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

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

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

Still trying to adapt to the new “normal”, and the Feed

Well between my injuries and Dad’s injuries this has been an interesting 24 hours since I last posted. Dad is holding his own and showing some slight improvement since coming home. I have been getting him up to eat breakfast and sometimes dinner, lunch has always been in bed so far. His pain levels are diminishing as long as he doesn’t run out on his pain meds, the biggest problem is that he sleeps through the time to take his next pill and only wakes up when he starts feeling pain again. This results in his not getting the pain pills at the right time and only getting 2 out of the three pain pills he is supposed to get per day. I’m trying to figure out a way that he gets his pain pills on schedule without disturbing his sleep, because he really needs his sleep. Such is life as a care-giver for an injured elderly person. The cat on the other hand has been a total mess psychologically. She expects Dad to sleep in “her” bed and refuses to stay with him in the hospital bed we have moved into the house to make Dad more comfortable, then goes to the bedroom and howls because Dad isn’t there with her. I should mention that this cat is about the same age as Dad in “cat years” working out to about 71 “cat years” old.

Speaking of the cat, up first is a tale of a dog that stayed beside his master’s body for as long as 12 hours before he wa discovered after a hit-and-run in CA. Dog stays for hours with owner killed by apparent hit-and-run driver on California coastal road The mode of the wreck appears to be hit-from-behind, and the dog appears to have been protected when his carrying crate became detached from the bike during the wreck reducing the forces on the dog to those that could be survived. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and getting the infrastructure right to prevent a similar wreck. More Man killed in apparent hit-and-run on Highway 1; dog riding in basket stays by his side

Near the WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell, Austin cyclists gather to protest lax enforcement against drivers that hit cyclists. Cyclists take short ride for long-term change With two wrecks that have had either little investigation or no immediate consequences for the drivers, Austin cyclists are getting peeved. Both of the cyclists that were recently hit were riding in full compliance with applicable TX laws, drivers were breaking at least one if not multiple laws. Riders were either killed or permanently injured, drivers so far have not even gotten a ticket when they were caught. it just all seems to be a little asymmetric to me… and a lot of other people, too.

Another fatal wreck in SC. Cyclist killed in hit and run on Savannah Highway Aside from the hit-and-run aspect of this wreck I know nearly nothing about it… More links One person killed in hit-and-run crash in West Ashley and One dead after hit-and-run in W. Ashley also Hit-and-run kills bicyclist in Charleston Yep, still know next to nothing about this wreck.

Lots of links to the cyclist getting hit in MD earlier this week. Med Tech Killed While Bicycling to Hospital and Cyclist Dies After Being Hit By Car In Olney also UPDATE: Cyclist Killed On Rt. 108 Identified more Police identify cyclist killed in Olney collision last link Cyclist killed in Montgomery County crash too many of the comments, where allowed. blamed the cyclist for being there to get hit instead of the driver that hit the cyclist from behind. Since it has been established the cyclist was riding in a legal manner the only logical conclusion is the driver was not driving in a legal manner, and should be arrested and charged with something. I think failure to yield would be the most appropriate charge or some kind of charge that showed she failed to pass at a safe distance.

More links to the kid that was killed in Upstate NY. Boy, 14, killed on bike in hit-run and Boy Struck and Killed by Car in Lancaster also Teen bicyclist hit, killed in Lancaster even Man charged in crash that killed teen not done yet Cops: NY teenager killed in hit-and-run accident another link Community Mourns Loss Of Teen still more Man follows accused hit and run driver are you kidding me? Lancaster Teen Dies In Tragic Hit And Run even more BRIEF: Driver charged with DWI in hit-run death of bicyclist, 14 Last link Buffalo Hit and Run Drunk Driving Incident Kills 14-Year Old Boy OK, synopsis: Cyclist was riding salmon and waiting at a stop sign to cross the road. Driver veered to the other side of the road to pass a vehicle in front of him and hit the cyclist from behind while he was waiting off the side of the road. When the driver was arrested he blew more than .21 BAC% on the breathalyzer. To avoid ride with traffic because the cyclist was technically riding against traffic while he was standing with his bike at the intersection waiting to cross. To prevent, even with the infrastructure being perfect, unless there was a way to prevent this man from drinking 6 beers and then driving home something like this would still have happened as even Dutch-style infrastructure would be shared roads in a residential area like this.

A PA case that was a long time coming to a conclusion. Man pleads guilty to killing bike rider in 2005 and Man pleads guilty in Indiana County bicyclist’s 2005 death also Man Pleads Guilty To ’05 Fatal Hit-And-Run On Rte. 22 No, that’s not a typo or other mistake, it really did take more than 6 years to convict a man of hit-and-run killing a cyclist, because of the driver saying he didn’t know he had hit anybody. Case law now says that you don’t have to know you hit someone to hit-and-run, just leave the scene of a wreck. IOW the law now reads that the fact of leaving a wreck is enough to convict, not any intent to leave, shutting a huge loophole in the law.

Another PA wreck with hopefully a quicker resolution this time. Bethlehem crash involves bicycle, van; bike rider seriously hurt There was a light controlling the intersection, but there is a question about how visible it was in the cyclist’s direction. Since LEO are not immediately blaming the wreck on the cyclist there is also the possibility that the van was the vehicle running the red light. To avoid use intersection protocols, to prevent get the infrastructure right. I mean seriously, I was looking at the Google Street View and this intersection was a cross with one side being the outlet for a one-way street that was 2-way to the right in the direction the van was coming from.

In MO a driver fails to pass safely and severely injures a cyclist. One hurt when car sideswipes bike and Clarence teen seriously injured in bicycle-car collision What do you want to bet the driver was “teaching the cyclist a lesson” when she hit him? Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid. get the infrastructure right to prevent.

In CA a series of bike v car wrecks are blamed on drivers using cell phones. No safety when cells are in use Cell phone use greatly increases the hazard that drivers will “not see” a cyclist…

A CT cyclist appears to have a loss of control issue and crosses the center line. Cyclist seriously injured in crash with car I don’t know if this was a medical issue, a mechanical issue, or maybe just a lapse in concentration on the cyclist’s part caused by training in heavy traffic, so I can’t tell you how to avoid a wreck like this. I mean cyclists losing control and crossing into oncoming traffic happens about as often as a FL driver getting a ticket for violating the 3-foot passing law.

More on the MT hit-and run that resulted in major destruction of a bike and trailer but no harm to the cyclist and her 4YO passenger. Billings car vs. bicycle hit and run suspect ID’d Intersection wreck, so intersection protocols to avoid and getting the infrastructure right to prevent. But seriously, this was as close to a miracle as I ever want to see.

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Ready to take a bike ride, and the Feed

I am soooo wanting to go for a bike ride now. I’m tired of hurting all the time and the only time I felt halfway human was when I was riding Blue. One or two turns of the pedals and I felt great for hours, if a little tired. I love my Dad, but I really need to be getting back to my life and my bike and the things my mind is capable of dealing with on a daily basis. I don’t like things that disrupt my routine and recent events have been about as disruptive as you can get. This is not brain damage related, I disliked messing with my routine even as a child. I have been told I was probably high-functioning autistic spectrum as a child. That sounds about right to me. The brain damage doesn’t help that any at all.

Up first is an act of terrorism against a cyclist resulting in injury. Student Injured After Bike was Tampered Another reason to do the ABC check any time you have to leave a bike unattended. But, seriously, three incidents of bike tampering and nothing has been done already? Loosen a few wheels from the cars in the parking lot and see how fast that gets investigated…

A CA cyclist runs a red light and gets hurt. BLACK MOUNTAIN RANCH: Bicyclist injured in crash with minivan OK this one is so simple I really shouldn’t have to say anything about how to avoid or to prevent a future wreck. Even with Dutch-style infrastructure you have to obey the red lights to not get hit by cars.

Another one of those super-stupid people uses the wrong weapon against a cyclist. Man killed in Harvey was on his way to work, family says I’m not sure how this can be avoided or prevented, but it seems to be rampant in the NOLA area as there are 2 incidents reported in the link. Gun violence is not my beat.

A person uses the right weapon against a cyclist that was escaping from stealing a wallet. Witnesses: Man chases, hits boy with car after wallet is stolen I think the charges in this one may be a reaction to the Trayvon Martin case, because this was definitely a justifiable homicide up to the point where the victim was dragged from under the vehicle and beaten to death. Had this not been a case of a fleeing felon, to avoid use hit-from-behind protocols.

Another report on the cyclist killed in MD. Bicyclist struck and killed by car in Olney Two days later and they’re still not giving out any information about the mode of the wreck… I knew more about it from the other link…

A terrible hit-and-run with a good outcome. Billings cyclist and toddler uninjured; hit and run driver turns herself in The driver that ran over such a large vehicle has been apprehended. Since mode was not given and the location was described as an intersection I’m going to go out on a limb and say the intersection protocols done properly would avoid this wreck, infrastructure done correctly would prevent it.

Two related links from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike in the US 6 years running. Cyclist was victim of hit-and-run driver in SW Miami-Dade and Aaron Cohen Hit-And-Run: Michele Traverso Reportedly Escapes DUI Manslaughter Charge

Two articles about general bike safety from Austin, just a (very) long day’s ride from WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. Tragedies put spotlight on bike safety and Bicycle riding up, fatalities down in state Whoops! wrong Austin on that second link.

Another Infrastructure article from CA. Column: Let’s All Drive 20 mph Yes 20 will make a big difference in the severity of a wreck when it happens but it also gives much more time to avoid a wreck.

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

After a very long day Dad is back home, and the Feed

My brother and I finally have Dad back home. His pain levels have been brought under control, and he looks and sounds much better. He still isn’t eating much and has lost a lot of weight he couldn’t afford to lose, but part of that was the quality of the food they served in the hospital. I mean I tried some of the stuff they served him and “Yuck!”. There were a couple of things they couldn’t screw up, like pinto beans and a grilled cheese sandwich (in separate meals) but most of the “food-like substances” were not actually edible by anyone with functioning taste. I mean I wouldn’t even eat most of the stuff they gave Dad, it was that bad, and I managed to eat just about everything my daughter gave me when she was first learning how to be a vegan cook. The total lack of anything with sodium in it except the cheese just ruined what little flavor the ingredients had to begin with and the preparation (pureed and minced foods) did the rest. I mean pureed mac and cheese with low-salt cheese? Try wallpaper and the paste as a substitute. Seriously, it was that bad.

Moving on to actual bike links, up first we have a blame-the-victim because all cyclists break the law letter from Just outside Woab World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. A letter from a reader about cyclists Note the tone of the letter is accusatory, even thought the cyclist in this case was hit several feet away from the actual road on the shoulder.

Another TX cyclist gets splattered across the countryside by the favorite weapon of vehicular homicide (and the biggest selling vehicle in TX) the Ford F-150 pickup truck. Bicyclist Struck, Killed Along Local Highway Identified Another hit-from-behind wreck in TX, q’uelle surprise. The usual protocols apply for avoidance, and effective infrastructure to prevent. Another thing that might help is mandatory seizure of the vehicle as “evidence” any time there is a fatality.

A wreck in CA that could be upgraded in charges if they could locate a couple of key witnesses. Tehama County DA seeks ID of witnesses in cyclist killing “However, in certain situations, the law in California does allow for a murder charge to be filed when the DUI driver acted with a reckless indifference to human life“, from the statement of the DA to the press. On the off chance that either of those two people is reading my blog, or someone that knows these people, please get in contact with the DA’s office.

A cyclist is hit and killed in NC. Bicyclist dies after being struck by vehicle in Laurinburg Since the driver is being charged with a homicide I’m going to assume this was a serious case of “I didn’t see him” that would have required the driver be actually blind to not see the cyclist. IOW negligence that borders on a deliberate assault. Hit-from-behid protocols to avoid, getting the infrastructure right to prevent.

Meanwhile in the most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike in the US for 6 years running, LEO still haven’t cracked the case of a SWCC as a homicide. Investigation of Bicyclist’s Death May Take Another Month So, there’s some evidence the truck driver ran the red? “Curiouser and curiouser,” said Alice…

A sidewalk salmon is hit in Upstate NY. Woman, 47, riding bicycle struck and dragged by car Driver making a right turn and not looking where he was going runs down a cyclist in the sidewalk. Simple enough, to avoid ride in the street with traffic, but the real issue is why an adult woman was riding on the sidewalk instead of the street, so get the infrastructure right to prevent wrecks like this. And in this wreck infrastructure that was not bike friendly was as great a contributor as the salmon cyclist.

Bike V bus in MI, with a somewhat better outcome than what is normally the case. Bus hits bike; biker OK, bus damaged The cyclist in this wreck had too much to drink. To avoid, don’t ride drunk, to prevent, don’t mix buses with bikes which will make drunk cyclists a minor inconvenience.

A bike v bike wreck in OKC. Beloved Cyclist Dies After Crashing Into Other Cyclists In OKC The cyclist appears to have had something like a stroke or heart attack just before he lost control of his bike, nothing that can be done to avoid or prevent something like this.

An ID cyclist has next to no chance of finding justice in his wreck. Bicyclist injured in collision with Boise police car

Another story about that CA hit-and-run. Driver Sought In Hit-And-Run That Injured Antioch Cyclist As I pointed out yesterday that model of Acura has a glued windshield that requires professional tools and supplies to replace, all they need to do to catch the perp is wait for him to fix the windshield and arrest him then for tampering with the evidence in a crime, and obstruction of justice…

Another MD cyclist is hit. UPDATE: Cyclist Killed On Rt. 108 Identified Yet another hit-from-behind fatality, use the protocols to avoid, proper infrastructure to prevent.

Another link that wasn’t posted yesterday about helmets. Only 1 in 5 Capital Bikeshare Users Wears a Helmet Ooohhh! scaaarrryy! cyclists with bare heads! It’s total Anarchy! Cats and dogs lying together… How does that quote go? (Ghostbusters, I think, Bill Murray had the line whatever the movie was.)

I keep mentioning infrastructure so many times, here’s a link to a partial solution to the problem. Crash expert backs calls for 20mph speed limit While this would be a step in the right direction, speed limits in the Netherlands are 20 km/h in residential areas.

A pretty bike picture. Twin Cities Bike Picture of the Day: 5.3.12

And those are all the links that gave me fits today. Before today becomes tomorrow…

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Did some infrastructure research today, and the Feed

Happy Beltain to all my Pagan friends and readers!

Since I have access to this high-end computer with the great sound and lightning fast graphics I have been perusing A view from the cycle path David Hembrow’s excellent blog on cycle infrastructure done right and watching the video of how that infrastructure works. All I have to say is forget the stupid paint on the street “solutions” that have been promulgated here in the US as “bicycle infrastructure” and start building what they have in the Netherlands. Some of their cities have a 40% cycling mode share, and a 75% commute share. I know some transportation people who would sell their souls to get the Dutch mode share as a commute share as it would mean 39.9% fewer cars during the heaviest traffic of the day, or basically free-flowing traffic without having to build any more lanes. In fact with a 40% bicycle commute share they could remove an entire lane from cars in either direction to have a place to put the bike infrastructure on most commuting arterials.

Up first instead of linking to all the new stories about the Berkley hit-and-run that are 90% the same thing, and that I have already covered last week, I have links to a man that was hit from behind in GA. Cyclist Killed On North Decatur Road Was 53 and Bicyclist killed in Decatur identified as youth soccer coach also News update, May 1 another one Cyclist Killed in Accident Identified as Paul Taylor, 53 and last link Obit for Paul Taylor, Bicyclist Killed In Wreck From what I can tell about this wreck there was no reason for it, Mr. Taylor was doing everything right when he was hit from behind and the driver apparently wasn’t out to “get” cyclists so much as cyclists didn’t register on her radar screen. IOW she really “didn’t see him” in spite of the cyclist wearing bright colors. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and some of that Dutch-style infrastructure in Mr. Hembrow’s blog to prevent a similar wreck.

More on the AR teenager that was killed riding his bike. Juvenile dies in Lonoke County accident to get you back up to speed about the facts in the wreck UPDATE: Neighbors call for speed limits where 13-year-old is killed and Officials investigating traffic death of Ark teen more Neighbors Call for Changes After Teen Killed in Lonoke Co. From what I can determine from the totality of these articles is that with the current conditions the cyclist had no ability to see the car coming when he was at the stop sign, between the underbrush obstructing visibility and the 45 MPH speed limit in what has become a residential area. What people are saying is that this was caused by faulty infrastructure that nobody wants to take the reponsibility for, and the kid had zero chance of being able to avoid this wreck. So then that makes SBR the only way to avoid or prevent this wreck other than pure dumb luck.

A really bad wreck in CA that shouldn’t have happened, similar to the Hwy 360 wreck in Austin last week. CHP identifies Santa Maria man hit and killed while riding bike in Lompoc and Bicyclist hit by vehicle on Highway 1 dies more Bicyclist killed co-founded cycling club in Orcutt The cyclist was in the middle of a wide shoulder when the weapon vehicle drifted off the road and into the cyclist. Hit-from-behind protocols would have had a slight chance of improving the outcome of this wreck, SBR might have prevented it, but what is really needed is better control over who gets to drive deadly weapons on the roads. There was plenty of room for the cyclist and the vehicle on this bit of road had the driver been competent. But I see about as much chance of that being changed as I do us getting Dutch-style infrstructure in this decade…

Another bike wreck in CA, the rider was conscious after the wreck and the driver was blamed for the wreck. Bike Rider, Car Collide on South Novato Blvd. There wasn’t much information given but this appears to be a crossing impact caused by the driver violating he cyclist’s right of way during a turning movement. Intersection protocols to avoid, and that good old Dutch-style SBR to prevent.

Explaining the rules after a car kills a cyclist in GA. Rules of the road when cycling The cyclist in this case was lucky to not get hurt, most confrontations with motor vehicles end up with transportable injury or worse.

The last several links are all related to the state of bike infrastructure in the UK and specifically London. The Cycling revolution? How Boris courted and then lost the ever-growing cycling lobby and Mayor’s attack on ‘superior’ cyclists could cost him the two-wheel vote and also Boris Johnson: the cycle lobby messes it up

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus