A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » rec.bicycles » General
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Cyclist killed, driver cited for going too fast



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #41  
Old October 18th 04, 05:04 PM
Frank Krygowski
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Bill Baka wrote:
On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 09:16:03 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

I've biked in countless cities, several countries, and nearly every US
state, and most of that has been on open country roads. I wouldn't
give it up for the world.


Tell that to the cyclists who were killed from behind.


I prefer to give such warnings to the motorists that are killed on the road.

In a typical year, there are about 40,000 Americans killed inside cars.
There are only about 750 cyclists killed while riding - and most of
those are doing foolish things like violating fundamental traffic laws.

Give the warnings where they'll do the most good. Don't scare people
away from safe and beneficial activities.



--
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com.
Substitute cc dot ysu dot
edu]

Ads
  #42  
Old October 18th 04, 10:50 PM
Steve
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

What does the statistics mean? There are more motorists than cyclists?

Frank Krygowski wrote in message ...
Bill Baka wrote:
On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 09:16:03 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

I've biked in countless cities, several countries, and nearly every US
state, and most of that has been on open country roads. I wouldn't
give it up for the world.


Tell that to the cyclists who were killed from behind.


I prefer to give such warnings to the motorists that are killed on the road.

In a typical year, there are about 40,000 Americans killed inside cars.
There are only about 750 cyclists killed while riding - and most of
those are doing foolish things like violating fundamental traffic laws.

Give the warnings where they'll do the most good. Don't scare people
away from safe and beneficial activities.

  #43  
Old October 18th 04, 10:52 PM
Steve
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Isn't it illegal to go against the traffic?

Bill Baka wrote in message ...
On 13 Oct 2004 09:49:06 -0700, RichC wrote:

omcom (dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote in
message ...

When the sun is low in the sky, and bright, such as this time of the
year in my
bit of the UK, and I have to cycle 'into' the sun, I have my rear
lights *on* -
and one in a flashing mode. Just helps make me that bit more visible.


Have you actually tested that theory?

I ask because I had it happen recently, while driving, that sun glare
made it pretty much impossible for me to see where I was going. I
slowed down pulled over until conditions changed, which took about 10
minutes.

I was the only car that stopped. Was I the only driver that was
blinded? Maybe. But I doubt it.

Drivers blinded by sun glare assume, I think, that they can still see
something as big as a car in time to avoid hitting it. And they drive
on, blindly. That appears to be what happened in the fatal collision
that inspired this thread. Blinking lights on the bike would not have
saved the victims.

Knowing they were being overtaken by a blinded driver and being
prepared to bail out might have saved them. (Total speculation; I have
no actual knowledge of the circumstances.)

Me, I assume that all drivers are blind at all times, and ride
accordingly.

RichC


Rich,
I wish there were more like you because everyone around here assumes
that just because they are on a 55MPH back road with little traffice
that there is nothing to hit. I doubt that I would be seen and on
the occasions where I have attempted to appease the law and order crowd
I have been whiffed pretty closely by some big rigs. Six inches is the
closest so far but I was on the edge of the pavement, (read stripe,
no bike lane) and there was no traffic oncoming. The driver could have
easily moved all the way over into the other side but did nothing.
98% of big rig drivers pull way over for me and I give them a wave,
2% get a different kind of wave. I like to stay legal but I am not
going to pursue it to the grave.
Bill Baka

  #44  
Old October 18th 04, 11:12 PM
Zoot Katz
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

18 Oct 2004 14:52:08 -0700,
,
(Steve) wrote:

Isn't it illegal to go against the traffic?


Only in states with laws prohibiting suicide.
--
zk
  #45  
Old October 18th 04, 11:16 PM
Rich Clark
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Steve" wrote in message
om...
Isn't it illegal to go against the traffic?


Yes, but that's not why it's stupid. It's stupid because it increases the
closing speed between the cyclist and oncoming traffic, thus reducing
everyone's reaction time, and because it puts the cyclist into a
relationship with emerging/right-turning traffic (coming onto the cyclist's
road and into the cyclist's path) that drivers rarely anticipate or account
for.

Cyclists who insist they're safer riding against traffic believe that
because they can see the danger they can get out of its way, and believe
that by relying only on their own reactions and perceptions they aren't
putting their lives into the hands of drivers.

But they ignore the fact that the same is true of riders who ride with the
traffic, probably because they're unskilled at it (particularly at knowing
what's happening behind them).

Riding against traffic is illegal not because of some arbitrary whim of the
legislators, but because traffic laws are, by and large, designed to prevent
death and destruction on the road.

RichC


  #46  
Old October 19th 04, 05:13 AM
Frank Krygowski
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Steve top posted:

What does the statistics mean? There are more motorists than cyclists?

Frank Krygowski wrote in message ...

In a typical year, there are about 40,000 Americans killed inside cars.
There are only about 750 cyclists killed while riding - and most of
those are doing foolish things like violating fundamental traffic laws.


It's not just that there are fewer cyclists. The fatality-per-hour
statistics for cyclists are about the same as for motorists, and better
than for pedestrians.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Great Cycling Advocate Killed by repeat Drunk Driver mrbubl General 50 October 6th 03 05:38 PM
Great Cycling Advocate Killed by repeat Drunk Driver mrbubl Social Issues 40 October 4th 03 07:48 AM
Missouri Bike Advocate Killed by Drunk Driver Kerry Nikolaisen General 3 September 16th 03 09:36 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.