Just Sad.
 

I don't know any of the details and this is a horrible tragedy. And I only post this as food for thought.

I pray before every ride - have been for years. I also do my part by being very visible (neon yellow jersey and active blinkers front and back) and riding on roads where there is either a dedicated bike lane or a middle turn lane where vehicles can safely pass. I also ride wearing a Look-and-See mirror. Even then, there are no guarantees in life.

The only reason I bring this up is this past weekend I saw a rider wearing basically an all olive drab outfit - jersey and shorts, no blinkers and no bright colored helmet or socks either. It's spring time here in North Carolina and he was basically invisible, camouflaged if you will, riding on the urban road here. I just don't get it.

Every cyclist has a choice to wear and do what we choose to do. And yes, we have had numerous cyclists killed in our city and in each case it was the vehicle driver's fault. They weren't killed for lack of bright clothing. One woman was killed on the same inner city loop I ride on and was with a group of cyclists.

Be aware, be visible and ride with a rearview mirror. I know for a fact the mirror has saved my bacon twice over the last 20 years.

Being visible is great when motorists are actually looking at the road and sober. In my case no amount of lights or reflective gear would've made a difference for the three times I've been hit. The first guy was a 75yo drunk driver (.16 BAC). The second guy was a cop looking down at his phone. The third guy was an 18yo looking down as he put on his seat belt. All three instances happened in broad daylight.

Dory was struck at about 6AM, which was 55 minutes before sunrise. Given his extensive cycling experience, I assume he had lights and reflective attire. The darkness may have contributed to the collision, but cyclists with lights and hi-vis gear stick out like sore thumbs to motorists who are watching the road. I'm waiting to see more details of what the car driver was doing.