Damn, I hate reading about this stuff. Definitely not something you want a spouse or S.O. to read as well. Wishes for rapid healing and sound mind to these victims.

Here's my take. No amount of law is going to protect a cyclist. My guess most of us see driver infractions everyday including in the states where its unlawful to drive while handling a phone to the ear or texting. 99% of the drivers don't know anything about a 3 ft. distance. If hit and down for the count, game over. What has the law done for the victim? What's needed is a change of attitude, significant awareness, create dire consequences to the vehicle driver.

I don't get half the asinine laws anyways. In Illinois, a rear seat passenger can get ticketed for not wearing a seat belt, yet one can sit in the back of a pickup truck as long as the head is below the top of a cab roof. Adult motorcyclist don't need to wear a helmet, can wear shorts, sandals, no shirt and even go without eyewear (providing the motorcycle has some sort of windscreen).

And about all this insurance business. I know of one who did take it to court and it came down to negotiated between insurance / lawyers. Cyclist got the short end by a long shot. The fine print some of these scum lawyers will fight for and have no sympathy for a busted up cyclist. This one was about which side of the white line the cyclist was riding at the time of impact. NOTE: It would've worked to his reward had he been riding the LEFT of the white line AT THE TIME OF getting hit. Nutz.

The only way it will strongly send a message if the states enacted a mandatory second degree manslaughter for hitting a cyclist.