I get occasional PMs about my advice for avoiding wrecks, with the usual complaint that it “blames the victim”. Usually this is from someone who has just started reading my blog when there were a lot of wrecks that the driver was wrong, but heads-up riding by the cyclist might have prevented the wreck or reduced the severity of injury. I only blame the victim when there is reason to do so, a recent salmoning bike ninja death comes to mind. And keep those PMs coming, I read them all and use stuff I read from time to time. After all where do you think my “back-channel” reporting comes from? It comes from people that read my blog and see a wreck sending me a PM. BTW speaking of seeing wrecks, I finally got the final word on that SUV rollover I saw last spring. Doctors tried to reattach the man’s arm, but there was too much tissue damage and an infection set in so they had to remove it again. So now he has to wear his watch on his right arm because that’s the one he has left, pun not intended. Honest! I didn’t even notice it until I read it the third time during proof-reading.
Up first is yet another link to the guy that was hit-and-run near the end of a 600km bike ride in SoCal. Hit-and-Run Crash Kills Bicyclist on Highway 101 This article was published prior to the forensic analysis of the debris at the scene that pronounced the vehicle to be a 2007-2008 Dodge Ram. And from the many reports I have seen on this wreck I don’t think there was anything the cyclist could have done to avoid this wreck, the best description of the wreck we have now states that the truck moved from the inside lane to the shoulder crossing another lane of travel before hitting the cyclist. One would have to be Kreskin and the Flash to know this was coming and be able to react in time to avoid the wreck.
A victim that deserves to be blamed gets hit in IA. Bluff bicyclist critically injured Running a stop sign when there are cars coming (or as in this case already in the intersection) is patently stupid, and will get you hurt. What we have in this wreck is a breakdown in situational awareness AKA not watching where you’re going. Go ahead and roll stop signs when there is nobody there to run into, but stop when other vehicles are present. That way you will die from something else, probably a lot less painful. I tried to pull up a street view on Google Maps, but the closest I could get was 24th, about 9 blocks away, because of a snafu with Google Maps.
Moving on to Oz, we have a cyclist training for a race that is hit-and-run. Champion Dubbo cyclist injured in hit and run The cyclist in this case thinks there was wrong on both sides until the driver left the scene. Basically this was a hit-from-behind by a driver not being aware that there might be a slow-moving vehicle on the other side of the hill and that he needed to slow down topping the hill.
Still in Oz we get a report on the number of tickets handed to cyclists. Cyclists flouting road rules: police This sounds like a lot, until you realize this is for a very large geographical area for an entire year, and no corresponding numbers for motor vehicle operators are included. The comments were “entertaining”.
Some legal Infrastructure! being utilized in LA around New Orleans to enhance safety prior to a bike race. Bicycle safety being emphasized for Ochsner Ironman 70.3 race LEO will be enforcing the passing laws preceding and during the event for the safety of the competitors. After that you guys are on your own.
Lifestyle. Police bike tour seeks funds for Israeli cyclists Part of this is for Israeli cyclists, part is for LEO lost in the line of duty. WoaB strongly suggests you vote with your $$ to support this.
Another cyclist deserving of $upport. Cyclist raises money for soldiers’ children
And that’s all I had today except for a couple UK reports that basically said, “someone got hit riding a bicycle”.
Billed @$0.02, Opus
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Witch on a Bicycle 