steelblue
03-22-08, 09:51 AM
Article in today's SF Chronicle. I am a bit surprise by the margin.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/22/MNU3VOB22.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/22/MNU3VOB22.DTL
Northern California - Bicyclists blamed twice as often as drivers for crashes
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cccorlew
03-22-08, 09:55 AM
I like the part were they almost mention that the driver get to tell their story, but the cyclists is being hauled off in an ambulance. Surprise, it's the cyclist's fault.
-=(8)=-
03-22-08, 10:04 AM
If you can stomach a visit over to Adv. & Safety forum I posted a
letter from the FL govs office in response to a letter I sent begging
for action in regards to the absolute homicidally insane driving around
the S. FLa area. The response was dissapointingly predictable.....
'Studies'(??) show its the fault of the cyclists and 'Share the Road' campaigns
are a waste of time because a survey showed a lot of motorists dont
believe bikes should be on the road.
OK, I get it......let the opinions of the worst drivers in the countries opinions continue to be policy
in the area that coincidentally has the highest cyclist death rate in the country.
Make perfect sense to me :rolleyes:
Can you imagine if this was any other sect of our society ??
If Cops, Roadworkers or kids were slaughtered at our rate do you
think it would be a non-issue ??
letter from the FL govs office in response to a letter I sent begging
for action in regards to the absolute homicidally insane driving around
the S. FLa area. The response was dissapointingly predictable.....
'Studies'(??) show its the fault of the cyclists and 'Share the Road' campaigns
are a waste of time because a survey showed a lot of motorists dont
believe bikes should be on the road.
OK, I get it......let the opinions of the worst drivers in the countries opinions continue to be policy
in the area that coincidentally has the highest cyclist death rate in the country.
Make perfect sense to me :rolleyes:
Can you imagine if this was any other sect of our society ??
If Cops, Roadworkers or kids were slaughtered at our rate do you
think it would be a non-issue ??
Beaker
03-22-08, 11:12 AM
I like the part were they almost mention that the driver get to tell their story, but the cyclists is being hauled off in an ambulance. Surprise, it's the cyclist's fault.
Completely agree. I read this article over breakfast and almost spat my cereal out. On the one hand, I'm very glad to see that the Chron is bringing this issue into the public spotlight, however the tone doesn't sit well with me.
It also irks me that this undercurrent of "dangerous cyclists, beware" is still being linked to the tragic events at Stevens Creek - they didn't exactly highlight that as being a pretty cut+dried case of the motorist being at fault.
Completely agree. I read this article over breakfast and almost spat my cereal out. On the one hand, I'm very glad to see that the Chron is bringing this issue into the public spotlight, however the tone doesn't sit well with me.
It also irks me that this undercurrent of "dangerous cyclists, beware" is still being linked to the tragic events at Stevens Creek - they didn't exactly highlight that as being a pretty cut+dried case of the motorist being at fault.
bigtruck
03-22-08, 12:18 PM
Well said Beaker, Totally agree with you
PrincessZippy
03-22-08, 12:23 PM
How many cyclists stop at every stop sign? How many cyclists roll through because "I can see that it's clear"? How many cyclists go through red lights because, "The light won't change for me and I don't want to push the button for the crosswalk"? How many cyclists ride abreast, blocking traffic?
A cyclist is supposed to obey every law that a car does, but we exempt ourselves so often from following the laws. Every time a cyclist and a car are involved in an accident we, as a community, automatically blame the driver.
I nearly hit a truck coming down Welch Creek Rd a few months ago. I was only doing 15 miles an hour and I was on the far right, but I couldn't see around the corner and that's a narrow road, only about a lane wide. The road was slick and there was no way I could have stopped in the space I had. Doesn't that sound like excessive speed for the conditions? But I was only doing 15 miles an hour...
We as cyclists need to take responsibility for our actions just as much as drivers do, maybe even more so, because we are more vulnerable. Stop running signs and lights, signal your intentions. Wave and smile at drivers every now and then. It won't ruin your workout. Respect is a two way street. Yeah, there are always going to be the clueless, selfish creeps who are convinced it's all about them... some of them are drivers and some of them are cyclists.
Veronica
A cyclist is supposed to obey every law that a car does, but we exempt ourselves so often from following the laws. Every time a cyclist and a car are involved in an accident we, as a community, automatically blame the driver.
I nearly hit a truck coming down Welch Creek Rd a few months ago. I was only doing 15 miles an hour and I was on the far right, but I couldn't see around the corner and that's a narrow road, only about a lane wide. The road was slick and there was no way I could have stopped in the space I had. Doesn't that sound like excessive speed for the conditions? But I was only doing 15 miles an hour...
We as cyclists need to take responsibility for our actions just as much as drivers do, maybe even more so, because we are more vulnerable. Stop running signs and lights, signal your intentions. Wave and smile at drivers every now and then. It won't ruin your workout. Respect is a two way street. Yeah, there are always going to be the clueless, selfish creeps who are convinced it's all about them... some of them are drivers and some of them are cyclists.
Veronica
Beaker
03-22-08, 01:11 PM
I agree Veronica -- if I have to got into the middle of the lane of traffic to avoid an obstacle/parked car etc. in the bike lane, I'll try to acknowledge the driver behind me (assuming he/she hasn't been a jerk) to let them know I appreciate that they might not be stoked about having to drive a bit slower for a few seconds
'nother
03-22-08, 03:30 PM
Again, there's no doubt that cyclists need to know and obey the laws. But we do not need to make driver awareness of cyclists' rights dependent upon cyclist behavior. We do not wait for all drivers to stop breaking all laws before we promote safety near pedestrian crossings. These things are independent of one another.
Rushfan
04-10-08, 10:18 AM
Here's a great response to the Chronicle article from Bob Mionske over at VeloNews. He was a pro rider and now is a lawyer representing cyclists.
http://velonews.com/article/74470/legally-speaking-with-bob-mionske---blaming-the-victim
I read the "Cyclists are twice as likely to cause accidents" in the Chron and stopped reading. Something wasn't right. Here's some insight about what's wrong with Chronicle analysis.
http://velonews.com/article/74470/legally-speaking-with-bob-mionske---blaming-the-victim
I read the "Cyclists are twice as likely to cause accidents" in the Chron and stopped reading. Something wasn't right. Here's some insight about what's wrong with Chronicle analysis.