Today was another day of a weak Feed, but not because of a lack of interest by the media. Yes we actually have had a lull in bike wrecks. This is only temporary and won’t last long, but I’m going to revel in it while I can. After Sand Springs and Ocean City, a few days of reduced numbers of deceased cyclists is welcome.
To lend perspective on the vulnerability of cyclists we have this cautionary tale (tail?) from Austin. Beware the bunny Fortunately no permanent injuries to either the bunny or the cyclist, but still a stark reminder of how vulnerable and exposed we are on bicycles, and other 2 wheeled conveyances. But once you get past that this is funnnneeee. (No bunnies were harmed in the making of this post.)
I still have no suggestions for avoiding drunks driving on the shoulder or in the bike lane. Bicyclist Killed in Collision With Car The only thing that will prevent something like this is stepped up enforcement with enhanced penalties, like forfeiture of vehicle on second arrest or conviction. We already have such penalties for drug possession, which is much less harmful to society than drunken driving, without conviction. Why not extend them to something which has been proven harmful to both the individual and to society at large? If we can take the assets of suspected drug dealers without having to actually convict them, and not just what they have when and where they are arrested but anything and everything they might have financed with drug money, why can’t we confiscate and destroy the car a drunk driver is arrested in?
A MI teenager thought traffic had stopped and it would be safe to cross a road. Bicyclist injured crossing U.S. 31 This is actually a fairly common mode of wreck, where one lane of a multi-lane street or highway has come to a stop, sometimes as a courtesy to the crossing cyclist or pedestrian, and other lanes of traffic just keep on going. When this is worst is when there is a signal or stop sign that one lane of traffic has stopped for that blocks the view of inside lanes of both the signal and oncoming traffic. This is something I don’t know how to fix, because if you have eye-level signage it will be blocked by tall vehicles in the outside lane, and if you raise it high enough to be seen over the roofs of vehicles then you run the risk of it becoming invisible to lower vehicles in the outside lane by being too high to see through the windshield or side windows.
US 31 in MI has attracted a lot of cyclists, and so it also attracts a lot of cyclist wrecks like this one and the one above. 2 cyclists hit on U.S. 31 north of Holland The assailant in the double assault is in custody.
A HS coach and AD gets hit riding his bike. Indian Creek athletic director dies in Brown County bicycle accident Nothing on the mechanism of the wreck, and interestingly enough no comments either…
Another wreck where the oncoming driver’s view was obstructed. Arundel Digest The bike article is the second one down. In this wreck both the oncoming driver’s view of the cyclist and the cyclist’s view of the driver that hit him were obstructed by a guy waving the oncoming driver through the intersection. Nobody saw the cyclist until he was hit. This is why when coming to an intersection with a stopped vehicle in either lane you should also stop to at least see why the other vehicle has stopped, no matter what kind of vehicle you are controlling.
In what appears to be a rare case of a fatal clipless pedal wreck in WI. River Valley rider killed in crash The rider fell over into the lane of traffic from the shoulder and was hit by a truck. I’m glad I ride platforms on my bike. I run Looks on my trikes to prevent leg suck, but I can get almost 270 degrees of pedaling power down with my platforms without pegs or toe clips or Power Straps, just crepe soles and ankling skills on rat trap pedals.
A TV weatherman has a mechanical during a time trial and breaks a vertebra. WVEC meteorologist Lawson hurt in bicycle accident That was one violent mechanical malfunction.
A Canadian cyclist is hit in London ON. Cyclist seriously injured when struck by RV No word yet on how this happened, other than the cyclist was headed west when he entered the intersection. Nothing on what direction the RV was going or either of the operators’ names.
Another UK cyclist gets hit. Cyclist injured in Louth The 78 YO cyclist was hit by a 81 YO driver. That must have been some scene, the cyclist cussing the “old fogey” behind the wheel and the driver cussing the “whippersnapper” on the bike. 😉
And Consumer Reports tests bike helmets far beyond the federal standard, they went to 18 MPH. Best Bike Helmets They only went about 5 1/2 MPH higher than the Federal test but that is almost twice the energy to absorb in the impact. And when was the last time you saw a speed limit below 18 MPH? In TX that’s not even as fast as a school zone.
And that’s all I have today.
Billed @$.02, Opus
Witch on a Bicycle 