After a break for me, more bike wrecks for you

I really should take more days off from this blog, the serenity of not reading about dead and injured cyclists was so nice. So show of hands, how many would object to my going to a 6 day a week update schedule? This isn’t like a web comic where I can build up a buffer for days off, I have to do these on the day they get posted. That means I have to read the day’s Feed, filter it, and then come up with cogent commentary about the reports I read, every day I make a post.

Up first because it’s stupid, a cyclist crashed trying to avoid a car that cut her off and the car ran over her head. Helmet saves Oregon rider Crediting a few ounces of styrofoam with saving a life when the head gets run over is stupid. The only way this could have actually been of help is if the shell was strong enough to either support the wheel on its own or to distribute the forces evenly around the skull. The average bicycle helmet can’t do that.

Is there something in the water in Greensboro? Cyclist Seriously Injured in Accident Of course Faux news is going to try to blame the cyclist, but LEO is saying “Not so fast, the car might have been at fault here.” All I know is the car was in front of the bicycle moving to the side. Whether this was because the bike ran the red or the car left-crossed the cyclist is not known at this point.

A cyclist that might have been drunk was riding too fast on the sidewalk and hits a tree. Santa Rosa bike crash critically injures man Do I really have to tell you what to do or not do to avoid this kind of wreck?

What is it with the Carolinas and bike wrecks? Bicyclist hit, killed in Dunn Nothing about the actual wreck, but as this was a hit-and-run on an Interstate highway access road it was probably a hit-from-behind. And the driver was probably drunk. Prepare the kittens!

More on the NY cyclist hit by a transit bus. Man killed by Bee-Line bus was bicycling advocate Still nothing on the mode of the wreck, other than the cyclist was crossing the road. Nothing mentioned about running a light or stop sign for either vehicle Very strange…

An unidentified cyclist runs a red light in CA. Unidentified cyclist dies in crash And other than that there’s nothing I can tell you.

Lots of anger about the Boise wreck that killed Kevin Pavlis. Boy will face charges in accident that killed cyclist Kevin Pavlis Anger is being displayed by both sides in this battle, but I don’t see what the car drivers have to be angry about. Nobody driving a car has even been injured in any of the fatalities this year in Boise. Bicyclists have sustained all the injury and death, the only thing that drivers have lost has been a few minutes of time waiting for a safe place while passing a cyclist.

A bike wreck where they aren’t even sure if there was another vehicle involved in Jolly Olde. Teenage cyclist injured Typical UK media report, long on useless details but short on the 5W’s.

Another one of those reports with no real news in them (have I mentioned how much I hate UK media laws, this post?). Cyclist injured after collision in Exeter Same as it ever was.

And another case of ranting about the thing that is not a problem except in your mind, when other things you don’t worry about are much more dangerous. Daily Mail calls for prosecution of anti-social cyclists Cyclists kill almost nobody, drivers kill thousands, and the newspaper complains that drivers get thousands of tickets while cyclists get almost none. Hmm, I think I see a pattern here…

From Oz I’m not sure if this is the same woman killed I reported on before or if these 3 are 3 new people killed in a different part of Australia. Deadly 24 hours claim three more lives Don’t hit the pedestrians! Especially don’t kill little old ladies out walking their grandkids in strollers. It’s really a bad idea folks.

And finally is another memorial ride for more cyclists that were killed and injured which couldn’t wait for the Ride of Silence in the spring. Killed and injured bicyclists remembered at Mesa ride Sometimes you have to get the word out that drivers are getting careless and killing cyclists.

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

More on the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree, and other news In The Feed

The last 2 days have generated more traffic to this blog than I have ever seen, what with Dr. Christopher Thompson (the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree) being convicted of all 7 counts against him and BikingInLA telling me about it so I could link to their breaking story. Well that wasn’t the only story breaking in LA yesterday about people using their vehicles as weapons against cyclists.

But the big news first (other than the Blog reports) is still the conviction of TTTWLAMWAMD of 6 felonies and one misdemeanor. E.R. Doc Guilty in Road Rage Attack on Cyclists and Physician accused of deliberately injuring two bicyclists is convicted and Dr. Thompson is found guilty of all counts in LA road rage trial. and comments here Mailbag: Road rage, getting along and Floyd Landis I hope that this is just the first of many prosecutions that have previously been ignored by LEO and prosecutors for assault with motor vehicles.

Lost in the hubbub of TTTWLAMWAMD’s conviction was this tidbit. Texting Driver Guilty in Death of 14-year-old Boy He was driving under the influence of 2 powerful prescription drugs, and texting at the time he killed a cyclist, and the defense tried to make this look like an unavoidable accident due to a medical condition. I have heard some mighty weak defenses in my day, but this one is less than a kitten.

They identified the bike ninja that was hit Sunday in Austin TX. Guns, drugs found during arrest; cyclist killed on Texas 71 identified Ignore the comments unless you already have brain damage…

In the other big story of the day they finally arrested and charged the driver of the SUV that hit a cyclist head on and then made a U turn to escape. Woman charged in hit-and-run death of David Sherman and Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run of bicyclist, released on bond I love it when they publish the booking pictures of drivers that hit cyclists, they invariably look like something the cat drug in and the kittens tried to bury. From the description of the wreck released by LEO it seems this was a deliberate action on the part of the driver to try to kill or hurt a cyclist, why was she given a bond at all unless the Durango was the only vehicle she had access to. I also love that the accused’s home address was given in the article. I’m not saying to do anything bad to the person or her home, but if you happen to have a dump truck load of male bovine digestive byproduct and you need a place to get rid of it…

And in what is almost positively a cut and paste from one news source to another we have the same article from 2 very different sources. Bicyclist struck and killed by AC Transit bus in Hayward and Bicyclist Struck And Killed By AC-Transit Bus In Hayward It could be they both did the cut and paste from a press release, not one copying the other. As to the wreck I can’t tell you who was doing what from this article. Or if the cyclist was lighted and reflectorized, but since the only lights mentioned were the defective streetlights I would say the cyclist had all the legally required lights etc.

Last report if from Jolly Olde where news reports are required by law to be missing 2 Ws and the H out of the standard news reporters 5Ws and an H. Cyclist injured after Toxteth collision And people wonder why I have a tag about UK news reports.

That’s all I have tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Another trip to the Lab Rat Keeper, and now the Feed

I survived another trip to the lab rat keeper, and actually maintained my weight in spite of getting not one, not two, not even three, but four birthday cakes since the last visit. (Everybody said, “He likes to eat, lets get him a cake instead of a present.”) My blood tests came back within normal limits for everything tested. I was advised again to get some kind of medic alert to let people know I might have as much as 2 seconds between heartbeats if found unconscious otherwise I might be mistaken for dead when I’m just knocked out. Seriously, after 3 cups of coffee for breakfast and walking a half mile from the bus stop my pulse was 48. If taken first thing after getting up I might have a resting pulse of less than 30.

Up first because it’s almost local is this report from Austin. Austin cyclist killed in Miss. This is another cyclist killed on the first (only?) Federally designated bike route, without legal repercussions to the driver (so far). Use hit-from-behind protocol to keep yourself from winding up the same way, maybe.

Still in TX a driver trying to evade LEO runs a stop sign and kills a cyclist just minding his own beeswax. Bicyclist Killed In Waco Hit-And-Run Identified This was not an avoidable wreck by anything the cyclist could have done short of not being there.

A bike ninja is hit by an SUV, another one of those DARPA vehicles that rides around without a driver. Bicyclist injured in Truro crash flown to Boston Hospital with serious injuries Lights and reflectors, people. Don’t give the hater drivers an excuse to hit you.

A MI rider is killed while riding the inside lane of travel, which kind of precludes the “I didn’t see him” defense. Bicyclist struck by car, killed Aside from that, I don’t have anything more to tell you.

Another reason why you have to look when you ride through a stop sign. Bicyclist not injured in Tuesday collision Yes, look before you cross!

Another hit-and-run between a bicycle and a semi. Driver says he didn’t know he hit and killed bicyclist in Redwood Shores From what I was able to find out about this wreck, the cyclist was in the driver’s right side blind spot and unable to get away when the truck turned right. To avoid finding yourself in a similar situation move to the right when a semi passes you, the driver probably won’t know you’re to his right unless he can see you. And because of the enormous mass of a semi compared to yours (80,000 pounds of truck to maybe 300 pounds of you and your bike) there is zilch chance of the driver even feeling the impact. Among my many careers I used to drive a big rig, so I know this first hand and also know drivers that stayed with the job. A driver I knew actually knocked over a small cinderblock building with the rear tandem of the trailer loaded to the maximum weight limit of about 60,000 pounds, and he never knew it until he got to his next destination about 50 miles away.

An article from MT tells how not to bust your butt while riding this winter. Experts, students share tips on winter biking This is good advice from people that have done it before. No wrecks, unless you count the thousands of times you lose traction and slide out.

Other countries are noticing our cycling death toll. Bicycle injuries in U.S. becoming more severe Yeah, when Indian news agencies write up articles saying you are killing and maiming too many cyclists, you have a problem.

A cyclist is injured in the Emerald Isle of Ireland. Cyclist injured in Holywood LEO are not even sure how the cyclist had his wreck, but they want to talk to the driver of a red Jeep.

Hit-and-run, the international language of motoring. Hit-and-driver sought after cyclist critically injured Yep, pickup truck drivers are pretty much the same the world over.

Still in Enn Zed, a discussion of a major bike route and the negative interactions between cars and bicycles. Critically injured cyclist on mend as Tamaki Drive forum looms Aaannnd the comments section is full of fools demanding that cyclists be registered, taxed, and licensed like drivers, ignoring the fact that drivers are licensed because they use WMDs for transportation.

A debate in Seattle over the legal infrastructure. Cyclists call for tougher driving laws in Seattle and Deadly car vs. bike accidents: Should they be a crime? Should death by car be raised in seriousness? Is there a criminal connection between not perceiving a cyclist is there because he isn’t a threat and letting that non-perception kill? Or just where it can be proved the driver actually used their car as a deadly weapon? What would the penalty be for killing someone with a firearm in a similar situation?

Do you have a friend or relative who was wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan? Have you ever wondered what you could do personally for that veteran? ‘Spin for Soldiers’ fundraiser in Croton supports wounded veterans

If you have a basket on your Electra bicycle you might want to turn it back in to the dealer for a replacement following this recall. More Electra Bikes Recalled Due to Defective Baskets, Trays

A model for re-using the US Highway system that existed before the Interstate System was built. Off the Interstate: Turning ‘Blue Highways’ Green This is basically the way I use to get from city to city on my bike, except I use the existing version not the enhanced version in the plan that is presented in the article.

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

After making a public appearance with Gigi, a late Feed

Well after taking Gigi to meet her public at Bike Friendly Oak Cliff’s Cyclesomatic festival, and getting some pictures taken that might end up on the header (remind me to get some pretty girls to pose with Gigi for her next batch of publicity photos), I have finally fed my face and filtered the Feed. I also bought some chocolate soap Aside from a couple of motorcyclists wiping out, there wasn’t much filtering to do today.

Up first for no particular reason is this report of a very bad day to be riding a bicycle in New Haven CT. 3 bicyclists injured in afternoon accidents Of the three cyclists, one was riding the on the wrong side of the road, one was not even on a road. The most seriously injured was passing a bus when hit. Now how to avoid well the salmon rider incident is fairly easy to avoid, ride with the flow of traffic. The child hit in a parking lot presents a much more difficult challenge as even if you ride with as much safety as you can it still doesn’t prevent some idiot from blasting diagonally across the lot without paying any attention to where he’s going or what else might be in the lot. The most seriously injured of the 3 might not be at fault, but more alertness when passing large vehicles to avoid oncoming traffic or other traffic that also wants to get around the large vehicle would not be a bad idea. If there is a vehicle coming in either direction in the lane you need to use to get around the large vehicle then don’t use that lane until it’s clear. That might not have been the problem here, it might have been another vehicle that was in the same lane as the bus behind the bike that pulled out to pass and didn’t leave enough room for the bicyclist.

Another SWSS from the state that kills the most cyclists in the US. Bike rider critically injured in crash Yeah, the cyclist made an illegal lane change in front of a speeding SUV, on a 2 lane road with no shoulders. Check out the map link from the article, and zoom in on the satellite view to see for yourself. There is no place for this supposed lane change to have been made from.

A SF cyclist gets a door prize from a delivery truck on her Friday morning commute. Bicyclist Injured in Haight Street Crash This Morning This is one of those wrecks that is almost impossible to avoid, and even if you manage to dodge the first wreck you might not be able to avoid the second wreck. Doubleplus unfun.
Best wishes to the cyclist involved for a quick recovery medically and financially.

A cyclist has a run-in with a freight train. Bicyclist struck, killed by freight train in Hyattsville I see these wrecks and I still don’t understand them, except as suicide. Otherwise the cyclist must be blind and deaf, not a good combination for a cyclist, and how would a blind and deaf person ride a bicycle in the first place? I used to try to be nice about these, but I figure what the heck? I don’t know the victim, I’ll never meet any of the victim’s relatives, and I have no reason to be diplomatic about it. In all likelihood this was a suicide. How to avoid for yourself, well pay attention to where the train tracks are and keep your ears open for the sounds of a train, and stay away from trains if you feel like killing yourself.

And FL cyclists ask for some consideration from other road users, like not committing assault with a deadly weapon. Bicyclists Push For More Safety On The Roads Now how do you go about asking people to not try to kill you just because you have a different mode of transportation?

Another report on the 1.2 Million$ settlement against the Santa Clara Sheriff’s office over the case of the sleeping deputy. County settles with mom of deputy crash victim As I posted yesterday, this money should be coming out of the hide of the “sleeping” deputy.

Another report on the Ghost Bike installation in NYC. Cyclist mourned in Woodside

More lawyer stuff from FL. Florida Attorney Settles Case Involving Injured Tri-athlete Good for him, but the driver is still breathing. you didn’t squeeze hard enough.

Another report on the police sergeant cyclist killed in the UK. Cyclist named These reports sound like they are practically quoting the police press release. Did I ever mention I hate UK media laws?

A cyclist is hit in Wales. Cyclist killed in Bethesda collision and Cyclist killed in car collision the Beeb’s take on the story.

Two looks at why so many of he cyclists killed in the UK by semis are women, from this overview about the general case by the Beeb. Are women cyclists in more danger than men? To this look at a specific case about a single victim. Sister of killed cyclist Eilidh Cairns lobbying Prime Minister There are lots of hypothesis being bandied about, but we haven’t gotten to the point of a good solid theory yet.

And you though your weekly crit racer was a little off… A journey into the heart and mind of RAAM athletes Try seeing what exertion at nearly the same level as that weekly crit racer for 6-9 days without sleep does to a person. It ain’t pretty.

And that’s the whole mess, and only 22 minutes into Sunday morning.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Another weak Feed, and some observations

Another day with almost nothing in the Feed of any consequence for my readers, more bull riders, a motorcycle helmet law under debate in Guam, a guy that rides bike stunts killed in a car (some irony there, but nothing for the blog), and some stuff that I never did figure out why it was in the Feed.

Up first is a wreck in a Boise parking lot between a 11 YO and some kind of motor vehicle. 11-year-old child bicyclist injured in crash Initial reports indicate that the kid was weaving through stopped cars when they started moving and the kid was hit. Apparently neither one was paying attention but the guy with the deadly weapon should have been.

A NJ cyclist was killed crossing a major highway while pushing her bike. Ocean Township police say bicyclist killed on Route 35 crossed against traffic signal Looking at the Google Maps closeup there are 6 lanes of traffic to cross here with the half cloverleaf for making left turns off Rt 35 which indicates the period for the traffic signal isn’t very long, with the cyclist walking her bike across the intersection there probably wasn’t enough time to clear the intersection before traffic started moving again and if she got caught halfway with no median…

In Jolly Olde things are not so jolly, again. Cyclist injured in collision And now you know as much as I do about the wreck.

In Oz a cyclist training for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship isn’t going to make it this year. Triathlete Jessica Simpson injured in crash Dumped by Tony Romo and hit by a car all in the same year (and that was a joke BTW). This was a hit from behind crash the cyclist would have had no chance to avoid because of the sudden lane change by the driver.

I’m not sure exactly how to classify this report from the UK. Man injured after cyclist assault Since both of the participants were on foot with one pushing a bicycle on the footpath I can only assume that the “victim” said something derogatory about cyclists, or maybe the young woman that was also pushing a bicycle and the male cyclist took violent offense to what was said. That doesn’t excuse the assault, just makes it understandable.

And some new tech for cyclists to make navigating streets a little easier. A Heads-Up Map Display for iPhone-Using Bicyclists I don’t see this as actually being useful unless and until they can provide extra power to keep the GPS app going full time and can weather proof (and sweat proof) the iPhone in some way. But as a first try, I give them props.

And that’s all I have for you today. I know, it’s weak.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Back to the grind, here are your dead cyclists and some that are still kicking

Well that was a short rest, we have a Feed full of dead and injured cyclists and jurisprudence related to that subject, and all of it in North America (my UK readers can take a break, Jolly Olde remains jolly tonight).

And the state that kills more cyclists, outright or per capita, than any other in the US has added to that record this week. Cyclist killed in Lake County accident If y’all from FL don’t like it when I post that statement about FL killing more than any other state, then do something about it! You might start by getting something done about drivers that go off the roads to hit cyclists from behind like this wreck. Give me, no give cyclists a brake. pay attention to where you’re going and quit driving so fast. This rider was all the way off the legal portion of the road and was not impeding traffic in any way shape or form, and still got hit from behind and killed. This is no longer acceptable, it has never been acceptable. When you drive off the roads and kill someone it is a crime. I don’t know what kind of a crime to call it but when you are controlling a deadly WMD and you can’t keep it between the lines where it is moderately safe to put it and you kill someone where you are not supposed to be either in a bike lane or off the road completely on the shoulder, it is a crime and you should go to prison and you should never be allowed to drive again for the rest of your life should you ever be released from prison.

Another left cross in GA this time. Bicyclist injured in crash with car At this time I can’t say if the cyclist had enough time to avoid this wreck in any way. If there is time to avoid your wreck the best course to take is brake hard and turn right for either the left cross or the right hook.

Two reports on a Yuma cyclist killed in a head on crash. Cyclist killed in car collision and from my examiner.com colleague Yuma, AZ cyclist killed in car collision The rider was hit head on by a car that was passing a tractor. You know the things that pull plows etc. on farms? that kind of tractor. This was not an avoidable wreck for this cyclist who was the second hit in a single file line of cyclists, the first one suffered shoulder injuries and is expected to ride again. Doug Flynn probably was dead before he fell from the front of the car that hit him as his heart showed no response when paramedics hooked him up to a monitoring device. Again this was a driver not watching where she was going, and I’m not blaming the driver because of her gender I’m blaming the driver because she wasn’t watching where she was going and hit a group of cyclists head on and killed one of them.

Salina KS is a dangerous place to ride a bike this time of year as 4 wrecks are reported in a half hour spread on a single morning. Drivers Urged to Be Extra Cautious at Dawn and Dusk The old “I couldn’t see him!” excuse. If you can’t see, then slow down. None of the cyclists in this report were at fault but 2 went to the hospital because a driver was in too big a hurry to slow down when his or her vision was impaired by glare.

Amherst MA is having a time explaining new laws to drivers and cyclists as many are in collision. Police push bike safety, rules in wake of death A number of these bike v car wrecks are because cyclists run stop signs but there were also a number of dooring incidents. OK guys I keep saying this but apparently there are a lot of people not reading this blog, you have to slow and LOOK when you get to a stop sign and STOP if there is crossing traffic. I’m not going the get all high and mighty and tell you to stop at every stop sign, cars don’t even stop at every stop sign. There is a major intersection within walking distance of my house that is a 4-way stop and NOBODY stops there, except the school bus that has the video tape going to monitor the driver and the kids.

It’s an epidemic in Ottawa! Three Cyclists Injured in Crashes and 3 cyclists involved in separate accidents Four in KS and 3 more in ON, is there some kind of bug going around?

They finally got around to prosecuting the shared-ride driver that went off the road to hit a cyclist in Boise. ValleyRide van driver charged in Eagle cyclist’s death “Michael Perkins is accused of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after a May 19 collision that killed Jim L. Chu of Eagle.” heck of a response time on that one, more than 4 months between the assault and the charges, but there will be no arrest on this one. They expect the guy to come in on his own to be booked and then he gets to go home and wait for his court date to be set. TANJ! And he is still getting paid to sit on his butt and do nothing by the bus company. TRANJ! (there really ain’t no justice)

People really liked this guy. Memorial to be held for Boulder cyclist killed last weekend I hope there is a ride for me when I get hit again. I don’t want to get hit again but I probably will be.

Even Olympian cyclists like to go for the occasional charity ride. Thorburn along for the ride: Stanford doctor, a two-time Olympian, cruising 525 miles for charity I fully endorse this ride. like that means anything

Another article on helmet laws, with extra stupidity. The debate about helmet safety The author quotes a helmet manufacturer’s rep as saying that a helmet is pretty much useless in a car v bike wreck but then goes on to say that there should be helmet laws anyway. The Canadian standard is almost identical to the US test except with a cold weather test (I hope so anyway, most US bike helmets turn to either a solid hunk or crumble at temps routinely encountered in the Great White North during ice biking season.)

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

No I didn’t forget today is 9/11, plus the Feed

I’m fully aware that today is 9/11, but to be brutally honest it doesn’t mean much to me. You see when the towers fell I was in hospital recovering from a terrorist attack of my own, where a homicidal maniac decided I shouldn’t be riding my bicycle on the street even though it was having no impact on him whatsoever as he went the opposite way on the other side of a grassy median. He just went to the end of the block and whipped a U-turn around the median and drove back and hit me at something between the speed limit of 45 and the normal rate of travel in that area 65 MPH. So while I was in bed watching the towers fall I was waiting for the skin graft to “take” over where the pressure wave from the front bumper of the truck hitting my leg had blown the skin and chunks of muscle away on the opposite side of the leg. This was after they decided I was going to keep that leg, as it was pretty mangled. And I was waiting to see if the nerve damage would prevent me from walking again, or just leave me with a permanent limp, and wondering if the repairs to my hip would hold or the ball would die and crumble and I would need a “Bo Jackson” in my hip.

So, while I’m angry about people who used airplanes as man-guided missiles against civilian targets with civilians on board, terrorists got me first. And I didn’t even make the paper or the evening news. Even I still think they should just nuke the area that’s hiding bin Laden until it’s a glassy lump, and I don’t care that much about the attack, compared to others I know.

There wasn’t much about bicycles in the Feed today but there was some stuff, not much. Up first is a report about a cyclist rear-ending a mail truck. Bicyclist critically injured after collision Really, how can we expect people in cars to see us when we can’t even keep from hitting a mail truck? Even the tiny ones are way bigger than a bicycle with brighter blinky lights not to mention more of them, 2 or 4 compared to the one we usually carry. To avoid this kind of wreck, watch where you’re going. Is everyone in FL on stupid pills or something?

A report with a chilling picture and a clear warning to cyclists. Bicyclist injured The cyclist ran a stop sign and got hit. Fortunately only his bike ended up under the tires of the SUV, but still that picture gives me the chills. To avoid, LOOK when you get to a stop sign, and make sure oncoming traffic also has to stop before proceeding through the intersection. You don’t have to stop, but you do have to LOOK, and SEE!

In not-so-jolly Jolly Olde a 15 YO cyclist is hit by an unlicensed driver behind the wheel of an unregistered car. Cyclist, 15, injured in car collision Not much more I can say about the wreck because of UK media laws.

In Oz a cyclist who injured another cyclist while driving drunk is sentenced. Top cyclist Jongewaard jailed over hit-run Really, a cyclist that spends as much time on the roads training as he did should have known better than to drink and drive, and who did he hit but his training partner, the guy he rode with on the roads.

A 9/11 article about bicycles. A 9/11 bicycle ride to honor those who can’t anymore Want to help stop terrorism? Ride your bike. You won’t burn any oil and your freedoms including the right to ride the roads will drive the terrorists nuts.

Finally a case of overreacting to a perceived danger while ignoring the real danger. It’s time to put the brakes on rogue bicycle riding Apparently he knows someone that died as a result of getting hit by a bicycle and doesn’t know any of the hundreds of people killed in NYC every year by getting hit by cars or trucks, but bicycles kill an average of one (1) person a year in NYC, while cars kill twice that in a week. People getting hit by cars and trucks just fades into the background noise, but a person getting killed by a bicycle that’s a clear and present danger because it’s novel and unusual. And some people need coats that fasten in the back, with really long sleeves. XP (that is supposed to be a puking smiley)

All I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Still a Feed, just not very tasty

The Feed today was a bit nasty, with the car-heads out in force in the comments sections claiming the roads were built for cars with all the money coming from cars, bicyclists are stupid and suicidal, etc. It was enough to turn my stomach, but I have to read it because frequently there are things that witnesses report that don’t make it to the “official” report and they sometimes will tell people in the comments section on the article about whatever it was they witnessed.

Up first are multiple reports on a Delaware wreck. Bicyclist injured in DUI hit-and-run crash is the least sensational about it, and Driver charged after bicyclist struck Has more information on the charges and the condition of the driver at the time of his arrest. Comments were funny as many tried to blame the cyclist for not being on the road and getting hit anyway. And this update changes it from a wreck to a homicide. Cyclist, 16, Brain Dead After Car Crash Yes, the cyclist was not on the road and was hit by a drunk, stoned driver, and some of the comments tried to blame the cyclist. I wonder if they blame the woman for being raped? Or the bank teller for getting robbed? I also love the guy that claimed cycling was a hobby, not transportation. The rest of you can just not read the comments, better for your digestion if you don’t.

Multiple reports on a wreck in CO, from the same newspaper. Bicyclist killed east of Longmont and a later update Bicyclist killed in wreck identified No way of knowing if the cyclist was wearing reflective clothing (that’s the cyclist in that lump under the crime scene blanket) and what I could see of the bicycle I couldn’t even tell if that was the front or the back or if there were lights or reflectors on the bike. And this qualifies as a SWSS because of the claim the rider came off the shoulder into the lane of traffic.

A quick-thinking passenger saves the life of a former co-worker. Quick action saves injured cyclist in East Providence Witnesses reported the driver did not give clearance for the cyclist and only attempted to evade collision at the last second before impact. The wreck caused broken glass to injure the driver’s infant child in the back seat. This was entirely the driver’s fault for making an unsafe pass. To avoid such a wreck the usual hit-from-behind cautions apply: mirror(s), escape route, and be willing to let the bike inflict as much damage to the other vehicle as possible while you bail to the side away from the car or truck if there is no other way to avoid the wreck. Also wear a helmet, this wreck was a glancing blow at a low impact speed and a helmet would have prevented some of the injury in this wreck. Not the blunt force trauma to the torso, but surely the most serious of the head injuries could have been mitigated by even a CPSC Standard bicycle helmet. Had the cyclist been wearing my Bell Bellistic full face helmet, all he would have sustained would have been the blunt force trauma to the torso.

Another cyclist killed in the most deadly state in the US for cyclists. Cyclist killed in Fort Lauderdale crash Another hit-from-behind by what appears to be a drunk driver. The comments section is best to ignore. AAaanndd, typical hit-from-behind avoidance tactics.

First of 2 reports on wrecks from the Tribune in SLC. Bicyclist killed in Park City crash identified The Tribune and the Deseret News post their web and newspaper articles at different times, the Trib had some news on this posted to the web before the News, but the News got this one to the web first.

Second Trib post. Bicyclist killed after being hit, pinned by train I asked this before, but how do you not see/hear a train? The cyclist went around crossing arms to get hit, what can be done to prevent this? Augghh, the stupidity is just overwhelming.

More on the hit-and-run death in Portland. Portland police release name of bicyclist killed in hit-and-run Another hit-from-behind… and another hit-and-run.

More from Portland with a SUV hitting a cyclist, and apparently on purpose. Police investigate after cyclist injured in collision with SUV Not much you can do when the driver is trying to hit you with a deadly weapon…

More research on the causes of bicycle wrecks. Who Causes Cyclists’ Deaths? This study only applies to a single Canadian city, but the results are telling.

First of our infrastructure articles looks at the bike path next to a major highway with no physical barrier between the path and high speed motor vehicles where at least 2 and maybe more people have been killed by out of control motor vehicles that left the highway and ended up on the bike path. Hempstead town officials call for repairs to ‘deadly’ bike path before expanding it As I posted in an earlier article, had this been a regular motor vehicle road no way would they have built a low speed road next to a highway without a physical barrier between the two.

Our other infrastructure article is from Va. Beach. Virginia Beach faces uphill climb in call for more bike lanes I love the comments about roads being built for cars and bicycles should stay off when the discussion is using taxes from the general fund to pay for making the roads safe for bicycles. General fund, you know the money that comes from non-car sources, that bicyclists contribute to just like everybody else.

And that’s all I have today, I might have to take a mental health day tomorrow. Ordinarily I would have taken that mental health day today to ride the Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred, but my legs were not up to riding that far so I didn’t go.

Billed @$.02, Opus

I eat puppies, and other bizzareness, and the Feed

First, no I don’t really eat puppies, just trying to grab a few more eyeballs with a controversial headline. This was not a normal Sunday Feed, too many wrecks, not enough lifestyle stories. I did get some of the lifestyle stuff, but near as much as usual, and not near the normal percentage of the Feed.

I’m not sure of the wreck mode in this report, it could be hit-from-behind, or it could be a pinball. Either way it was in such a manner and direction that the cyclist was not able to avoid it. Bicycle delivery guy killed in L.I.C. as crook flees cops Given that the police in this case did not use either lights or siren at the time of the wreck the cyclist would have had very little warning of what was coming. This was totally wrong, from the get go, from the drug sale, to the police chase without lights and siren, to the wreck at the end of it that killed a guy just trying to do his job. It was all wrong!

Talk about bizzare, though, and this report takes the cake. Read the whole thing through and pay attention because there will be a quiz. Bike rider sent to hospital after collision with SUV Did you catch it? The wreck was at an intersection, but the ticket was for crossing in the middle of the street. The rider was south bound in heavy traffic, the WMD was east bound, the two collide, and the cyclist gets a ticket for being in the middle of the street. It did say the cyclist was carrying a TX ID, and under TX bike laws you are supposed to be in the middle of the street, and when lanes of traffic are separated by a curbed or grassy median you are allowed to be on the inside lane. From the sounds of this one the cops didn’t like bicycles, and really reached to blame this wreck on the cyclist.

A cyclist blows a stop sign at speed into heavy traffic, with expected results. Cyclist Killed in Crash People I keep telling you to at least slow down and yield to oncoming traffic before rolling a stop sign, and this is why. The street the cyclist was riding had a stop, the crossing street did not. This was a completely avoidable wreck, had the cyclist just slowed down and yielded at the intersection. Seriously he might not have even had to come to a complete stop so long as he allowed other traffic to clear the intersection. You can see from the wrecked bike that the cyclist was doing a pretty fair rate of knots when he hit the other vehicles in this wreck. You can see from the video that there was a big stop sign and pavement markings on the street.

A cyclist is cut off by a driver pulling out in front of him in MN. Sartell bicyclist injured in collision From the description of the wreck the driver pulled out in front of the cyclist from a side road, as the cyclist hit the left side of a left turning vehicle and was also riding on the main road. Looking at the Google Street View, the line of sight at the intersection is compromised by the line of trees on the former fencerow and you can definitely see that the cyclist had right of way in the intersection.

A head on wreck in Canuckistan. Cyclist, 12, seriously injured in Port Alberni crash The report says nothing about who crossed the centerline, only that the motor vehicle ended up in the right ditch.

Apparently a really nice guy was killed while riding a bicycle, the human side of the UK media laws on reporting traffic wrecks. Tribute to cyclist killed in crash The truck driver was uninjured? Really, a 5+ ton truck V a 180 pound cyclist and bike, and the truck driver was uninjured? it’s a miracle!

I’m sure this will be a shock to Eric the Tucson Bike Lawyer. Surprise a safe zone for bicycle riders I liked the part about zero tolerance for speeders, as speed makes a big difference in survival rates for pedestrians and cyclists in a wreck with a motor vehicle.

Another bike ride for veterans live and not. Pilgrimage to Highground Veterans Memorial Park /attracts bicyclists from across state Only 147 miles in 3 days is less than 50 miles a day, which I’m sure is because of all the novice long distance cyclists in the ride.

NM cyclists lobby for complete streets. Cyclists pressure NM officials for safer streets The thing they are asking for adds less than 3% to the cost of building a new street or road, a little more for rehabbing an older road, but has major payback in increased mode share for cyclists and pedestrians.

And that’s all I have for you today, Monday’s post may be late as I have things to take car of in the AM.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Anger in ID and CO, death everywhere, the Feed

Yes there are some very angry drivers out there, some of them angry enough to kill. That this is so has been demonstrated empirically in Boise, and in theory in CO. More on those later. We also have notes on crazy drivers, crazy politicians, and dead and injured cyclists. There is also a report on a dead cyclist that was brought to the Internets via Pony Express, with a series of dead ponies. I’m not saying these guys were slow off the mark but I could have walked from the crash site to the publisher’s offices in less time than it took for them to publish the report, and I’m crippled.

Let’s just get that slow report out of here first, before it stinks up the place. Bicyclist killed south of Lander This is a report on the AZ cyclist on a bike tour of the country that was killed by a left-turning semi. More. Than. Two. Weeks. Ago. Seriously I could have walked there from the wreck and posted this report in less time. What is these guys publishing frequency anyway, monthly?

Angry drivers Pt.1 in Boise. Readers share gripes, advice and questions about bicycles on roads Notice in the comments section that is the news in this article the number of drivers that complain because cyclists force them to slow down! And force them to pass unsafely! OK if a 350 pound max GVW vehicle is forcing your 6600 pound curb weight (empty, full tank of gas) vehicle to do anything, you have issues. Well forcing drivers to slow down I can see as drivers must slow down until it is safe to pass, but forcing drivers to pass unsafely? How is that happening? At gunpoint?

Angry drivers Pt.2. Civil disobedience at Colorado bicycle tour My colleague in the Tulsa edition of examiner.com points out the protest will have little effect on bicycle traffic, while blocking motor vehicle traffic that can’t get around the blocking car. He also points out the incongruity of calling cyclists selfish because they make drivers go below the speed limit. For the Hypoxians making this ride I suggest learning how to make Thermite, a few ounces should permanently disable any of the cars that “break down” and obstruct the cycling route, as in burn through the engine block and destroy the crankshaft. Then the vehicle will have “broken down”. Or the Sheriff’s Department could just have the offending vehicles towed and crushed. Hey! one less car! The Boulder Daily Camera has this take. When immaturity and safety collide and thae original story is here. Threats made to disrupt bicycle tour

After all that just getting back to “regular” bike wrecks without terroristic threats of bodily harm is a relief. They IDed the injured cyclist I posted earlier this week. Injured Fairfield Bicyclist Identified Name not released until next of kin are notified, but they have a name now.

Multiple reports on this one. Bicyclist struck, killed in South Whitehall Township and Coroner IDs Victim Of Deadly Bicycle Accident In Lehigh County No word on how he got hit, but he died of multiple blunt force trauma. In other words wearing a helmet would have had no bearing on his survival, he would be dead from something else.

More on the Sand Springs cyclist homicides. Woman charged for hitting & killing cyclists I know the charges at the moment are only manslaughter, but they can (will) be upgraded to homicide when the toxicology reports come back.

A cyclist pulls in front of a moving car and gets killed. Bicyclist dies at FMC after being hit by car What can I say about this one except watch where you’re going and what is coming? And the report of massive head trauma does not mean he should have been wearing a helmet, he was wearing a helmet (from a report I can’t link to any more) and still had the massive head trauma. and before I post anything further wear your helmet, just don’t expect it to perform miracles.

The crash was so bad they haven’t been able to determine the vehicles for all the victims, they think one might have been riding a bicycle and been a secondary collision victim. Freeway Crash Kills Two There are freeways in OR that are legal to ride a bicycle on because of a lack of through roads that cyclists would normally take. I’m not familiar with this particular stretch of pavement but if it is a mountain pass then it would be one of the parts of the Interstate system in OR that was legal to ride a bicycle on.

A MI writer talks about bike safety bills passed or under consideration. Eckert: Bill needed to help keep cyclists safe

A NY cyclist sues the contractor for leaving an unmarked hazard in the road that caused him physical pain and financial loss. Injured bicyclist sues State Street contractor What more can I say, the contractor left a dangerous road condition, one that could have brought down any single track vehicle with or without a motor, it just happened that the guy that hit it was not motor-driven but human powered.

Another report on the OR cyclist payout from the insurance company of an insane driver. Insurance company to pay cyclist $100,000 It’s not just me that says he’s insane, the judge in the case said so…

This is soooo stupid. Helmets, proper attire critical to cycling safety I agree that a helmet should be part of everyone’s cycling apparel but not the first thing.

And more on cracking down on Austratlian cyclists that have killed 2 pedestrians since 1999. Jail threat for dangerous cyclists From the Aussie safety site more than 3000 pedestrians were killed in the years since 1999, 2 by wrecks with bicycles. Obviously they had to crack down on the dangerous cyclists.

More later if I feel like it…

Billed @$.02, Opus