when a semi towing multiple trailers (road train) fails to make a legal pass and hits him with the last trailer in the train. Cyclist struck by road train Hit from behind protocols to avoid, some way for cyclists to get between cities without sharing roads with trains that don’t have tracks would prevent a wreck like this.

Last link, from TX, a guy riding a unicycle naked is given a ticket for distracting drivers. Weird News: Naked unicyclist charged for distracting drivers The cyclist was a little off on the date of the World Naked Bike Ride.

And that was all the news that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

People sent me lots of links today, and the Feed

I got a lot of links that were sent via e-mail and Facebook today, about changes to the legal infrastructure that allows people to add another crime to their event and actually reduce their punishment. I’m referring of course to hit and run. In the vast majority of states in this country if you are DUI and you hit and kill someone you are leaps and bounds ahead to leave the scene. The difference in sentences between hit-and-run and DUI homicide are huge, in many states the maximum for hit-and-run is less than the minimum for DUI homicide. But our first link is an attempt to reduce the incentive to leave when you’re drunk and you hit and kill someone. End Hit and Run Loophole Yes, they are doing something about the disparity between hit-and-run and DUI manslaughter in CO by making them virtually identical in punishment and allowing additional charges to be filed in cases where DUI is suspected but can’t be proven because the driver failed to remain at the scene.

Another one that came both in the Feed and people sending me the link in e-mail and on FB is the news that the man who allegedly killed a cyclist in the bike lane on the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike will be getting less than half the sentence he deserves because he left the scene and destroyed the evidence he was drinking. Trial Date Set For Driver In Fatal Rickenbacker Hit & Run The max he can get is only 15 years, but he should get life for hitting 2 cyclists and killing one. More Hundreds ride in memory of cyclist killed and Memorial Ride for Cyclist Killed in Hit and Run

In CA they are sure the cyclist ran the stop sign, but the driver left the scene which makes the wreck automatically his fault. Bicyclist Seriously Injured In Hit-And-Run To avoid, if the report is accurate then don’t run stop signs, otherwise use intersection protocols. To prevent, get the infrastructure right and make hit-and-run a serious crime like hitting someone while DUI. The rumor is that DUI in the Netherlands is a permanent loss of license, which is not as serious to the driver as it would be in this country where everything is designed for the motor vehicle to the exclusion of all other modes of transportation. I don’t even want to contemplate the horrors you suffer as a ht and run driver…

Another CA hit-and-run. Two cyclists injured in Soquel hit-and-run In this case the cyclists were doing nothing wrong, the driver just failed to make a safe pass and took out two cyclists, by cutting back too fast after passing the rear cyclist. To prevent get the idiots in cars away from cyclists.

On the same theme, a cyclist’s parent wonders why the person that hit her child still wanders the streets while her child remains in a hospital. Injured cyclist’s mother criticizes lack of arrest Depending on who you pay attention to LEO either know who hit the cyclist or they think there is someone else that knows but hasn’t told them yet… Hit from behind wreck, use the appropriate protocols to avoid, and getting cyclists where they need to go without having to ride on major highways would prevent any future wrecks like this.

In PA a cyclist is hit by an errant piece of farm equipment being transferred by trailer. Bicyclist flown to hospital after being struck by farm equipment in Silver Spring Township Yikes! I can’t even contemplate what it must be like to get hit by the mower bar of a tractor, even if it isn’t powered up. There was nothing the cyclist could have done to avoid this wreck as the mower bar was extending from the side of the trailer and below the cyclist’s line of sight, but getting the infrastructure right so that a bicycle was not sharing the road with a commercial vehicle would have prevented this wreck. More UPDATE(2): Teen seriously injured in unfortunate accident with farm machinery

In NJ a cyclist is hit on another busy highway. Update: Bicyclist Hit By Car on Route 1 Has Died I tried to read the comments to find out more from locals about the wreck, but the comments would not pull up for me to be able to read them. Definitely a hit-from-behind wreck, but I can’t say how to avoid a similar wreck. I do know one thing from looking at the crime scene pictures, that this was an infrastructure-related wreck. The two highways basically acted like walls cutting across the landscape for those not in cars, and none too friendly for people in cars that are trying to get from one side of the highway to another.

Update on that hit-and-run in CA where the dead cyclist’s dog stood watch over the body until someone else found it. Santa Cruz: Bicyclist killed in hit-and-run on Highway 1 identified they now Know where the cyclist was hit, and he wasn’t in the road. So the driver had to leave the road to hit this poor guy… More CHP announces suspect vehicle in North Coast fatal hit-and-run with bicyclist

Another link to the cyclist killed riding the Natchez Trace. Doctor killed riding bike on Natchez Trace As I pointed out this is what passes for intercity bicycle infrastructure in this country, which is shared with cars and light trucks at a speed limit of 50 MPH… And death lurks around every turn…

Death and destruction in the Great White North as cyclists get hit in droves. Two killed, one critically injured following weekend crashes At least one wreck was on a straight, flat, road with no impediments to the sight lines when the cyclists were hit from behind by a driver that was not paying attention to the roads. I think you know what comes next:To avoid a similar wreck use the hit-from-behind protocols, to prevent it get the infrastructure right. but since this is in Canuckistan they actually have a decent chance of getting that infrastructure.

And to wind things up, another link sent to me by a reader, this one about legal Infrastructure! Do Passing Distance Laws Really Protect Cyclists? Do laws against murder really prevent people from getting killed? Most people say it’s unquestioned. Then why do they question if laws requiring a safe distance to pass that specify what the minimum is also not protect cyclists from passes that are too close?

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus