Cyclist Death

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  • beachgod
    beachgod Posts: 567 Member
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    I ride on the sidewalk whenever possible so I'm a good 10-15 feet away from traffic and less likely to get hit. What kind of crackhead drivers do you people have who get their cars on the sidewalks and hit bicyclists?
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    beachgod wrote: »
    I ride on the sidewalk whenever possible so I'm a good 10-15 feet away from traffic and less likely to get hit. What kind of crackhead drivers do you people have who get their cars on the sidewalks and hit bicyclists?

    So where you live, there is not a SINGLE driveway or intersection where the driver will come flying up to the road, right over the sidewalk, when they want to turn onto the road?

    This is where cyclists get hit.

    Not to mention all the pedestrians you might hit. There are a lot of blind corners in a city.
  • ChrisM32205
    ChrisM32205 Posts: 218 Member
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    As a cyclist who rides at all times of the day and night on city streets and in traffic, I agree all cyclists (and people who use bicycles for transportation aka "bikers") should be held accountable for following the laws and rules when it comes to riding.

    I always see people riding in the dark with no lights and riding facing traffic and running red lights and stop signs. I've thought to myself.. wow If I could just write tickets as a bicycle cop I'd have a full time job.

  • amcook4
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Last night (it was very dark) on my way through downtown, someone crossed the street (one sidewalk to another) in the middle of a block, wearing all dark clothing with no lights/reflectors. I swear he had a death wish! Who does that? There were so many cars that could have hit him!
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    ChrisM32205 wrote: »
    As a cyclist who rides at all times of the day and night on city streets and in traffic, I agree all cyclists (and people who use bicycles for transportation aka "bikers") should be held accountable for following the laws and rules when it comes to riding.

    I always see people riding in the dark with no lights and riding facing traffic and running red lights and stop signs. I've thought to myself.. wow If I could just write tickets as a bicycle cop I'd have a full time job.

    Yup! IT's actually a proven fact that, in New York, the only cyclists who are killed are the ones who don't obey traffic laws, doing exactly what you described.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,663 Member
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    Daily I see a lady in our neighborhood walking the dog at night and she uses a flash light along with a leash that has multicolored lights (think of Christmas tree lights here) in it. You can see her a mile away.

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  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
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    beachgod wrote: »
    I ride on the sidewalk whenever possible so I'm a good 10-15 feet away from traffic and less likely to get hit. What kind of crackhead drivers do you people have who get their cars on the sidewalks and hit bicyclists?

    Just like drivers that can't deal with cyclists shouldn't be on the road, cyclists that can't learn to ride on the street shouldn't ride. You absolutely do not belong on the sidewalk. Besides for cars coming out of driveways, you can hit a pedestrian. Every pedestrian is entitled to safe sidewalks.
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
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    As a driver, cyclist and pedestrian, I'm in full agreement with the OP. A cyclist that goes out without a light is simply stupid. Just like cars don't drive without lights, a cyclist should never go out without one. We can debate many aspects of cycling safety, dedicated lanes, helmets, etc. But lights (and reflectors) should never enter the conversation. At the minimum, you can use one of these $2 lights that will at least allow drivers to see you.
  • lmarshel
    lmarshel Posts: 674 Member
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    I ride in the mornings at about 4AM, and I just got one of these for my birthday. Can't wait to try it out!!

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  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    lmarshel wrote: »
    I ride in the mornings at about 4AM, and I just got one of these for my birthday. Can't wait to try it out!!

    cy8xmuqpjvbz.jpg

    That thing looks excellent! What is it?
  • gio0323
    gio0323 Posts: 294 Member
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    I got a road bike about 2 weeks ago. So far I only ride it during the day. We do have bike lanes but I do not feel confortable yet, so I try to use the side walk, not sure if it is illegal but it will have to do for now......
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    gcastro32 wrote: »
    I got a road bike about 2 weeks ago. So far I only ride it during the day. We do have bike lanes but I do not feel confortable yet, so I try to use the side walk, not sure if it is illegal but it will have to do for now......

    I have to urge you against using the sidewalk as much as possible. It may feel safer because you're away from general traffic, but it's not general traffic you have to worry about. It's the drivers entering and exiting driveways (which will be directly in your path if you're not on the road) or drivers turning left into driveways. Drivers never look on sidewalks for anything but extrremely slow moving pedestrians. You are not extremely slow moving, so they wouldn't even notice you.

    On the road, you're safer, because you'll be within the field of view for drivers. Put a blinky light on your bike and you'd be a lot more noticable (get a bright one and use it during the day as well - it actually does help).

    IMO, if you're generally a safe rider, planning your route ahead of time is 90% of being a safe cyclist. Use google maps to plan the route you will take - avoid busy roads. Use bike trails, lanes, and side streets and roads for your trip. The further away you are from busy roads, the safer you will be.

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    Just be smart when planning your trip. Sometimes, you may need to take a long detour to avoid an unsafe bit of road, but it's never impossible.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    As a regular city cyclist, pedestrian and occasional driver, I could not agree with you more. I regularly see cyclists in my neighbourhood disobeying traffic laws by riding through red lights, stop signs, etc. On more than one occasion I have narrowly missed cyclists running red lights as I was crossing the road.

    There are many terrible motorists out there who pay no attention whatsoever to cyclists (I was once hit turning left at an all-way stop by a motorist texting on his phone - it was my right of way), but there are just as many cyclists who do not obey traffic laws and contribute to the problem.

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