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

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

Woke up with a serious case of the Mondays, and the Feed

It’s funny in a way. I “work” at this blog 7 days a week, with a minor respite on Sundays when I do a post with no wreck articles in it (and usually no links to create, either). But when I woke up this morning I was like “I do NOT want to get out of this bed” case of the Mondays. One day is pretty much like any other day for me, so why am I having a Garfield moment and hating Monday? I mean if anyone should have no reason to hate Mondays a cat that has no job to go to and pretty much eats and sleeps and otherwise takes care of biological functions without effort would be the most logical candidate, but Garfield is famous for hating Mondays. Maybe it’s a case of weather-related blahs as we have been in an extended period of grey skies and cool to cold, and damp weather. Whatever the cause I did not want to get out of bed this morning.

Up first is a strange link that seems to either have a reason or a result for FL being the most deadliest place to walk or ride a bicycle in the US now for the 5th year running. America’s Saddest Cities There was a preponderance of FL cities in the F grade section of the list. The highest grade for a FL city was Orlando with a D-. I’m not going so far as to claim cause and effect, just a correlation.

Eighteen months after a fatal wreck in NM, questions about the investigation (?) from tribal police still remain. U.S. Rep. Holden comments on investigation of death of Ringtown cyclist AFAIK the cyclist in this case was hit-from-behind on a road with great sight lines, the driver was never tested for drugs or alcohol, and the crime scene was cleaned up and all evidence destroyed by first responders almost as quick as they got there.

Another FL hit-and-run of a ninja cyclist. Lehigh Acres bicyclist injured in hit and run I keep harping on this, but if you’re going to make the choice to ride ninja than you have to ride as if you’re invisible. Otherwise get good lights and ride so you can be seen. Aside from that intersection protocols apply to avoiding this wreck.

A link that showed up in multiple folders in the Feed. Friends, Family Gather In Candlelight Vigil For Kirkland Cyclist Killed by SUV The more I read about this driver the more I want to strangle him with my own hands for driving in the condition he drove in. More about the story Bail Set at Half a Million for Man Who Killed Cyclist Yes, his bail was set at $500,000. Pittance, really. More Redmond man to be charged today in fatal DUI collision with Kirkland cyclist

More on the super safety-minded cyclist that was hit-from-behind crossing a bridge in PA. Cycling loses its ambassador That this is a column on how to reduce your living expenses expounding on how great a guy this was says more than I ever can about the quality of the man as a cyclist and as a human being.

When you kill with a motor vehicle if you get charged at all it is normally a misdemeanor. CHP urges misdemeanor charge in death of Fort Bragg cyclist Kill a man, get up to a year in jail and no felony convictions on your record… TANJ!

Still in CA a cyclist hit by multiple vehicles had large amounts of illegal drugs in his system. Cyclist killed on Thanksgiving tested positive for meth As cycling becomes more widespread in the population again this will become more common, what with people on bikes being people first.

Another link to the wreck of a cyclist hit by a van towing a trailer that drifted off the road. Cyclist struck by car, killed on Mulholland This wreck is now having serious questions asked as photographs of the scene show a greatly different result that the official story, but those pictures are not online to be linked to.

SC authorities seem more interested in blaming the victims than stopping the killers in pedestrian and cyclist deaths. With 5 pedestrian deaths already this year, authorities escalating enforcement efforts They issued 459 tickets and warnings against pedestrians, how many speeding tickets did they issue?

Authorities in AL are trying to keep cyclists from getting hit by motor vehicles, but it’s a challenge. Bicyclists, motorists urged to ‘share the road’ (video) The good thing about this article is that they were quite clear that many wrecks were officially not caused by cyclists, and in comments it was posted that many that were “officially” caused by cyclists were in fact the fault of the driver. But that doesn’t prevent a cyclist from having to be careful while riding.

Up in the Great White North there is some movement to reduce the numbers of cyclists killed, by improving the places where they ride to get where they’re going. Cycling advocate seeks city investment in biking safety This is wreck-prevention change in the infrastructure.

Cyclists mourn in Guelph. Guelph cyclists hold slow ride to honour fallen The ride not in sorrow, but in hope.

And that’s all the news I could stand to read twice today (once to filter and again to post the links).

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Back from the hardware store, and the Feed

I just finished 2 rides to hardware store to get conduit hangers to add kitty-litter bucket panniers to Blue (for the second time). The first time I didn’t get the buckets mounted securely enough and the bouncing and rattling was enough to drive a man (me) crazy. This time I will be bolting brackets to both the frame and the rack to stabilize the assembly. This will also have the effect of uglifying Blue to make him a less-attractive target for theft, a tactic which I hate to use on a nice bike. The human equivalent would be marrying a Carmen Electra look-alike and then slashing her face and knocking her front teeth out so no one else would take her. If you don’t want a nice-looking bike, don’t buy a nice-looking bike. I’m not uglifying Blue on purpose, I’m just trying to get some better cargo capacity with some weather resistant panniers, that happened to be kitty-litter buckets in a previous life.

Up first is an update on that mystery wreck in FL where they have a dead cyclist with an unmarked bike. SR100 Hit-and-Run Fatality: Investigators Focusing on Three Flagler School Buses This is so reminiscent of the Larry Shwartz wreck that was the catalyst for the ride of Silence, Larry was hit in the head by a passing school bus’ mirror and was killed instantly. The autopsy report shows that the initial impact was on the back of the FL cyclist’s head and the rest of his injuries were peri-mortem. That would also explain why the cyclist was not wearing his reflective vest (seen in the picture linked to earlier in the week) as he was not actually on the road yet, just near it with his bike.

Update on the wreck in CA that had a cyclist falling from his bike, witnesses have come forward to verify that he fell without motor vehicle “assistance”. Cyclist Killed In Solo Escondido Crash ID’d At this point I would like to point out that as was pointed out in the BikingInLA blog this is exactly the kind of wreck that bike helmets are designed to protect in. I should also point out that the Witch on a Bicycle wears a helmet every time he rides, except for those times when I need an unencumbered head to diagnose a mechanical problem with a bike.

Door Prize in CA. Bicyclist Seriously Injured In North Park Every year I see several stories about cyclists severely injured or killed because someone opened their car door without looking first, or worse, deliberately used the door as a weapon. This is a wreck that many times you can’t prevent because laws require cyclists to ride in the door zone, and don’t sufficiently punish drivers that injure or kill with their suddenly opened doors.

Three weeks after a wreck that has one victim still in critical condition, LEO issued the driver a ticket for driving off the road on the wrong side of the road and hitting 3 cyclists head-on. Boulder cyclist remains critical, driver ticketed in North Foothills crash There needs to be something done so that criminal charges can be brought against people that drive so irresponsibly that other people are injured or killed. There are no accidents, all wrecks are caused by someone deciding that they didn’t need to follow the rules. In bike wrecks sometimes that is the cyclist, but in many cases the cyclist was not at fault, and something needs to be done that protects people from dangerously bad drivers. Maybe a “3 Strike” law that if you are involved in 3 at-fault wrecks in your life you are permanently barred from driving? I don’t know what will work, but something needs to be done.

Another bike/train wreck this time in Oz. Twin train tragedies: woman killed as cyclist fights for life and Woman hit and killed by train in Bentleigh In the second link the person killed was not the one riding a bike. Again I keep posting this over and over, there’s only one way to get hit by a train and 99% of the time it’s the fault of the person that got hit by the train. Trains are big, brightly colored and lighted, and noisy for the most part, and they are only found ON TRAIN TRACKS. Look both ways to see that no trains are coming before crossing tracks. Simple, isn’t it?

Legal Infrastructure! in DC needs some repairs. D.C. police need to be better versed in bicycle laws, complaints board says Is it too much to ask the police actually know the laws they are supposed to be enforcing?

More infrastructure as Portland pays for a badly maintained sewer cover. City Pays $20,000 to Cyclist Injured by Sewer Cover When a US city pays for a cyclist injured by a street defect that had to be an egregiously bad defect in the streets. US municipalities are held to a much lower standard than almost any other country in the first world, indeed many third world countries have at least on paper a higher standard than the US. The fact that they paid shows that someone was truly negligent in making repairs.

And finally a well-intentioned piece on sharing the roads. Sharing the Road With Less Friction Good intentions but if drivers followed some of the suggestions many cyclists would be killed.

And that’s all I have today, I’m going to read some comics now and de-stress.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Still here, and the Feed

Yes, I know I have used that headline before. Yesterday’s trip to the LBS had me riding in 99°F temperatures with heat indexes over 100. I was drinking a lot of water and I still came home dehydrated after only a 10 mile bike ride (and a lot of time on the train avoiding traffic and what would have been about a 25 mile ride in the 99°F heat with only one water bottle).

Up first was another hard decision today, but I think the updates on Sam Abate after his wreck are the most deserving. Update on injured cyclist Sam Abate and the really good news Cyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run crash gets ready to leave hospital Sam is one of the few people in the world to get hurt on a bicycle worse than I was and still survive as something more than a rutabega, so I hope you’ll join me in wishing him a speedy and complete recovery.

Still in AZ we have another pickup truck related act of violence against a cyclist. Bicyclist critically injured, hit-and-run driver sought This appears to be a hit-from-behind wreck, use the appropriate protocol to avoid. Handcuffing the driver to the wheel of his beloved murder machine and then sending the pickup through a car shredder would take care of future wrecks at least for that driver and vehicle.

Hopscotching around the country to OH, the driver accused of killing a cyclist in a hit-and-run wreck is finally formally charged in the attack. Driver cited in cyclist’s 2010 death The interesting part is the tampering with evidence charge, which I think should always accompany a hit-and-run charge because leaving the scene and hiding out destroys any evidence of intoxication or drug impairment.

Back out west in CA, an update on a “solo” bicycle crash witnessed by a driver watching her rear view mirror. Update: Cyclist severely injured in solo accident And for those of you who still think the woman watching her rear view had nothing to do with her having buzzed the cyclist, I have a bridge I want to sell.

A cyclist is hit while on a group tour in AL, no charges filed. Cyclist killed in accident on DeKalb County highway Viewing pictures of the crime scene it appears the cyclist was hit from behind on the hard shoulder from what little I can see of the debris field. Not knowing where the deceased cyclist was in the pack I can’t post with any certainty about intention on the part of the driver, but I would certainly place a subpoena on his computer and match it against anti-cyclist comments on the Internet.

From NYC a cyclist killed by a car was running a red light. Cops Say Teen Cyclist Killed Was Riding Against The Light OK, assuming this report was accurate (NYPD has a history of blaming cyclists in wrecks where it could be proven were not the fault of the cyclist) then the simplest thing to do would be not run the red light. One thing that can be stated categorically, somebody ran that red light because it was a light controlled intersection and there were 2 vehicles that were coming from right angles in collision. If the driver ran the red light then to avoid you have to have a high SA and be aware of drivers doing stupid things like running red lights and be ready to avoid the wreck if possible, this would be an advanced version of the intersection protocols.

Up in the Great White North a lawsuit is being filed over a cyclist that was left-hooked. Lawsuit filed on behalf of brain-injured cyclist The driver is trying to claim that the wreck was the cyclist’s fault because he wasn’t wearing a helmet. I have a counter for that, would the defense be willing to get hit in the head by a baseball or cricket bat while wearing a bicycle helmet? The energy would be only a tiny fraction of getting hit with a car so if a helmet would protect against a wreck with a car, surely getting hit with a baseball bat would not even be an issue. I didn’t think so either.

In LifeStyle, the guy that weas hit by an SUV rolling over on a bike path is remembered. Cyclist Killed by SUV Remembered This was a really nice guy, who didn’t deserve to get hit by a WMD while riding on a bike path.

And finally a Mum from Oz created an international movement on Facebook. Padbury mum’s web campaign goes global Much as the Ride of Silence started out as a local tribute to killed and injured cyclists but became an international event because of the Internet, so did Black Armband Day.

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

“Mule Day” again, and the Feed

It’s beginning to look like I will never get a day home again, as I have to go haul groceries again today. For those who don’t read the other pages on this blog, getting groceries was the origin of Gigi’s name: Grocery Getter> G.G.> Gigi. Food is a Big Thing here at WoaB, because if the motor on my bike runs out of fuel things get real bad real quick for everything else. Bonking (running out of energy) is just the first stage in that disaster… Anyway, after today’s blog post, food will be purchased and I will get to haul it home. Good thing, too. I’m almost out of peanut butter, one of the major sources of both calories and protein here at WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell.

Up first is an update on a hit-and-run story in AZ. Unlicensed woman arrested in hit-and-run case As was suspected in the comments sections of previous articles on this story, the driver had neither license nor insurance when she hit the cyclist. As I pointed out if they just kept up surveillance of the windshield repair shops they would eventually catch the driver, because that is exactly what happened. Because the driver had the windshield replaced she is also facing additional charges of concealing/destroying evidence. That is a charge I wish would be placed against every hit-and-run driver. I mean think about it, what can you say about the BAC% of a driver that you don’t find until 24 hours or more after the wreck? Even given evidence that the driver had been drinking heavily for hours prior to the wreck, the way most DUI laws are written now without lab results showing a BAC% over the legal limit you can’t convict.

Moving to another case of hit-and-run, this time in VA. Reward doubled in hit-and-run of Virginia Beach bicyclist This was another one of those wrecks that a mere mortal cyclist had no way of avoiding.

Another reason not to hit the pedestrians, it hurts! as this UK cyclist can attest. Injured cyclist still in hospital Nothing about “Lycra louts” or anything else derogatory in this article so even given UK media laws it is apparent that the pedestrian caused the wreck. That is one of the beauties of cycling, in a wreck with a pedestrian the chances of injury are slightly biased in the favor of the pedestrian so cyclists will avoid such wrecks. Many times in wrecks with pedestrians the operators of motor vehicles are unaware they even hit anybody.

Infrastructure! from the UK. Investment is needed, say Bradford cyclists If what is stated in the article is correct, that cyclists suffer 5% of the fatalities but only account for 0.5% of the mode share, then the local governments are guilty of gross negligence at the very least, if not outright acts of terrorism. I mean a 2 foot wide cycle lane that is frequently covered by parked vehicles as an example of bicycle infrastructure?

Final link is another RoS story, a personal look at one of the victims of road violence. Doug Ray’s Story a lesson for cyclists I don’t know how this is more a lesson for cyclists than it is for drivers. Doug was the victim of a crime, hit-and-run, and probably an assault if the driver did it on purpose, while riding legally on the road.

And that’s all I have for you today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

After a trip to the Lab Rat Keeper, and running all over Garland, the Feed

The post is going up late tonight, because I went to the Lab Rat Keeper, then took care of some errands that basically took the entire day to do. I didn’t get home until almost 1700 CDT, and I still had stuff I didn’t get to. So, I get to go out and play again tomorrow, and you get another late post, sorry. BTW if I ever get the chance to leave TX permanently I just might be out of here. If I had the $$ I would move to Portland OR, or Amsterdam, someplace I could ride a bike to where I need to go without someone trying to kill me because I was riding a bike.

Up first, while this kind of wreck is out of the normal purview of my blog, circumstances demand that I make note of the second rider to die in the Pro peloton this year. After going for years without a death we now have 2 in-competition fatalities. As is normal for my blog unless criminal charges are filed I don’t name the victim, because in traffic wrecks the Victim is Us, all of Us. My thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.

A SC cyclist is killed in a hit-and-run, and when LEO catch up to the weapon vehicle the driver is obviously intoxicated. Cyclist killed in West Ashley accident identified, driver charged with DUI I have a suggestion, charge the driver with murder instead of DUI. The dangers of drinking and driving have been publicized for at lest 30 years now in the US, probably longer, but at any rate longer than the driver has been alive. If they can’t figure it out after being told repeatedly for their entire lives that drinking and driving are a deadly combination then they need to be removed from society for our protection. At the very least all motor vehicles need to be confiscated from the killer and sold to pay off the victim’s family for loss of income and medical expenses. Hit-from-behind but from the description of the wreck and the weapon vehicle this was not a wreck that could be avoided with the hit-from-behind protocols. Well, I was going to do a copy-and-paste of the description of the wreck and that part and all of the comments are gone from the link. Possibly something that will place the prosecution of the charges at risk was in one or the other.

Another hit-and-run of a cyclist in the Great White North. Cyclist injured after Hit and Run in St. Catharines It shouldn’t be too hard to find the weapon vehicle, remember that busted windshields can’t be fixed by DIY, it takes a specialist with special tools and most importantly, a new windshield. Just do a search request for all the windshield dealers in the area for all busted windshield replacements fitting the description of the weapon vehicle.

From Jolly Olde a semi runs over a cyclist, semi driver is unhurt. Cyclist fighting for life after collision in Ellesmere Port The cyclist on the other hand is clinging to life by a thread… That’s the thing about “HGV” they not only have kinetic energy from speed to kill you they also have the ability to crush you even at low speeds because of their mass. In a perfect world semis and cyclists would never have to cross or share paths, there would be “Semi Land” where big trucks are forced to stay and “Cycle-topia” where non-motorized vehicles have the right of way and heavy killing machines are severely restricted in their actions. As for how to avoid in the here-and-now, remember that most likely the driver of a big rig can’t see you. Truck drivers are facing a nightmare of bad outward visibility, so you need to cycle like you’re invisible unless you can see the driver’s eyes.

Brief break for a tornado.

Now that that’s over, still in the UK a first aid cadet saves a cyclist’s life and mobility. Birtley girl Rebecca aided cyclist hurt in crash By applying her training and using her skills in observation she prevented a spinal injury from permanently affecting the injured cyclist. As the saying goes “Good on ya!”

In Enn Zed an inquest into whether infrastructure contributed to cyclist deaths. Inquests look for ways to reduce cycle road toll I don’t know how infrastructure can prevent a driver from sliding sideways over 100 feet before hitting someone on the other side of the road, but I can imagine that perhaps a change in pavement at the point the driver lost control was involved.

Back in the US, I don’t know if this is a rant against cyclists or what, exactly. Will McGinn’s bike czar have this woman killed? Since I can’t watch the video I can’t comment on it, but it seems obvious that H8ers are going to hate and see what they want in the video, some are seeing “fake”, some are seeing a typical right hook.

How do you use bike infrastructure if you are not riding a bicycle? Carlisle bike lanes get mixed reviews We give drivers weeks of training and education on how to use the roads, but expect cyclists to understand something brand-new as soon as it opens, and drivers also?

A Ghost Bike article from SoCal. Ghost bikes aim to honor fallen cyclists, raise awareness

And another RoS link from WY. Evanston cyclists participate in Ride of Silence

And that’s all I have tonight.

Billed @$0.02, Opus