randya

He's a 275 pound 75 year old who hasn't ridden a bike in ages and is totally clueless...

https://bikeportland.org/2011/01/12/r...ing-bill-45890

https://bikeportland.org/2011/01/13/g...-roundup-45910

https://bikeportland.org/2011/01/13/m...ry-study-45940

https://bikeportland.org/2011/01/12/o...e-biking-45860

https://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/...-on-bikes-bill

unterhausen

by his logic we need to ban transporting children. Because I'm sure children have been killed while being transported by walking, cab, car, buses, trains, airplanes, and any other means of transportation that I have failed to enumerate.

chipcom 

less than 6? For chris' sake I was RIDING bikes at 4.

I blame this on the Ducks losing the other night.

crhilton

He's just trying to make himself famous.

randya

check the CDC statistics, riding in a motor vehicle is the leading cause of death for children, but he's not proposing banning that; in fact I don't know of one case in Oregon in the last 20 years involving a child fatality in a bike seat or a trailer

OTOH, just a week or so ago a child on the sidewalk in a stroller was killed by a 75 year old gent who couldn't tell the gas pedal from the brake pedal, so we'd probably be better off restricting the driving privileges of the elderly or at least retesting them frequently, but I don't see any bills being introduced to require this either.

this is just another case of poor research, the safety nannies poking their noses in places they don't understand, and maybe a part of the 'anti-bike backlash' as well

randya

infamous is more like it

randya

hey y'all, his email address is up there in those links multiple times, and he needs more. be polite now!

TheHen

Since numerous studies show that the car-led sedentary lifestyle is one of the major causes of death in the U.S., maybe he will use his same logic (..."If I thought a law would save one child's life, I would step in and do it.") to ban automobiles in OR.

He just wants some media attention or he is just another bike-hater.

randya

update:

https://bikeportland.org/2011/01/13/b...45977#comments

CB HI

From dumb to dumber.

Just pull the stupid bill. Or add motor vehicles to the mix and see the debate then.

TheHen

Changing the bill to a study could have some benefits. If they can identify any injuries and honestly determine the causes, they will find that the fault lies in the motorists and the crappy road surfaces.

unterhausen

The problem is that the elderly vote. It's really too bad that public transportation isn't a better option for most people, there is a large population of people that would be much better off riding a bus than operating a car.

genec

Put an automotive ban on the table and see just how long the proposers political career would last... Not one politician would even consider such a thing. Gee wonder why?

TheHen

When OR becomes to cycling what Palm Springs, CA is to gays, then we won't have these silly bills anymore. (For those unfamiliar, it is estimated that over one-half the population of Palm Springs is gay/lesbian.) We don't quite have the numbers....yet.

High Roller

Ouch. You're probably going to get some feedback on this one. According to the AARP, there are now 8,000 people celebrating their 65th birthday every day, so your "problem" is only going to get worse. No, I think the problem is that it is far too easy for people of any age to get and keep a drivers license.

crhilton

This is America. They're the same. If you're infamous a large group of people hate you. It's almost a certainty that another large group hates that group. And, regardless of how stupid you are, they'll like you because they hate the others so much.

sudo bike

Silly.

Now, if they wanted a requirement of child seats or trailers as similar to the law for car seats (if there isn't already), that would be one thing.... although 6 is still really old for that. 6 year olds can ride themselves for pete's sake!

crhilton

Well, the Burley trailers are designed to properly restrain kids of the size they fit. So, I don't see how that would apply as car seat laws are all about adapting the adult restraints to the small person.

I think Burley said they'd support a law requiring carts to pass the standard Burley's carts already pass. It requires stuff about the seat belt and the roll cage. I don't think it requires the thing handle being crushed between two sedans... Course, sedans don't handle that terribly well either.

sggoodri

Historically, laws mandating safety equipment for any vehicle type have limited those requirements to practical accommodations that would still allow the basic type and nature of vehicle to be used. Motorcyles are not required to have bumpers, crumple zones, air bags and seat belts because there is no practical way to incorporate these things with modern technology and still have a motorcycle. Similar compromises have been made for farm tractors, NEVs, and so forth.

Crash absorption technology is a nice thing to have, but with it comes the burden of size, weight, and expense. As a result, crash absorption technology will be used most on vehicles that are big, heavy, and expensive, and will be impractical for travel modes that are small, light, and inexpensive. If the government were to require all travel to be done by travel modes that are big, heavy, and expensive in order to maximize use of crash absorption technology, public safety would not improve, because the size and weight of those modes generate much more danger for the public than do the smaller, lighter modes. On the contrary, targeting the largest, heaviest travel modes for reduced mode share would be the most effective and economical way to improve safety.

sudo bike

Well, yeah, I just meant some standard for equipment, not necessarily the same ones as a car or somesuch. Especially at this point in time, I don't think it's really necessary, but it would at least be understandable (but not for a 6 year old). Banning outright is just weird.

sggoodri

How many states explicitly ban children from being passengers on motorcycles? Here is an argument that it's illegal in Washington:
https://www.atg.wa.gov/AGOOpinions/op...rchive&id=7668

exile

So a guy who doesn't ride a bike has a suggestion on ways to improve safety? Also, how does making something a law promote discussion?

Keith99

I'm fine with a study. But then I don't pay taxes in Oregon. If I did I'd be upset as hell that they wanted to make a law and have now decided to do a study before letting some intern spend a couple of days surfing the web looking for studies.

Keith99

That will be ugly! I've attended several Leather events in Palm Springs, events with a huge gay participation and it was there where I first heard Palm Springs refered to as the....

Gay 90s

If you live there you are either gay or in your 90s!

Somehow it works, but the same for cyclists and lots of 90 year old drivers seems like a nightmare.

CB HI

That is a pretty strained construct. Motorcyclist are complying with current approved restraint requirements. Since there are no approved restraints, then clearly no restraints are required.

Since better child restraints will be invented and approved in the future for cars, then by construct any child under 5 may not be transported in a car until those future restraints are invented and approved.

Motorcycles aside, bicycle carriers and trailers already have engineered safety designs and restraints appropriate for children.

PS - under a similar construct, it seems that seatbelt laws would also prohibit adults from using motorcycles in Washington.