Yesterday’s busy day has left me with a massive backlog of links to filter before I can even begin to start writing the rest of the blog post, but I did find some interesting stuff from things I was sent in my regular e-mail. I think I have just about recovered from Wednesday and yesterday. And I’m watching the repeat of the qualifying from Charlotte for the World 600 Sprint Cup race on Sunday, with Jimmy Johnson getting the pole.
I’m going to start with Ride of Silence links for two reasons: I have a bunch of those links with tons of flash advertising in the pages I’m linking to that is really clogging my computer to the point that I can get most of a line typed out before it shows up on my screen, and this is the international Big Story. Cyclists remember others who have died on the road and ‘Ride of Silence’ to honor cyclists killed on SF streets and this SF BIKE COMMUNITY TO HONOR CYCLIST FATALITIES more Share the road: Cyclists hope silent ride raises awareness still more Annual bike ride honours injured, killed cyclists not done yet Cyclists honor victims killed on SC roads more links
‘Ride of Silence’ promotes awareness of safety for cyclists another one Fort Myers Ride of Silence draws nearly 200 cyclists and they just go one and on Riding and remembering another one CYCLIST TRIBUTE: Ride Of Silence Held
Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Coddling drunk drivers, analysis of the new Bike League study and a moving new hit-and-run video
This was just too easy as a driver videos himself assaulting cyclists and posted the video online. Piedmont man charged after viral video threatening cyclists The comments made in the video after one of the “punishment passes” about he should have run the cyclist into the ditch, combined with all the other ranting and raving he recorded, and thought would be acceptable to post to Facebook… More Truck-driving Alabama man arrested after videos of him threatening bicyclists goes viral
A cyclist is killed by a semi truck while riding on a shared lane. Cyclist killed in crash Notice the picture where they extracted the cyclist’s body from the wreck beside a “Share the Road” sign. The mode of wreck was a right hook and can be expected when the infrastructure is as demi-buttocked as it usually is in AR. Get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.
A “possible” hit and run in IL. Bike Rider Killed In Possible Hit-Run Accident In Mundeleinz Dead rider, smashed bicycle located well off the road, and they think “possible” hit-and-run? I wouldn’t drop it lower than “probable” unless there was a UFO sighting in the area about the time he failed to show after the ride… Since they couldn’t determine direction of travel prior to the wreck or much of anything else I can’t advise on dealing with the built infrastructure or if altering the built infrastructure would prevent the wreck, aside from barrier protected segregated infrastructure. If the cars can’t get to you whatever they do on the roads becomes moot.
And a fatal wreck is quickly approaching closure in VA. Motorist pleads guilty to DUI, killing cyclist in Roanoke Now we just have to wait until August to find out she will get probation for a few years at most…
Someone in illegal possession of a deadly weapon gets a ticket for killing a cyclist in NYC. NYPD says cyclist killed by unlicensed driver The driver got a ticket for driving without a license, but nothing for killing the cyclist…
A VT cyclist gets hit by a car running a traffic control while the cyclist was crossing the road. Van collides with cyclist OK you have a crossing signal flashing at you and there are 2 other vehicles stopped waiting, so naturally you just barge right on through… And the idiot admits to seeing the cyclist before hitting him. Nothing a cyclist could have done to prevent the wreck and as the driver was ignoring traffic controls only grade separated infrastructure would have prevented this wreck.
A MI cyclist is killed by a hit-and-run driver. Bicycle rider struck and killed on Gratiot in New Haven The biggest thing I took away from this article was that the driver was found hiding under a blanket after literally running away from the wreck on foot.
A wreck in WA leaves a cyclist clinging to life in hospital. Bicyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run collision Because of the nature of the hit-and-run all they know is the likely direction of travel for the cyclist. Get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.
A CA cyclist gets clobbered with bad infrastructure. Downey cyclist hit by vehicle trying to enter 105 Freeway I had to read deep into the article to be sure the cyclist was not trying to enter the freeway, and I’m still only about 90% convinced this was the case. Low angle intersection but I’m still confused as to where the cyclist was in relation to the motor vehicle. I can’t get any mapping programs to open up because of all the open tabs I still have up. This could have been a typical right hook only worse because the turn was taken at a higher than normal speed. Intersection wreck but protocols would require time for reaction that doesn’t look like the cyclist would have had, so mooted, but getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” would have the cyclist on a parallel route with better access to local businesses and housing and prevented this wreck.
I don’t know why I let this anger me any more, I know cyclists are considered second class citizens by the courts. Powers sentenced for drunk driving crash that killed Helena cyclist The driver will be out of prison in a little over a year… for killing a human being while driving with a 0.25 BAC%. I have long known that MT treats drunk drivers with great deference but this is fracking ridiculous. There is no wiggle room on this one, the cyclist was wearing a helmet and the bike was lighted like a Christmas tree and had reflectors, and the driver never braked nor swerved to miss him.
More on a cyclist killed in the Great White North. Cyclist dies after collision with pickup truck, driver treated for shock Since the article is mostly behind a paywall and I have exceeded my allotment of free pages I can’t say for sure there is no new material in this link… But as I wrote earlier because of the lack of witnesses at the scene (cyclist dead and driver in shock) there hasn’t been much forthcoming on this one.
Intersection wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist in hospital after collision in Burlington Nothing on the mode of the wreck, just the location at the exit of a high-speed freeway so intersection protocols might help avoid or mitigate the damages in the wreck, but getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” so that cyclists are not crossing freeway exits at grade level would prevent it.
A right hook wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist killed after being hit by vehicle in Dartmouth The initial narrative is for a typical right hook, so intersection protocols to avoid or to mitigate damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent the wreck. The thing that gets me the worst about this wreck is the cyclist is dead, but you could straighten out the saddle and ride away on the bike she was riding…
Lots of bike wrecks in a single link from the GWN. Five local cyclists hurt in two days after collisions with vehicles
A right hook wreck in Canuckistan has two links. Cyclist killed after downtown collision with garbage truck and Edmonton cyclist killed after being hit by a garbage truck typical right hook but the results were very similar to the wreck in the preceding paragraph half a continent away, the bike looks like it could be adjusted and ridden away from the wreck. Same advice as the previous wreck, intersection protocols and infrastructure.
Completely unsurprising news from Jolly Olde. Lorry driver will not face prosecution over death of cyclist in Dulwich TANJ!
Somewhat surprising news from Oz. Drink-driver jailed over Qld cyclist death The driver must have been completely plastered the night before because more than 5 hours after the party he was still at 0.076 BAC% when he hit the cyclist.
Infrastructure! news from the United States. Report: 88% Of Drivers Who Kill Cyclists Walk Free The headline does not surprise me, but the tidbit from later in the article that 40% of fatal wrecks are hit-from-behind in spite of those wrecks being a very small percentage of all bicycle v motor vehicle wrecks. The fact that Floriduh kills a very high percentage of its population on bikes is completely unsurprising. More 8 takeaways from the Bike League’s study of cyclist fatalities and How to get killed on a bike: Your chances are best on an urban arterial road, getting hit from behind.
Infrastructure from the Great White North. Letter: Cyclists should assert their power (respectfully)
Infrastructure news from Oz as cyclists protest their draconian helmet laws. SA cyclists and police face head-on clash over helmet law If bike helmets actually did something useful I could see the laws, but every study not carried out by the helmet industry has failed to find a distinct benefit from helmet laws. Unless you count cyclist suppression as a “benefit”.
And I think I have enough for today.
Billed @€0.02, Opus
Witch on a Bicycle 