Advocacy & Safety - Two more cyclists killed in San Jose! Sheesh!

Two cyclists were killed in an intersection and the driver claims the sun was in her eyes! Why was she going fast enough to throw their bikes 30 feet away if she couldn't see. The victims names haven't been released yet.

It's a real battleground out there... take care of yourselves.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/news/030204_nw_pedestrian_accident.html

Once again the article really tells us bugger all. Was it totally "uncontrolled", or did someone actually have right of way (if not using traffic lights, then perhaps a "Give Way" sign?). Geez, I wish people would start telling us what actually happens in these things rather than just saying "cyclist killed" as so many of these articles seem fond of doing.

OK, I'm somewhat skeptical of the driver's explanation. It's still winter here. The sun sets in the southwest and she's travelling northwest (I checked the location on MapQuest). How was the sun in her eyes if she was nearly at the intersection of Coleman and Taylor? To give the driver some credit, if the accident occurred further south on Coleman then the sun could have caused a problem (as Coleman heads due west as it passes west of Rt 87. I guess we'll have to get further information on exactly where the collision occurred. As usual, there's not enough information in the news reports.

Well, I went and looked at a more detailed map that I have of the San Jose area. If the accident occurred at the intersection of Coleman Ave. and Spring St. (Mapquest doesn't show these two streets intersecting but my Thomas's map does.) then the driver was heading west and bit southward. So, the sun may have been in her eyes at this point. Yesterday was clear and sunset was just after 6pm.

Here is an interesting report:

http://www.svbcbikes.org/news/drivers-at-fault.php

The full report in Power Point is also worth reading.

The local San Jose paper apparently doesn't have anything to add to the story yet, either:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/8093480.htm

If any other product had the safety record of automobiles, they'd be banned.

If any other product had the safety record of automobiles, they'd be banned.

I'm not so sure about this...they still allow the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products...

I'm not so sure about this...they still allow the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products...

True. Guns are another one that springs to mind.

It's weird how these things get exemptions from safety concerns, but if five people get sick from a bad batch of peanut butter, there's a national panic, and the product gets pulled from the shelves (a true case from a few years ago), or even if one kook just threatens to contaminate Arnotts biscuits, again there's a national panic and the product gets pulled. But cars, which have given us a death toll that only a decent sized war can compete with, are being produced in ever increasing numbers.

While it's true it's really inattentive, ignorant or plain aggressive drivers that are the real problem, and to a degree, the carcentric design of our roadways, nevertheless, I'd prefer it that the inattentive, ignorant and aggressive were on foot or a bicycle than behind the wheel of a tonne of metal, glass and barely contained explosions.

I think there's enough evidence to show that the average citizen isn't responsible enough or skilled enough to be allowed the use of a private motor vehicle. I say leave it to the professionals.

It's a real battleground out there... take care of yourselves.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/news/030204_nw_pedestrian_accident.html

Oh god yes, it's a slaughter field out there, thousands of cyclist are dying daily. Never ride a bike again! Stay indoors, close and lock the doors and hide in the bathroom and don't tell anyone you use to ride a bike because the car drivers are out to get you.

I'm not so sure about this...they still allow the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products...

I think even they would struggle to have the "safety" record of motor vehicles. In anycase, at least they're heavily taxed by the government, which is something. The private motor car is the most heavily subisidised form of transport in the history of mankind.

Here is an interesting report: http://www.svbcbikes.org/news/drivers-at-fault.php. The full report in Power Point is also worth reading.

rightofway.org has produced a similar report for NYC, called 'The Only Good Cyclist' here: http://www.rightofway.org/research/cyclists.pdf

The private motor car is the most heavily subisidised form of transport in the history of mankind.

No argument here...FYI, interesting statistic - private motor vehicles (in sum total) are also the most expensive part of our entire transportation system...

I should check this spot out. When I ride to work, I cross Coleman on Taylor. She hit the cyclists in the afternoon? According to Mapquest, if she was driving north on Coleman, she'd have been facing AWAY from the sun, since it heads northeast at that point. It would have been behind or quartering over her left shoulder. Maybe I should leave early and scope out that place.

I have to hope that there's an armed psycho cyclist out there who will exact some retribution one of these days.

<LIFTED>
The driver told police that apparently the sun temporarily blinded her during the 5:41 p.m. crash.

"It appears that the sun may have been in her eyes,'' Tepoorten said.

Tepoorten said officers also are investigating whether speed might have been a factor.

Tepoorten said investigators did not know whether the bicyclists had been riding or walking their bikes across the street. The car sustained major damage to its front end and windshield, and the bikes remained strewed on the road hours later as officers investigated.
</LIFTED>

This is disgusting. She mows these two down in broad daylight, destroying her car and flinging the hapless victims who knows how far and they justify: "Oh, well the sun may have been in her eyes." This was the same crappy excuse the guy had that ran me down in the bike lane last year. I understand it's quite popular.

Are we allowed to drive full speed ahead with our eyes blindfolded? If I were to kill a few people driving with my eyes covered would I be set free with a few reassuring souls telling me how unfortunate I am for having been traumatized by the victims' demise? That's what this chick essentially did. And, of course, the diligent investigators surmise that speed "may have been a factor?" Duh, of course it was; her car sustained major damage as she flung these two down the road without even knowing they were there! She can't say whether they were walking or riding because she was barrelling down the road blind.

And why does it make a difference if they riding vs. walking? If I see a bicycle crossing illegally can I just run 'em down and laugh about it with the authorities later? What a joke! It makes no difference if they are walking or riding - you can't run down someone that is clearly in front of you. This woman should have been moving at crawl speed if she couldn't see. This woman should feel the sting of at least a manslaughter charge.

Hmmmm, they forgot to mention helmets - I bet that would've saved them, eh? Oh, but they were probably wearing them, so they had to omit this fact because it would probably make the driver look guilty of something. Just disgusting.

Cycling deaths make the news, because bikes are safe and the deaths are reported as unusual events. Deaths of motorists are happening all the time so dont get into the news.

Just imagine if people driving were under the same kind of accountability as in other aspects of their life, such as their work. Man, we'd have some lawsuits then! Why haven't the ambulance chasers jumped on this one?

The design performance of our transportation system (both roads and motor vehicles) has evolved beyond the skill and attention level of the average driver.

SPEED KILLS on local roads populated by a wide variety of users. We need a serious national campaign of traffic calming, coupled with strict accountability and merciless prosecution (or even persecution) of hit-and-run drivers.

I lived in San Jose about 10 years ago, and the way I remember it, there was a plethora of people who love to run lights and make no look right hand turns. There are many express ways with 3 - 4 lanes and 45 mph speed limites. This are bike allowed areas. With speeding, it's akin to riding on a free way.

Who knows what happen in this place.. but sadly two people were killed.