I can't seem to find the thread that dealt with this a few weeks back, so
I'll start a new one. My thesis is that journalists - whether consciously
or subconsciously - tend to report all bicycle-car collisions in a way that
makes the cyclist look like he/she was riding carelessly, breaking the law,
etc.

The previous article I cited was a better example than the one below, but
check this one out anyway:

Bicyclist critically injured after being hit by car
BY JENNIFER BARRIOS |
11:23 AM EDT, April 27, 2009
A bicycle rider was in critical condition with a head injury after he was
hit by a car Sunday in Brentwood, Suffolk police said.

Police on Monday identified the bicyclist as Abel Camacho, 63, of Brentwood.

Camacho was hit while trying to cross in front of a 1994 Toyota Camry driven
by Gilberto Romero, 36, of Freeport, police said.

The crash occurred about 1:35 p.m. as Romero drove northbound on Washington
Avenue at Jackson Street in Brentwood. Camacho was flown to Stony Brook
University Medical Center with a severe head injury. (END OF ARTICLE)

Notice the line that reads "Camacho was hit while trying to cross in front
of a 1994 Toyota Camry driven by..." Do we know whether the cyclist was
riding recklessly across an intersection or whether he was following the
rules of the road? Do we know if he was crossing on a green or a red light?
Do we know if the driver failed to stop at a STOP sign? All we are told is
that Mr. Camacho was trying to "cross in front of an automobile," implying
that he should NOT have been doing such a thing.

This type of irresponsible writing perpetuates the misguided attitude among
automobilists that all cyclists are wild and dangerous and need to be kept
away from the roads, lest drivers might have to look away from their iPhones
every once in a while to avoid colliding with them. I hope members of our
community will continue to point these little injustices out to those who
cover bicycle-auto accidents in their communities. My guess is that
Jennifer Barrios meant no harm, but that her underlying attitude toward
bicyclists may have been shaped by years of unfounded remarks by the people
around her.