Why state DOTs are running out of money, Wreck-Free Sunday

I was reading this week about several state DOTs that don’t have the funds to maintain the roads already built, much less build new ones, because they lack the budget. There are several reasons for this state of affairs.

First and foremost none of the states having budget issues has raised their gas tax since 1993 with the exception of California. Some of them haven’t raised the gas tax since 1987. In the meantime the fleet fuel efficiency has gone from 14 MPG back then to almost 26 MPG now, or about 50% better, while the retail price of gas has gone from around a buck a gallon to $3.50 as I type this, meaning the percentage of price covered by taxes has been reduced by 2/3.

Second, we have about twice as many cars on the roads as we had back then with a much lower Passenger load factor. In TX the load factor is so low now that the only thing that could make it lower would be cars driving around by themselves, somewhere around 1.07 people per car. Add to that the cars are bigger and heavier than they were back then and you get more wear and tear on the roads with no extra money to pay for it, and also more and bigger cars need more space than before and more new roads.

Something that could help that would be a larger mode share from bicycles. I know I’m preaching to the choir in this blog, but for those that get directed here by search engines I’ll make the list. Bikes are much smaller than cars on the roads, you can get about 8 bikes in the space of one car. Bicycles do less damage to the roads than just leaving them sit, one trip in a sub-compact car does as much damage as 1100 bicycles, one luxury SUV does the damage of 8000 bicycles, using the AASHTO formula comparing a fully loaded touring bike to the cars having a single 180 pound driver and no passengers. Had the increase in vehicles been covered by bicycles instead of SOV, the lowered emissions of the newer fleet would have improved air quality as bicycles are pollution-neutral and the bikes would have taken up far less space on the roads than the cars. One place that has seen all of their traffic increase covered by an increase in bicycle mode share hasn’t had to build a new street in a decade, just regular repaving as they age. This would be Portland OR, of course.

Something else that would help is making gas taxes a percentage of the price, not fixed per gallon. That way as gas prices went up and consumption went down tax revenue would hold instead of dropping like a stone in a still pond.

A third thing that would help would be a “road space tax” levied on new vehicles (bicycles included) that would pay for the space to drive that vehicle, based on the road space it needs. Bicycles use a lot less space than cars, and tons less space than SUVs so the bicycle tax would be much less than the tax on motor vehicles and would also establish a monetary right to the roads because bicycles’ space would be covered, and would also allow for increased pushing for segregated bike infrastructure as “we” would be paying for it, so long as the tax wasn’t the only source for bike infrastructure as car taxes have not been the sole source for motor vehicle infrastructure.

Now go out there and think of more ways to pay for roads, because they don’t come free…

PSA, 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

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

Running late again, and the Feed

Dad is doing well, as well as can be expected considering. I’m getting tired, though, and my old injuries from the wreck are acting up. This is not what I want, because it severely limits the level of care I can give Dad.

Up first is the most egregious case of hit-and-run assault I have ever read about, as a driver in Galveston actually talks to his victim before leaving him to die. Cops: Driver talks to fatally injured cyclist before fleeing Since the mode was not mentioned I can’t tell you how to avoid the wreck. But one thing I can say, there is a very high chance that this was not an “accident” but a deliberate act of assault on the cyclist by the driver. More Driver kills island bicyclist

A wreck with a slightly better result both from the LEO point of view and the “Hey, the cyclist is alive” point of view from Portland OR. Ore. bicyclist struck by van, dragged 145 feet I know that headline does not inspire confidence in the outcome, but it was not near as bad as it sounds. Intersection wreck, so intersection protocols to avoid. Get the infrastructure right to prevent, including much tougher regulations for getting and keeping a license than the one that let this distracted goon drive 145 feet with a bicycle and rider trapped under his vehicle. Also riding in the street might have helped with this one.

A MS cyclist is killed on a National Bike Route. Attala cyclist hit on Natchez Trace, killed Hit-from-behind on a road with bicycle priority and great sight lines. I haven’t been the whole length of the Trace but most is 2 lanes with good sight lines even across turns if the drivers are travelling at or under the speed limit and usually quite pleasant to ride on. The driver in this case broke the MS 3 foot passing law as well as the Basic Speed Law that requires a driver to only drive as fast as they can stop in the distance they can see. Since this was already on “bicycle infrastructure” as envisioned in this country, you can see the massive lengths yet to go to reach the Dutch ideal.

In far west NY motorcyclists ride to remember a cyclist killed by a drunk driver. Funeral Held Today for Bryce Buchholz A group of about 20 bikers of the motor variety held a ride for a biker of the pedal powered variety prior to his funeral. This was the rider that was hit from behind while riding salmon, so there wasn’t any way to avoid this one except to not be there to get hit. To prevent, as I posted earlier some way of keeping drunks off the roads would be a great start because this wreck happened in an area that would have been shared between bicycles and motor vehicles at a much lower speed limit in Dutch infrastructure as it was where people live.

After several bike wrecks a community bands together to demand better infrastructure. Salisbury bike lane initiative gains traction Why does it take people getting killed to make the powers that be realize that their infrastructure stinks?

The cyclist that was hit-and-run by a driver that stopped to pull a damaged bumper cover out from under the front of the car but failed to render aid to the cyclist, has died from his injuries. Memorial Held For Cyclist Killed By Hit & Run Driver Another victim in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike.

In Oz they’re having an epidemic of “door prizes”. Car doors and city streets a dangerous mix for cyclists The numbers reported were just… wow.

And that’s all I can stand today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Why isn’t anyone paying attention? Wreck-free Sunday

OK this isn’t entirely a Wreck-free Sunday post, but I’m not going to mention any specific wrecks. I’m just going to ask that yo refer to the last couple of weeks of wrecks and notice how few of them would have even been possible with getting the infrastructure right. Granted there would still have been a few that could have happened in the Netherlands, but the vast majority could not have happened with Dutch-style infrastructure that keeps bikes off streets with speeds over about 18 MPH (30 km/h) with some areas having even lower speed limits of 20 km/h (about 12 MPH). The stopping distance (reaction time plus braking distance) at 20 km/h is about 15 feet, with some vehicles having even shorter distances because of radar and very powerful brakes. fifteen feet or less means that if you can see it you can probably avoid hitting it. The laws in the Netherlands also mean that if you are in an area with 20 km limits you are probably on high alert for kids running out in front of you or other sudden obstructions and as such even bicycles will register on your personal awareness.

This is what we need now in the US. No excuses, no more delays, because delays mean more dead cyclists and more dead kids, both now and in the future from diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle. We are reaping the “benefits” of years designing the environment to only support moving around in a car leaving little to no choice to use other modes of travel. Right now the number one killer of children is motor vehicle wrecks, with pollution from motor vehicles also being high on the list. That continues up to age 35 or so when diseases from sedentary lifestyles begin to overtake the wrecks. So our cars are killing us coming and going, directly and indirectly, unless we live long enough to die from old age, because the infrastructure has been built that way and our culture is such that the thought of driving less than 2 miles to the grocery store or the video rental is not absurd but accepted and commonplace.

So, we have another barrier to acceptance, attitudes towards cars. If cars are so ingrained into the culture that driving a distance that could be easily walked or ridden by bike is not only accepted but expected, How do we change that culture? The same way we changed the tobacco culture in this country, by relentlessly demonstrating the amount of damage done to people by automobility. A handfull of people died from playing a game called “Lawn Darts” several decades ago where people tossed heavy blunt darts underhanded towards a circular target where the second half of the team waited to throw their turn in the other direction. Tried buying a set lately? You can’t. That is what is needed in the long run, a lawn darts campaign against the constant use of motor vehicles for personal transportation, a cigarrette campaign against the abuse of motor vehicles.

We don’t need to do it for ourselves, we need to do it for our children.

PSA, 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