OK I’m ready to filter 3 days worth of Feed today, because Saturday’s Feed has sat unread in my inbox under Sunday and now Monday’s. Before I move to bicycle wrecks let me add my condolences to the family of Dan Wheldon, who died when his race car went into the catch fence with the cockpit facing the fence at about 200 MPH in Las Vegas yesterday. That’s about the only angle on that class of race car that they couldn’t protect because that is also how they get the driver in and out of the car. Had Wheldon hit the wall instead of the fence then the safety features of the car would have protected him, but the wires that make up the catch fence went around the protective bars over the cockpit. Since there is no way to make the fence more solid without blocking the view of the people that pay to come see the race in person I don’t see any way to prevent another wreck like this from killing another driver in the future without radically changing the nature of the cars. The one thing I can see to prevent this kind of wreck from killing another driver would be a solid bubble over the cockpit like a fighter jet, but then that would cause a whole lot of other problems with more common wreck scenarios. The biggest problem would be getting a driver out of a burning car that was either upside down or that had all power killed by the wreck. Since I’m not a race-car engineer (I did suspensions for race cars back in the day, but not as a trained engineer) I will leave that stuff to the trained engineers.
Dan Wheldon died too soon.
The big story of the Feed today seems to be the follow up to the cyclist that was doored in Ontario and other wrecks in the Great White North. Scores mourn cyclist killed on way to work and Scores mourn city cyclist more Cyclist’s death resonates in Ottawa still more Funerals set for cyclist Danielle Naçu and another one Ottawa memorial set for cyclist killed Tuesday last link Cyclist killed in tragic accident That so much has been said about this wreck by the national media in Canada and major local media all across the country says a great deal about the country’s opinion of cycling: if you are a cute girl/woman then it’s a tragedy, otherwise quit clogging the roads you lout!
Another wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist killed last night on Hwy 39 and a more informative link Bicyclist killed in collision Notice that the LEO reporting this wreck went to great lengths to shift blame from the driver of the semi to the cyclist that he failed to pass safely. This was pure and simple a hit-from-behind wreck that the driver failed to allow enough room for the cyclist to dodge road debris or broken pavement on the edge of the road. The LEO made it a SWSS.
Another hit-and-run of a cyclist in the same province as the door-prize girl. Vehicle sought in Kingsville collision; cyclist injured when thrown from bike They don’t know the make or model of the vehicle but given the kind of wreck it is assumed the car will have damage to the front passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Still in Canuckistan, another cyclist is killed a collision with a semi, this one in BC. Port Alberni cyclist struck and killed by heavy truck At this point in time I don’t know enough about the wreck to tell you how to avoid it, but my initial suspicion is that this is another hit-from-behind wreck by a driver that failed to allow sufficient space while passing the cyclist. However time will tell what the real story is.
Moving south a bit from the previous link, the killer of a cyclist faces a maximum fine of $42. No felony charge in bicyclist’s death in Kirkland and Extra, Extra: No Tent For You, No Charges for Teen Who Killed a Cyclist and Teen driver fined $42 for crash that killed Kirkland bicyclist and from the UK Price of a cyclist’s life? $42 in Washington State So, in spite of 2 witnesses that failed to corroborate the driver’s claim of an oncoming vehicle in his lane, the driver will skate with a minor fine in the killing of a human being because the victim was riding a bicycle. It was noted that LEO failed to subpoena the driver’s cell phone records from the time of the wreck, and that the cyclist’s survivors have issued that subpoena for their civil suit. I wonder if there was criminal activity that was not charged because of lack of investigation by LEO could they be sued for dereliction of duty?
A little further down the coast a cyclist is hit in an intersection. Eureka cyclist killed in collision with truck and Eureka cyclist seriously injured after hit by pickup Had the driver been doing the speed limit and the cyclist wearing a helmet this was a 80% chance of survival wreck, but the combination of speed and an unprotected skull were fatal in this case. This is one reason why I never ride without a helmet except when I need my ears free (I wear a full-face helmet that covers my ears while the chin bar protects my face).
I don’t know exactly where this wreck happened but I’m glad the cyclist was not seriously injured. Cyclist Hit Outside Northport High School From the timing and the description of the wreck it seems that this wreck was during the chaos of the morning drop-off outside the school. Bad time to be riding by a school unless you are a student there (or a teacher). Even then it isn’t a good time to be there, just the time you have to be there. To avoid all you can do is exercise a high degree of SA and be aware of anything moving around you.
A hit-and-run near our nation’s capitol. Driver Reportedly Flees Scene on GW Parkway, Leaving Injured Cyclist There is the bit that cyclists were not allowed in that part of the park, but that doesn’t excuse the hit-and-run.
Another amazing report on the turn around in attitude in the state of LA. Bicycle Safety Concerns Nothing about the three cyclists that were hit, so I can’t tell you how to avoid similar wrecks, but the attitude change in just a few years is remarkable.
A SWCC in OH. Police name bicyclist killed Friday in Hamilton Nothing in the report about direction of the vehicle or if the cyclist was just moving to the correct side of the street for his intended direction of travel. I couldn’t tell you about avoiding this wreck except to wait until traffic is clear before crossing the road.
Back in Canuckistan, the man that killed Darcy Sheppard after hitting him twice with his car and being confronted by the angry cyclist is writing a book about how awful it is to be treated like a criminal for killing someone so far beneath your station. Michael Bryant book to tell his ‘descent into a kind of hell’ If that sounds a bit harsh, Bryant was caught on a security camera hitting Sheppard twice from behind knocking him to the ground the second time, and then when confronted by the angry cyclist attempting to run him over, when Sheppard grabbed the side of his car to keep from getting run over Bryant tried to use street furniture to knock him off, eventually running Sheppard over with his car after he lost his grip on the door and fell under the rear wheels. Only Bryant’s status as a former AG saved his bacon from serious hard time, as the case was dropped before coming to trial.
Infrastructure! from the UK. Calls to start safety work at junction where cyclist died and Mayor Boris invited to saddle up and experience the dangers of Kings Cross roads for himself This area was slated for a re-do back in 2008 and still hasn’t been corrected in spite of several fatal wrecks there. Why this has been allowed to happen is a matter of supposition, but the continued lack of doing anything has verged on the criminal as cyclists are forced through this junction by destinations or origins or both on one of the roads passing through it. It is a major hotspot for cycling wrecks and especially fatal wrecks in London, and is responsible for several female cyclist v HGV wrecks that are invariably fatal.
LifeStyle from CA after a hit-and-run. Women’s second encounter leaves much better memories I’m glad the women managed to make amends.
And that is all I have today.
Billed @$0.02, Opus
32.928601
-96.607394
Witch on a Bicycle 
Looking at a long day, the Feed
OK I’m ready to filter 3 days worth of Feed today, because Saturday’s Feed has sat unread in my inbox under Sunday and now Monday’s. Before I move to bicycle wrecks let me add my condolences to the family of Dan Wheldon, who died when his race car went into the catch fence with the cockpit facing the fence at about 200 MPH in Las Vegas yesterday. That’s about the only angle on that class of race car that they couldn’t protect because that is also how they get the driver in and out of the car. Had Wheldon hit the wall instead of the fence then the safety features of the car would have protected him, but the wires that make up the catch fence went around the protective bars over the cockpit. Since there is no way to make the fence more solid without blocking the view of the people that pay to come see the race in person I don’t see any way to prevent another wreck like this from killing another driver in the future without radically changing the nature of the cars. The one thing I can see to prevent this kind of wreck from killing another driver would be a solid bubble over the cockpit like a fighter jet, but then that would cause a whole lot of other problems with more common wreck scenarios. The biggest problem would be getting a driver out of a burning car that was either upside down or that had all power killed by the wreck. Since I’m not a race-car engineer (I did suspensions for race cars back in the day, but not as a trained engineer) I will leave that stuff to the trained engineers.
Dan Wheldon died too soon.
The big story of the Feed today seems to be the follow up to the cyclist that was doored in Ontario and other wrecks in the Great White North. Scores mourn cyclist killed on way to work and Scores mourn city cyclist more Cyclist’s death resonates in Ottawa still more Funerals set for cyclist Danielle Naçu and another one Ottawa memorial set for cyclist killed Tuesday last link Cyclist killed in tragic accident That so much has been said about this wreck by the national media in Canada and major local media all across the country says a great deal about the country’s opinion of cycling: if you are a cute girl/woman then it’s a tragedy, otherwise quit clogging the roads you lout!
Another wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist killed last night on Hwy 39 and a more informative link Bicyclist killed in collision Notice that the LEO reporting this wreck went to great lengths to shift blame from the driver of the semi to the cyclist that he failed to pass safely. This was pure and simple a hit-from-behind wreck that the driver failed to allow enough room for the cyclist to dodge road debris or broken pavement on the edge of the road. The LEO made it a SWSS.
Another hit-and-run of a cyclist in the same province as the door-prize girl. Vehicle sought in Kingsville collision; cyclist injured when thrown from bike They don’t know the make or model of the vehicle but given the kind of wreck it is assumed the car will have damage to the front passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Still in Canuckistan, another cyclist is killed a collision with a semi, this one in BC. Port Alberni cyclist struck and killed by heavy truck At this point in time I don’t know enough about the wreck to tell you how to avoid it, but my initial suspicion is that this is another hit-from-behind wreck by a driver that failed to allow sufficient space while passing the cyclist. However time will tell what the real story is.
Moving south a bit from the previous link, the killer of a cyclist faces a maximum fine of $42. No felony charge in bicyclist’s death in Kirkland and Extra, Extra: No Tent For You, No Charges for Teen Who Killed a Cyclist and Teen driver fined $42 for crash that killed Kirkland bicyclist and from the UK Price of a cyclist’s life? $42 in Washington State So, in spite of 2 witnesses that failed to corroborate the driver’s claim of an oncoming vehicle in his lane, the driver will skate with a minor fine in the killing of a human being because the victim was riding a bicycle. It was noted that LEO failed to subpoena the driver’s cell phone records from the time of the wreck, and that the cyclist’s survivors have issued that subpoena for their civil suit. I wonder if there was criminal activity that was not charged because of lack of investigation by LEO could they be sued for dereliction of duty?
A little further down the coast a cyclist is hit in an intersection. Eureka cyclist killed in collision with truck and Eureka cyclist seriously injured after hit by pickup Had the driver been doing the speed limit and the cyclist wearing a helmet this was a 80% chance of survival wreck, but the combination of speed and an unprotected skull were fatal in this case. This is one reason why I never ride without a helmet except when I need my ears free (I wear a full-face helmet that covers my ears while the chin bar protects my face).
I don’t know exactly where this wreck happened but I’m glad the cyclist was not seriously injured. Cyclist Hit Outside Northport High School From the timing and the description of the wreck it seems that this wreck was during the chaos of the morning drop-off outside the school. Bad time to be riding by a school unless you are a student there (or a teacher). Even then it isn’t a good time to be there, just the time you have to be there. To avoid all you can do is exercise a high degree of SA and be aware of anything moving around you.
A hit-and-run near our nation’s capitol. Driver Reportedly Flees Scene on GW Parkway, Leaving Injured Cyclist There is the bit that cyclists were not allowed in that part of the park, but that doesn’t excuse the hit-and-run.
Another amazing report on the turn around in attitude in the state of LA. Bicycle Safety Concerns Nothing about the three cyclists that were hit, so I can’t tell you how to avoid similar wrecks, but the attitude change in just a few years is remarkable.
A SWCC in OH. Police name bicyclist killed Friday in Hamilton Nothing in the report about direction of the vehicle or if the cyclist was just moving to the correct side of the street for his intended direction of travel. I couldn’t tell you about avoiding this wreck except to wait until traffic is clear before crossing the road.
Back in Canuckistan, the man that killed Darcy Sheppard after hitting him twice with his car and being confronted by the angry cyclist is writing a book about how awful it is to be treated like a criminal for killing someone so far beneath your station. Michael Bryant book to tell his ‘descent into a kind of hell’ If that sounds a bit harsh, Bryant was caught on a security camera hitting Sheppard twice from behind knocking him to the ground the second time, and then when confronted by the angry cyclist attempting to run him over, when Sheppard grabbed the side of his car to keep from getting run over Bryant tried to use street furniture to knock him off, eventually running Sheppard over with his car after he lost his grip on the door and fell under the rear wheels. Only Bryant’s status as a former AG saved his bacon from serious hard time, as the case was dropped before coming to trial.
Infrastructure! from the UK. Calls to start safety work at junction where cyclist died and Mayor Boris invited to saddle up and experience the dangers of Kings Cross roads for himself This area was slated for a re-do back in 2008 and still hasn’t been corrected in spite of several fatal wrecks there. Why this has been allowed to happen is a matter of supposition, but the continued lack of doing anything has verged on the criminal as cyclists are forced through this junction by destinations or origins or both on one of the roads passing through it. It is a major hotspot for cycling wrecks and especially fatal wrecks in London, and is responsible for several female cyclist v HGV wrecks that are invariably fatal.
LifeStyle from CA after a hit-and-run. Women’s second encounter leaves much better memories I’m glad the women managed to make amends.
And that is all I have today.
Billed @$0.02, Opus
Leave a comment
Posted in Daily Feed
Tagged anti-bike blatherings, cycling life, cyclist injured, cyclist killed, Darcy Sheppard, Dead cyclists, Don't read the comments, door prizes, ghost bikes, hit from behind, hit-and-run, infrastructure, Jolly Olde, Michael Bryant, red light runner, Single Witness Suicidal Swerve/Single Witness Crossing Cyclist, smart politicians, Something smells, stupid drivers, stupid politicians, UK media wreck articles suck, updates, waste of human skin