jefnvk

A core requirement of every vehicular code I have ever read is that the onus is on the operator of a vehicle to always operate their vehicle with a safe stopping distance observed and at a speed in consideration of all traffic on the road. Yes, he would have been alive had ROW been followed and traffic in his direction not stopped due to ceding it, just as he would have been had he been riding at a speed appropriate for the conditions present (vehicles stopped for an unknown reason with a likely obstructed view to the cyclist). Unfortunately, he only had control of one of those things, and disregarded it. Furthermore, this was not a last second movement, by the information given in the article linked this was a situation in which he should have had many clues that something was happening that warranted caution.

And yes, when riding or driving in an urban environment, I do move in a manner that allows me to react and avoid any situation that may suddenly arise. Again, it is a very basic component of operating any vehicle.

gregf83 

I think this is the parking lot (with the jogger) https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.67149...8i6656!6m1!1e1 where he was hit. During certain times of the day there appears to be no parking and it's a normal two-lane road. Other times they allow parking. Not clear whether he was riding between parked cars or just in the right lane. Very similar to the accident I had except I didn't hit a parked car.

genec

It is just amazing how many drivers, and yes, cyclists, fail on this one simple point...

The NHTSA says that this simple rule and violating it causes about 1/3 of all motor vehicle deaths... too high of a speed for conditions.
Excessive Speed Is A Factor In One Third Of All Fatal Crashes

KD5NRH

While I don't see much to turn left into, (just the one alley by the gray building) my general assumption when a car stops mid-block in the left lane is that that car is planning to make a left or a u-turn. Either way, it's a perfectly normal and safe (generally - some idiots do pull far left initially then swing wide right when making a u-turn) movement to pass such a vehicle on the right. Again, we have the driver of the stopped car doing something unpredictable and getting people killed.

CliffordK

Following the map above, I found this sign.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.67125...7i13312!8i6656

So, it appears as if it is a travel lane, 7AM to 9AM and 4PM to 6PM, and a parking lane other times. The collision apparently occurred between noon and 1PM when parking would have been allowed.

I'm still struggling to figure out how stopping for a car crossing the lane led to crashing into a parked car.

Was the parked car before or after the driveway?

ParkedCarAccident.jpg

In the case of A (blue line), before the driveway, then he overreacted, and swerved early.
In the case of B (red line), did he lay down 20 feet of rubber? Or did he try to dodge the turning car full speed ahead?

Also, nothing indicates the density of parked cars. Was there just the occasional car to pass leaving a mostly open travel lane, or was it bumper to bumper parked cars?

I still believe the rider was riding in an unsafe fashion well beyond his own ability to control his bicycle.

I-Like-To-Bike

According to some of the A&S Savvy Cyclists, apparently as long as a cyclist Takes the Lane! and has the almighty legal Right of Way!, all is right with the world and there is no reason not to put the metal to the pedal. Responding to actual traffic conditions and using caution when appropriate is for those so-called unskilled incompetent cyclists we hear so much about on A&S from the Savvy Cyclists!

JoeyBike

Probably thinking the cyclist ought to "grow up" too.
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KD5NRH

That's still a bit deceptive. Look at the satellite views; he has 6-7 feet of lane between the parked cars and the lane divider. Even allowing a bit of door zone, he could still be riding right of the line with plenty of clear lane around him. Given the width of the inside lane, it's highly probable that the cars weren't within 2' of the other side of the line either, so a nice little bit of ~8-9' wide one-way bike freeway. No reason at all to ride right on the line as this indicates, and plenty of reason not to.

And 18mph isn't that dangerously fast on a straight, smooth route even if it is somewhat shared with motor traffic. Can't find a speed limit sign around there, but it's likely to be either 18 or 25 mph, and driving similar streets in US cities, I've certainly seen the cars getting up to 30+ between lights. Since a bike's maximum safe braking force (avoiding an endo, and assuming bike/rider incapable of a hard BMX-style spinout) with fairly good tires and brakes is around .5G - on par with what's required of some motor vehicles - it doesn't seem unreasonable for a bike to pace a car whenever it's able to. As to why he couldn't stop in time, maybe he wasn't positioned to get on the brakes, (foolish under the circumstances, but I've seen plenty of cyclists riding the tops in traffic without interruptors or turkey wings) or maybe he hit a puddle at some point and didn't realize his rims were wet.

indyfabz

Actually, I have noticed a lot of older men start showing poor decision making as they have grown older. I call it "Old Man Disease." For example, a guy I who I rode with regularly for years started doing things like not realizing where he was on the road as he aged into his 70s. He would drift out into the middle of a wide lane. Someone would say "Car back" and he would move to the right only to start drifting out again after the car passed. After two or three crashes caused my poor decision making, including riding to fast for conditions and his reaction time, his doctor told him his next crash could very well be his last. He heeded that warning and now only does training classes indoors. It's a sad fact of life that some people "lose it" sooner than others as advanced age sets in.

asmac

A little more information:
NEWS: Toronto cyclist killed in Dupont crash had right of way, police say ? Biking Toronto

CB HI

Since this cyclist was riding FRAP next to parked cars, he ran into trouble. Had he been riding VC taking the open lane at any speed, he would have ended up stopped behind the stopping car and no collision would have occurred. It is good to see you now support VC riding.

genec

Gee, I would hardly call that a rousing endorsement... if "support," at all.

Chris0516

May he rest in peace.

Viich

So - tragic car-bike incident. The motor vehicle was at fault, and the victim was riding within his rights. We can all look at the situation and actions on all side to try to make our own cycling safer.

1. While yielding the right of way was the original highway traffic act violation that led to this, these types of actions are not going to stop in Canada. Letting someone through just seems too polite.
2. When someone is turning left through stopped traffic, they need to be cautious - I witnessed an accident just like this only with a car on the right. REALLY BIG BANG, and the driver seemed to be a good one - she got the brakes on and minimized the impact. I thought at the time she was probably going a little too fast for the right lane next to a stopped lane, but doing nothing illegal.
3. After 2 faults, the cyclist still had a chance to minimize the incident through his actions. Possible higher speed than prudent (I wouldn't necessarily call that excessive), maybe not riding in position to brake quickly (conjecture), and the instinct to avoid the turning car maybe leading to a less-yielding collision (ie. hitting the front fender of a car and getting thrown over the hood is actually better than hitting the back of a parked van) - unless there is decent quality video, we'll probably never really know what options the victim had open to him.

RIP.

KD5NRH

Even then, it would be hard to say for sure. Maybe he thought he could snap turn into the parking lot ahead of the turning car, in which case he wouldn't want to brake until straightening out, but something happened as he tried it (like catching a pebble just wrong) to prevent that move from working. Too many variables to keep up with.

dynodonn 

My personal feelings is that the cyclist was focused more on getting to his destination, and less on the journey in progress, a common mistake made by more than a few road users.

jefnvk

A fair assessment. As with so many traffic incidents, many things had to go right (well, wrong) to end up with the result that happened. It is why I will unapologetically continue to operate any vehicle of mine in a manner safe for the conditions present, regardless of what the law says I can actually do above and beyond that.

JoeyBike

It just takes one lapse, or sometimes no lapse, at just the wrong moment. We are all at risk, not just "more experienced" adults. Accept the risk, or don't. Then live with the consequences.
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Chris0516

May he rest in peace.

There was a fatality like this a couple years ago. That was local to me. A large commercial-grade truck was making a left-turn into the parking lot of a mini-mall and the driver claimed they didn't see the cyclist. The cyclist died at the scene.

As for the TPS saying the cyclist should not have been cutting between cars. The article says the cyclist had the right-of-way. Next the TPS will probably say that the cyclist shouldn't have been on the road.

asmac

In fairness, the police did immediately change their tune and acknowledged he had the right-of-way although it clearly didn't do him much good.

Chris0516

Maybe it is just me.

But I am raw from all the knee-jerk cyclist blame from police and the driver not being held responsible.

The NYPD officer, who was allowed to resign w/o charges after intentionally knocking over cyclist during a CM ride.

So, I don't expect anything better.

Daniel4

Almost the same kind of thing happened to me long ago, but I was driving.

Obviously I survived with only damage to my front bumper.

From that day forward, whether I'm cycling or driving, if there's a line of cars on the left that's not moving, I keep an eye for a gap with someone trying to make a left into me.

Chris0516

This also made me think about the times I have 'taken the lane', about to proceed through an intersection with the right-of-way. A left-turn vehicle still felt they had the right to cross in front of me, despite seeing me.

jefnvk

ROW is a difficult thing for some and completely made up by others. In the complete opposite direction, the MUP I ride on crosses some major 2-3 lane in each direction, 50+MPH roads. People will stop their vehicle in the lane to let me through frequently. About once a week someone will sit behind them is laying on the horn because they shouldn't be stopping to let me through.

It is hard to explain to people their perceived courtesy is potentially harmful, especially when they are showing respect for cyclists.

GamblerGORD53

So what if the truck was a pedestrian and the cyclist killed them ?? Would you also try to absolve the cyclist of ALL blame ??? WTF... I would say it's 50/50 here. Stopping from 20 mph should take 10 feet. He couldn't see that far?
ROW is never absolute. Proceeding with due care and attention according to present conditions, IS required at ALL times.


To quote the epitaph of Jonathan Blake... He was too fast on the gas and too slow on the brake.
What's with the half tilted handlebars? Were they like that or did they twist during the crash?