Advocacy & Safety - No charges filed in Indiana Truck/Cyclists Fatal Accident

Not that I think the driver meant to hit the cyclists, don't think that. He has had no charges filed. Driver was not speeding or over hours of service. His truck was in good repair. Now all one has to wonder is why did he drift over onto the shoulder and strike a clearly marked and strobed SAG van (Also a small truck!), spinning it into the group of cyclists on a good visibility section of road with WIDE shoulders and 4 traffic lanes?:mad:

It doesn't matter if you're over hours. Driving can be dangerous, period. I've actually nearly fallen asleep and drifted partially off the road one time. A truck driver spends many many hours in the seat on the road.

It doesn't matter if you're over hours. Driving can be dangerous, period. I've actually nearly fallen asleep and drifted partially off the road one time. A truck driver spends many many hours in the seat on the road.
Understood, I drove a tractor trailer for 25 years....accident free. I decided that even if I was late on every load, as long as I had a clean record, I could always get another job! I napped frequently and didn't buy into the dispatch game.

Tom, I heard that also. Alas...there is no real way to prove malice in this case.
Riding in the road is plain dangerous...I don't play Mr Vehicular cycling and play stupid with cars...I keep to the back roads and get over and even ride in the grass when cars come by. That's just me.

What do you do when there is a guardrail?

You become a statistic

Tom, I heard that also. Alas...there is no real way to prove malice in this case.
Riding in the road is plain dangerous...I don't play Mr Vehicular cycling and play stupid with cars...I keep to the back roads and get over and even ride in the grass when cars come by. That's just me.

The only time I truly feel safe is on a bicycle lanes not intersecting a road. I fear for my life more on a country road because some country boy could be all hoped up taking the back roads. Before I know it I become another cross on the road. If haven't obtained a driver license in the US or lost yours you to will be on the back roads. If they make a mistake I become another ugly stain. I don't think they would stay arround to see if I had a pulse. They would be gone in a heartbeat (pun intended ), I feel safer on busier low speed roads more opportunity for a credible witness. Plus the drivers on busy roads have to deal with construction, and crazy people riding bicycles so they kinda predict that I am their. Country roads no expectations for a cyclists to be their plus no cops either.

Country roads no expectations for a cyclists to be their plus no cops either.


That's why I stay way off the road..they aren't even expecting me

Do either of you guys use a mirror when you ride?

Yes I use a helmet mirror. There is always some one I don't notice. The Drivers going 65 mph + it usually is the volunteer fire men with no flashing lights on or motorcycles.

Yes I use a helmet mirror. There is always some one I don't notice. The Drivers going 65 mph + it usually is the volunteer fire men with no flashing lights on or motorcycles.

Do you think those drivers are blind to everything in the roadway or just you?

I would say every thing else. We have had some nasty crashes when some one blew through a stop sign. We have had bicyclist killed because a truck mirror hit her in th back of the head. Even if they do see me their speed plus no one arround if they make a mistake no one would know I doubt they would stop.

Are you calling the person who collided with the guy running the stop sign blind or the guy who ran the stop sign? The former makes no sense; the latter much more so and is one more reason to make sure YOU fully stop at stop signs and verify the way is clear before proceeding.

As to the cyclist being clipped by the truck mirror, I don't see how trying to ride off to the side of motorists does anything to prevent this from happening unless you've got huge shoulders. What type of road did this collision happen on?

I am not saying anyone is blind. I am just saying that there is allot of country roads that the police can not moniter. Therefore people that are intoxicated use these roads which means they tend to do things like run stops signs. Furthermore people on country roads tend not to pay attention not saying that people on city roads do. When you run a stop sign or light in the city there is a higher probability of being caught. Furthermore country people use the side roads to get arround traffic jams, and like to fly. Major offenders tend to be volunteer firemen, and motorcyclists. Some country roads I ride have blind corners, and turns were people take up more room then they should. These country roads don't come enabled with bike lanes or paved shoulders, and are more narrow. I am saying that yes country roads have light traffic which is nice they also provide nice scenery nor carbon monoxide. The down sides are narrower roads people abuseing them such as speeders intoxicated people, and people who might not bepaying attention. Plus there is no police on the back roads. If you add to it that some doesn't have a license or suspended license. I think they might haul out of their you hear it all the time in the news. Plus seeing that it is remote you wont have any witness. I ride the side roads because they are better quality, but I will take my odds because well traveled downtown roads can kill you as fast as a rural country road. The only upside of being creamed on a city road is that there are more people witnessing you gettign creamed so one of them might have got the plate number. Plus when it is a short road that is 25 they wont be able to get their cars up to massive speeds

Do either of you guys use a mirror when you ride?
Not right now, my glasses mount mirror has been snapped and had to order another.