Cyclist hit in Boxford, MA

[Bruce K]

I just got word that a 54 year old cyclist was hit in Boxford, MA this evening.

No name yet. Details are few.

Apparently he was hit by a young/teen driver who cut him off.

Supposed to be in very bad shape.

Anyone know or heard anything else?

BK

[Ti Designs]

What I'm hearing since the accident on Weston road has been mostly fear of riding on the road. At a time when riders should feel more and more like they belong on the roads, they are starting to avoid certain roads they fell are unsafe for bicycle traffic. This is very bad. Gas is at an all time high for and election year, cities and towns are spending money on bike paths, but what gets noticed are the interactions where drivers cut it a little too close.

The fatality on Weston road wasn't a hate crime, it was a driver who didn't know the size of the vehicle he was driving combined with not wanting to wait a few extra seconds to pass when safe. Last Wednesday I too was hit. We were going down hill, I was at the front of the group, a van went around the fast moving group and cut back in, probably as he thought he passed me. I was hit in the scapula by the side view mirror and was forced to use the side of the van to regain stability. My whole left side hurt like hell all day and I still can't turn my head that way without some pain, but I'm glad he picked me to hit instead of one of the other riders. I'm not about to stop riding on the roads because I have confidence in my ability to handle the bike. I know that if a driver breaks the rules and hits me, there's nothing I can do, but that's not what I'm seeing. I'm seeing bikes and cars competing for limited space.

My own answer to this is to push bike handling with the people I work with. It's time to get out there and play bumper bikes. It's time for wheel touching drills. It's time to learn curb hopping and limited contact control. It's really time to make bikes less fragile. I think that's the bottom line.

[Bruce K]

Morning paper:

Accident happened on Topsfield Rd (a heavily traveled cycling road) near the center at 5:45 PM

No name released as police were having trouble identifying the cyclist (Road ID gang, please!)

Driver in early 29's claimed sun blinded him (not at 5:45 I don't think)

Cyclist airlifted to Boston

Doesn't sound good

BK

[rugbysecondrow]

What I'm hearing since the accident on Weston road has been mostly fear of riding on the road. At a time when riders should feel more and more like they belong on the roads, they are starting to avoid certain roads they fell are unsafe for bicycle traffic. This is very bad. Gas is at an all time high for and election year, cities and towns are spending money on bike paths, but what gets noticed are the interactions where drivers cut it a little too close.

The fatality on Weston road wasn't a hate crime, it was a driver who didn't know the size of the vehicle he was driving combined with not wanting to wait a few extra seconds to pass when safe. Last Wednesday I too was hit. We were going down hill, I was at the front of the group, a van went around the fast moving group and cut back in, probably as he thought he passed me. I was hit in the scapula by the side view mirror and was forced to use the side of the van to regain stability. My whole left side hurt like hell all day and I still can't turn my head that way without some pain, but I'm glad he picked me to hit instead of one of the other riders. I'm not about to stop riding on the roads because I have confidence in my ability to handle the bike. I know that if a driver breaks the rules and hits me, there's nothing I can do, but that's not what I'm seeing. I'm seeing bikes and cars competing for limited space.

My own answer to this is to push bike handling with the people I work with. It's time to get out there and play bumper bikes. It's time for wheel touching drills. It's time to learn curb hopping and limited contact control. It's really time to make bikes less fragile. I think that's the bottom line.

This is a great description of the issue.

[soulspinner]

What I'm hearing since the accident on Weston road has been mostly fear of riding on the road. At a time when riders should feel more and more like they belong on the roads, they are starting to avoid certain roads they fell are unsafe for bicycle traffic. This is very bad. Gas is at an all time high for and election year, cities and towns are spending money on bike paths, but what gets noticed are the interactions where drivers cut it a little too close.

The fatality on Weston road wasn't a hate crime, it was a driver who didn't know the size of the vehicle he was driving combined with not wanting to wait a few extra seconds to pass when safe. Last Wednesday I too was hit. We were going down hill, I was at the front of the group, a van went around the fast moving group and cut back in, probably as he thought he passed me. I was hit in the scapula by the side view mirror and was forced to use the side of the van to regain stability. My whole left side hurt like hell all day and I still can't turn my head that way without some pain, but I'm glad he picked me to hit instead of one of the other riders. I'm not about to stop riding on the roads because I have confidence in my ability to handle the bike. I know that if a driver breaks the rules and hits me, there's nothing I can do, but that's not what I'm seeing. I'm seeing bikes and cars competing for limited space.

My own answer to this is to push bike handling with the people I work with. It's time to get out there and play bumper bikes. It's time for wheel touching drills. It's time to learn curb hopping and limited contact control. It's really time to make bikes less fragile. I think that's the bottom line.

Glad u werent hurt worse. Rubber down............

[BumbleBeeDave]

My own answer to this is to push bike handling with the people I work with. It's time to get out there and play bumper bikes. It's time for wheel touching drills. It's time to learn curb hopping and limited contact control. It's really time to make bikes less fragile. I think that's the bottom line.

Ed, I luv ya', guy, but . . . All of these things might work for serious full time bike commuters--especially ones who are as fit as you and I. But we all know a healthy portion of riders on the roads don't fit that description. Not even close.

There also has to be a second side to the equation: Equivalent education during the driver's ed class AND the licensing process for vehicle drivers--and stricter enforcement from LEO's and the court system. I'd be very interested to hear the outcome of this incident as the driver claims "The sun was in my eyes." I'm predicting yet another slap on the wrist.

And a THIRD side . . . recognition from local government and urban planners that bike lanes need to be created, marked--and equally enforced.

BBD

[christian]

Yesterday I was following a group of three cyclists on a narrow, curvy road in my Honda Odyssey. They were moving at a fair clip - about 18mph by my speedometer.

After following them for about 30 seconds, a Subaru comes up behind me, proceeds to whip off a pass of me, the three cyclists, and then veers aggressively back into their lane to avoid missing an oncoming car.

I don't see people competing for limited space. I see people who believe that their personal desire to get somewhere quickly obviate the need to respect other road users.

(15 seconds later there was a 400m straight, where I was able to pass safely.)

[Honey]

i don't see people competing for limited space. I see people who believe that their personal desire to get somewhere quickly obviate the need to respect other road users.

(15 seconds later there was a 400m straight, where i was able to pass safely.) ^2

[MattTuck]

Yesterday I was following a group of three cyclists on a narrow, curvy road in my Honda Odyssey. They were moving at a fair clip - about 18mph by my speedometer.

After following them for about 30 seconds, a Subaru comes up behind me, proceeds to whip off a pass of me, the three cyclists, and then veers aggressively back into their lane to avoid missing an oncoming car.

I don't see people competing for limited space. I see people who believe that their personal desire to get somewhere quickly obviate the need to respect other road users.

(15 seconds later there was a 400m straight, where I was able to pass safely.)

Yep, that's how I see it also. There's plenty of space, even on roads with a lot of traffic, there is much more space occupied by non-car and non-bike stuff (like air) than there is by moving vehicles. The problem has to do with time, and people unwilling to wait 10-15 seconds to take advantage of the more than ample space that would be available then.

Perhaps narrower roads would solve the problem as it would get people used to slowing down for other road users instead of buzzing by at top speed.

[AngryScientist]

The problem has to do with time, and people unwilling to wait 10-15 seconds to take advantage of the more than ample space that would be available then.



Since i ride in congested north jersey most of the time, this problem is made even more comical by the fact that whenever a car passes me, obviously in a big rush, i almost always see it again at the inevitable traffic light that is 1/4 mile up the road. happens so often its comical. people actually accelerate to red traffic lights around here, you cant make this stuff up, i just dont get it??:confused:

[scooter]

SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

September 4, 2012
Bicyclist airlifted after Boxford accident

By Douglas Moser
Staff writer

---- — BOXFORD — A man riding a bicycle was flown to a Boston hospital after being hit by a car late yesterday afternoon.

Police did not have a confirmed identity of the bicyclist yesterday evening and did not release the name of the driver, who was a man in his late teens or early 20s.

Around 5:45 p.m. yesterday, a silver Toyota Camry hit the bicyclist on Topsfield Road at Boxford Common. The bicyclist was immediately flown by MedFlight to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Boxford police Lt. James Riter said the car was going west on Topsfield Road and was turning left onto Main Street when the sun temporarily blinded the driver. The bicyclist was heading east on Topsfield Road.

“As soon as his vision cleared, the cyclist was there,” Riter said. “A witness saw the incident and said she saw no improper operation.”

Main Street at the common was closed for about an hour while the bicyclist was transported to the nearby landing pad and the Toyota and the bicycle were towed away.

The car had significant windshield damage on the passenger side and a dent in the hood.

[christian]

I have been driving for many years, including many times where I raced cars through the woods at dusk. Never have I experienced a situation where the sun has wholly obscured anything. My belief is that blaming the sun is simply admitting negligence. "I wasn't paying attention while driving this 3000-lb vehicle.' I hope the cyclist recovers fully and is made whole through civil remedies.

Looking at the intersection, this is clearly a case of somebody misjudging the speed of an oncoming cyclist.

(http://maps.google.com/maps?q=topsfield+road+and+main+street,+boxford,+ma&ll=42.660658,-70.996744&spn=0.000519,0.001206&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=Main+St+%26+Topsfield+Rd,+Boxford,+Essex,+Ma ssachusetts+01921&gl=us&t=h&z=20)

If the sun is in your eyes but you think a truck is coming, you don't turn there. But because it's an easy left, if you think you can beat the cyclist, you'll be tempted to.

[Climb01742]

SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

September 4, 2012
Bicyclist airlifted after Boxford accident

By Douglas Moser
Staff writer

---- — BOXFORD — A man riding a bicycle was flown to a Boston hospital after being hit by a car late yesterday afternoon.

Police did not have a confirmed identity of the bicyclist yesterday evening and did not release the name of the driver, who was a man in his late teens or early 20s.

Around 5:45 p.m. yesterday, a silver Toyota Camry hit the bicyclist on Topsfield Road at Boxford Common. The bicyclist was immediately flown by MedFlight to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Boxford police Lt. James Riter said the car was going west on Topsfield Road and was turning left onto Main Street when the sun temporarily blinded the driver. The bicyclist was heading east on Topsfield Road.

“As soon as his vision cleared, the cyclist was there,” Riter said. “A witness saw the incident and said she saw no improper operation.”

Main Street at the common was closed for about an hour while the bicyclist was transported to the nearby landing pad and the Toyota and the bicycle were towed away.

The car had significant windshield damage on the passenger side and a dent in the hood.

i wonder if the witness was a non-rider or a rider? would their perception of proper vs improper behavior be colored by their point of view?

[merlinmurph]

i wonder if the witness was a non-rider or a rider? would their perception of proper vs improper behavior be colored by their point of view?

I think improper operation is irrelevant. Hitting something/someone is improper, don't you think? Or put another way, hitting a cyclist while speeding is bad, but hitting a cyclist while otherwise driving in a proper manner is OK?

Sorry if this sounds lie I'm lashing out on you, climb, I'm not picking on you or your statement. I get a bit pissed off at the excuses people come up with and then get totally exonerated from their screwup. I always ask, if this were a woman with a baby carriage, would there be a different reaction?

I agree with you that a witnesses account would definitely be colored by their prejudices.

[JayBay]

Scary stuff. Unrelated to the car vs bike issue at hand, but a 66 year-old friend went down this weekend when he clipped the wheel in front of him while riding in a fast paceline. He's in Boston recovering from massive head trauma, among other injuries, and his prognosis is still up in the air. Be careful out there folks... I'm hearing way too many of these stories lately... :(

[54ny77]

Be careful out there. You never know who's got ccw.

Sounds like cyclist went off the deep end. No idea what kind of "cyclist" this was, i.e., some random thug on a bike or a spandex-clad go-fast type....

http://www.freep.com/article/20120830/NEWS02/120830008/Bicyclist-dies-after-being-shot-in-confrontation-with-motorist-in-Taylor?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[Hardlyrob]

I've ridden through that intersection several hundred times - it's on three of my typical loops. There is plenty of room and good visibility for all. If the driver was even close to his lane and the cyclist riding in a reasonable place, this shouldn't EVER have happened. One or the other was really wrong.

I'm also struggling with sun blindness - there are a lot of trees around Boxford Center.

Cheers!

Rob

[rjfr]

As a motorist or a cyclist, we all have to deal with riding into the sun.

As a cyclist we cannot use this as an excuse to hit a pedestrian. As a motorist, we cannot use use this as an excuse to hit anyone or anything. It is a significant part of the learning experience.

For someone to claim this as a reason for a collision is nothing more than a claim of failure to pay attention to prevailing conditions. The driver of the larger vehicle is at fault for failure to operate in a safe manner.

[Climb01742]

I think improper operation is irrelevant. Hitting something/someone is improper, don't you think? Or put another way, hitting a cyclist while speeding is bad, but hitting a cyclist while otherwise driving in a proper manner is OK?

Sorry if this sounds lie I'm lashing out on you, climb, I'm not picking on you or your statement. I get a bit pissed off at the excuses people come up with and then get totally exonerated from their screwup. I always ask, if this were a woman with a baby carriage, would there be a different reaction?

I agree with you that a witnesses account would definitely be colored by their prejudices.

Merlinmurph, no offense taken and maybe I wasn't clear in my reply. The point I was trying to make was...without knowing more about the eyewitness, how could the police know that their judgement of the drivers behavior was accurate? What is the eyewitness's frame of reference for proper or improper behavior? As you say, if it was a mother with a baby carriage, not a cyclist, would the witness have a different opinion of the drivers behavior?

[AngryScientist]

As a motorist, we cannot use use this as an excuse to hit anyone or anything.

i agree. the sun is rarely THAT bad, but if it is so bad that the driver actually could not see the road in front of them, it is completely negligent to just drive and hope for the best.

[BumbleBeeDave]

“As soon as his vision cleared, the cyclist was there,” Riter said. “A witness saw the incident and said she saw no improper operation.”

So in Boxford, continuing to drive when you can't see where you are going is "proper operation?"

Additionally, this witness sounds interesting. What are his.her qulifications to judge proper or improper operaton? Is he/she a LEO?

BBD

[Hardlyrob]

Additionally, this witness sounds interesting. What are his.her qulifications to judge proper or improper operaton? Is he/she a LEO?

BBD

No BBD - clearly a Libra!

[Nelson99]

I grew up in that neck of the woods, and every time I go back I notice that the level of traffic on the roads is not only far, far higher than it was, it seems far higher than those roads can safely sustain in a mixed-use model. I don't think pedestrians or cyclists are safe on those roads anymore.

Of course, this is true in many parts of the country, where roads are being used by orders of magnitude more cars than they were ever intended for. But it is also true that if all the drivers were just a bit more patient and careful, everyone could be safe. The trouble is, it only takes a small fraction of drivers from a very large crowd of users, to make the situation deadly.

It only takes one car to kill a pedestrian or cyclist. Just think about George Carlin and "average intelligence" (or average compassion for that matter).

[1centaur]

I know the roads of Boxford extremely well both as a cyclist and as a driver.

Topsfield Road is the main way in and out of the East Village, which effectively is the town center (don't mention this to the people who live near the West Villlage). It therefore has a heavier volume of traffic than any road in Boxford other than probably Ipswich Road. Both those roads have a number of long S curves as part of their natural topography, and the driver in this case comes around a left hand curve at 30 mph plus (usually speeding past the sign that gets drivers to slow before taking the stop sign right into the center). That left veer shown on the satellite is VERY tempting to hit pretty fast because after all, you don't REALLY have to slow down for the stop sign since you won't be going that way. Because one comes around the curve and the left comes very quickly, it's possible the sun hit the driver's eyes in a second or 2 before taking the left. Blinded, hesitate, assume, turn.

As a cyclist, I stay off the heavy commuting roads as much as I can during commuting hours and especially dusk - this is a bedroom community and most people leave and return at commuting hours. 5:45 is duskish and the sun would have been in the driver's eyes.

That said, as I said in a thread a while back, I was taught in driver's ed that sun in the eyes is NOT a legal excuse. If you can't see, stop. This driver, I am guessing, chose not to stop because with a little left veer the sun would not be in his eyes.

I am not happy with the officer reporting a witness seeing no improper operation. I hope the witness can say the same of the cyclist. If I were on the jury, this would be open and shut, but I suspect I'd not be allowed on that jury.

[Bruce K]

Glad to see you chime in.

I was worried it might have been you. Glad it's not.

BK

[Bruce K]

Just found the info:

Daniel MacAlpine, age 54, from Ipswich, MA - editor of the Ipswich Chronicle

BK

[martinrjensen]

yup. some lady in a Volvo blows past me more than a foot, less than 2 ft at approx 30 + mph. I'm in the far right hand lane which is reserved for buses and parked cars only. Of course less than a mile up the road I pass her. I knocked on her window (scared the crap out of her) and mouthed, actually yelled ***! and rode off. Probably shouldn't have done that and in hind sight I won't do it again, but really....Since i ride in congested north jersey most of the time, this problem is made even more comical by the fact that whenever a car passes me, obviously in a big rush, i almost always see it again at the inevitable traffic light that is 1/4 mile up the road. happens so often its comical. people actually accelerate to red traffic lights around here, you cant make this stuff up, i just dont get it??:confused:

[1centaur]

I was worried it might have been you. Glad it's not.
BK

Thank you. When I saw the title I was worried it was me too!

[Ti Designs]

Ed, I luv ya', guy, but . . . All of these things might work for serious full time bike commuters--especially ones who are as fit as you and I. But we all know a healthy portion of riders on the roads don't fit that description. Not even close.

Bike handling has little to do with fitness, and anyone putting themselves on busy streets with the protection of little more than a helmet should be serious. There are many excuses for not practicing bike handling skills, but excuses aren't good reasons. Each September I get a flock of new riders, contact week (we play bumper bikes on the grass) is the week most of them fear. You could ask any one of them from the past 10 years and they would ALL say it's worth doing. The only people who don't think it's worth their time are the people who have never done it.

In Bruce's thread about the woman who crashed 4 times, the last time was due to two riders who "touched" and went down. They're idiots, they put themselves into a paceline without knowing how to handle contact.


There also has to be a second side to the equation: Equivalent education during the driver's ed class AND the licensing process for vehicle drivers--and stricter enforcement from LEO's and the court system. I'd be very interested to hear the outcome of this incident as the driver claims "The sun was in my eyes." I'm predicting yet another slap on the wrist.

I'll do what I can about my own riding, I'm not waiting for driver's ed classes to make a difference because they never will. It has become the driver's right to get places fast, I can't see that being taken away any time soon. The bar has been set very low for both drivers and law enforcement.


I have an ongoing issue with police in my state and the law. The specific issue is about crosswalks and how a bicycle is defined in Mass. A bicycle is a vehicle, crosswalks protect the rights of pedestrians. A cyclist who gets hit in a cross walk fights an uphill battle because of this - every bike path around has crosswalks and yeild signs where they cross roads, they mean little when there's been an accident. As stupid as that bit of the law is, it's not my issue. The police use a crosswalk anywhere near a bike accident to pin fault on the cyclist. If there is a car vs. bike accident at an intersection where there are crosswalks, the accident report will probably indicate the cyclist was in the crosswalk - there's a check box for that. I have represented a number of bicycle damage claims in the past, I looked over both the police reports and the opperator reports from the riders. In almost 2/3rds of them the rider was on the road going somewhere as they should, the police report has them in a cross walk.

Along with the Mass Bicyclists bill of rights passing there was money set aside for law enforcement education. Nobody knows where that money has gone...

[jpw]

Scary stuff. Unrelated to the car vs bike issue at hand, but a 66 year-old friend went down this weekend when he clipped the wheel in front of him while riding in a fast paceline. He's in Boston recovering from massive head trauma, among other injuries, and his prognosis is still up in the air. Be careful out there folks... I'm hearing way too many of these stories lately... :(

I find that other cyclists can be at least as dangerous as other vehicles out there on the road, and trail, and pathway. I feel safer when I'm riding with distance between myself and other riders.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . then that's fine. But you made it sound in your first statement as if you were talking about all riders. All riders doesn't include only serious riders. It includes an awful lot of people whose idea of "serious cycling" is stay to the right on the road--and that's it. They have little clue as to what they are really doing on a bike, but they have just as much right to be out there as you and I. These people don't have a lot of bike handling skills and they're not going to get them.

BBD

Bike handling has little to do with fitness, and anyone putting themselves on busy streets with the protection of little more than a helmet should be serious. There are many excuses for not practicing bike handling skills, but excuses aren't good reasons. Each September I get a flock of new riders, contact week (we play bumper bikes on the grass) is the week most of them fear. You could ask any one of them from the past 10 years and they would ALL say it's worth doing. The only people who don't think it's worth their time are the people who have never done it.

In Bruce's thread about the woman who crashed 4 times, the last time was due to two riders who "touched" and went down. They're idiots, they put themselves into a paceline without knowing how to handle contact.




I'll do what I can about my own riding, I'm not waiting for driver's ed classes to make a difference because they never will. It has become the driver's right to get places fast, I can't see that being taken away any time soon. The bar has been set very low for both drivers and law enforcement.


I have an ongoing issue with police in my state and the law. The specific issue is about crosswalks and how a bicycle is defined in Mass. A bicycle is a vehicle, crosswalks protect the rights of pedestrians. A cyclist who gets hit in a cross walk fights an uphill battle because of this - every bike path around has crosswalks and yeild signs where they cross roads, they mean little when there's been an accident. As stupid as that bit of the law is, it's not my issue. The police use a crosswalk anywhere near a bike accident to pin fault on the cyclist. If there is a car vs. bike accident at an intersection where there are crosswalks, the accident report will probably indicate the cyclist was in the crosswalk - there's a check box for that. I have represented a number of bicycle damage claims in the past, I looked over both the police reports and the opperator reports from the riders. In almost 2/3rds of them the rider was on the road going somewhere as they should, the police report has them in a cross walk.

Along with the Mass Bicyclists bill of rights passing there was money set aside for law enforcement education. Nobody knows where that money has gone...

[christian]

I find that other cyclists can be at least as dangerous as other vehicles out there on the road, and trail, and pathway.
Just to be clear, you believe that a ~200 lb cyclist traveling at 15 mph is "at least as dangerous" to you as a ~3000 lb car traveling 45 mph?

[Tom]

Just to be clear, you believe that a ~200 lb cyclist traveling at 15 mph is "at least as dangerous" to you as a ~3000 lb car traveling 45 mph?

Depends. As far as result? Maybe not. I've had two car encounters at speed. I've been lucky, I guess. First time I was hit from behind by a car that was probably doing 35-45mph. Bruises, herniated cervical disc and a concussion because she didn't square me up. Second time I hit the side of a car at 25mph when they turned right out of stopped traffic directly in front of me. Broken pinky and a concussion. If you want to see what an 'open reduction with external fixator' looks like I have a cool pic.

As far as frequency? Cyclists every damn time. The Dorptown routes involve bike paths east and west of town because of the way the roads are built. If I'm out there any other time than 5-6am I expect at least one stupid dumb ass move by somebody every 2-3 days.

[Nelson99]

I have to say that I agree with these sentiments and those regarding cars passing unsafely only to wait longer at the next light.

Of the last three cars that passed me unsafely, one was a cop (within 2ft), the other was the paramedic SUV from the local hospital. I was approaching a T intersection very near the local middle school. Paramedic comes up from behind when I am about ten feet from the intersection, and passes me (safely for me), but not so safely for the car taking a right after stopping before the blind right turn, only to find a paramedic SUV coming headlong in their lane. Brakes squeal, paramedic dodges right, no one dies, but Christ!, A PARAMEDIC passing in the wrong lane at a blind turn!!?!??!?!!

Cars do this so often around me that I am sure to see a head on crash eventually. I appreciate the clearance they give me, but I sure don't want them to kill someone else in the process.

Ten seconds weighed against someones life. Why don't people ponder that a bit more seriously???

. It has become the driver's right to get places fast, I can't see that being taken away any time soon. The bar has been set very low for both drivers and law enforcement.


I have an ongoing issue with police in my state and the law. The specific issue is about crosswalks and how a bicycle is defined in Mass. A bicycle is a vehicle, crosswalks protect the rights of pedestrians. A cyclist who gets hit in a cross walk fights an uphill battle because of this - every bike path around has crosswalks and yeild signs where they cross roads, they mean little when there's been an accident. As stupid as that bit of the law is, it's not my issue. The police use a crosswalk anywhere near a bike accident to pin fault on the cyclist. If there is a car vs. bike accident at an intersection where there are crosswalks, the accident report will probably indicate the cyclist was in the crosswalk - there's a check box for that. I have represented a number of bicycle damage claims in the past, I looked over both the police reports and the opperator reports from the riders. In almost 2/3rds of them the rider was on the road going somewhere as they should, the police report has them in a cross walk.

Along with the Mass Bicyclists bill of rights passing there was money set aside for law enforcement education. Nobody knows where that money has gone...

[echelon_john]

Because individuals' level of self-centeredness and self-absorption, compounded by mobile devices that enable same, preclude pondering much of anything.



Ten seconds weighed against someones life. Why don't people ponder that a bit more seriously???

[BumbleBeeDave]

Cars do this so often around me that I am sure to see a head on crash eventually. I appreciate the clearance they give me, but I sure don't want them to kill someone else in the process.

Ten seconds weighed against someones life. Why don't people ponder that a bit more seriously???

I was startled by how rarely this happened to me in France while on vacaton in July. I'd say 90% of the time the driver would wait until after the curve or the hill crest. Here it seems the ratio is 90% the other way.

It simply reinforces my viewpoint that our country is headed downhill--full of selfish, arrogant people whose defacto view is that saving THEM ten seconds is indeed more important to THEM than saving YOUR life. The attitude comes out when they drive.

BBD

[Climb01742]

10 seconds vs a human life. i can't count the number of times i've pondered (and been forced by a car to ponder) that very issue. is it selfishness? lack of awareness or empathy? i haven't ridden in europe that much, but the times i have, the entire bike-car relationship is 180 degrees different. i can't help but chalk this up to a simple fact: bikes are part of european culture. 90% of people seem to ride or have ridden at some point in their lives. cyclists in europe aren't 'the other'. they're me, they're my child, my spouse, my co-worker. here, we're a nuisance.

[parris]

I think a part of the problem is lack of awareness on the part of drivers. They just don't understand that most cyclist's travel much faster than they are. Many of them have no clue as it's just to easy for them to get a license to get behind the wheel.

[echelon_john]

Most of this has been debated ad nauseum prior to this latest accident, which, regardless of the exact way it unfolded, is a very sad tragedy.

Driver's Education in the U.S. is a joke. As are our licensing exams/road tests. As are the penalties for most car-related crimes/accidents that aren't car-on-car.

Personal responsibility is also becoming more and more of a joke. This isn't a political statement; it's a cultural one. We celebrate redemption and second chances to the point where f-ing up in the first place has lost its stigma, whether it's getting a DUI, cheating on taxes or driving like an a-hole.

A growing number of young adults and children are the products of having been raised in largely consequence-free environments. You didn't do your homework? Mom will write you a note. You failed a test? We'll talk to the teacher. Your car broke down because you forgot to put oil in it? We'll help you get a new one. You cheated on a test? We'll bury it so we don't give the school a bad name.

These aren't fleeting trends that will be reversed as time passes. This is a downward slide. Civility and real accountability simply aren't taught, learned, or valued effectively in American society as they are in other countries.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . well said. Very true.

Most of this has been debated ad nauseum prior to this latest accident, which, regardless of the exact way it unfolded, is a very sad tragedy.

Driver's Education in the U.S. is a joke. As are our licensing exams/road tests. As are the penalties for most car-related crimes/accidents that aren't car-on-car.

Personal responsibility is also becoming more and more of a joke. This isn't a political statement; it's a cultural one. We celebrate redemption and second chances to the point where f-ing up in the first place has lost its stigma, whether it's getting a DUI, cheating on taxes or driving like an a-hole.

A growing number of young adults and children are the products of having been raised in largely consequence-free environments. You didn't do your homework? Mom will write you a note. You failed a test? We'll talk to the teacher. Your car broke down because you forgot to put oil in it? We'll help you get a new one. You cheated on a test? We'll bury it so we don't give the school a bad name.

These aren't fleeting trends that will be reversed as time passes. This is a downward slide. Civility and real accountability simply aren't taught, learned, or valued effectively in American society as they are in other countries.

[1centaur]

A quote from the local paper on this story:

"I think the young man that was operating will get a citation for...failure to use care and caution when turning," continued the Chief. "I don't think there was anything more troublesome going on there."

22-year-old male driver with two male passengers. Witness said most of the cyclist's injuries were on his left side. The car's right side hit the cyclist throwing him up into the windshield of the car, over the roof and on to the ground.

My translation: car turned left, cyclist swerved right but not in time.

Cyclist in intensive care but expected to recover.

Editorial says, "The people commenting this week on the Transcript's online website, Wicked Local, were quick to pass judgment on the biker..."

My comment: the people who comment on Wicked Local in this town have a long history of repulsive, troll-like behavior; ignorant, bitter, selfish, loud-mouthed, self-righteous and incapable of introspection.

Nevertheless, the lesson remains: ride defensively and expect little sympathy or official support if something bad happens to you, regardless of actual fault. In the eyes of the public and the police, you are less valuable than a 5-year old child.