Go Ahead, Run Down as Many Cyclists as You Want
By Rocky Thompson on October 25th, 2011
In this country, it is effectively legal to kill a cyclist with your car. It is baffling that this is the case. Every week I read about at least one guy or girl who was run over by a truck making a right turn or a person speeding around a blind corner. When reporters follow up on the story it always ends the same: no charges filed. In fact, it would be easy to argue that you’re better off killing the cyclist than maiming them, as if you kill the person, then you can give the police whatever version of events is most fitting. Take, for example this truck that ran over a New York cyclist about a week ago. Police found his truck parked a few blocks away, and he told them he never noticed running someone over. Case closed. And since he was never charged, the guy’s name will never be released to the public. Though, to be fair, drivers who run over cyclists and flee the scene can do okay, too. Remember the “road rage doctor” in California who slammed his brakes in front of two bikers and then fled? He just got a book deal.
And to top it all off, we must be the worst lobbyists in the world. The Gov of California just vetoed a bill that would have required motorists to safely pass cyclists. He vetoed it because it would require drivers to slow to 15mph if that had to pass a cyclist closer than 3 feet, and he thought it may cause car accidents. Since the veto at least two bikers have been hit and killed by cars in California alone.
Tags: Cycling
Totally agree with the whole post.
Just one point - the book deal was for the former Canadian attorney general, not the California doctor.
Grow up and buy a car.
Actually, I hate it when cars pass slowly as well. It does increase the chance of interacting with the cyclist in a negative way. Faster they get by me the better I feel.
How can we, as cyclists, kill motorists to make it fair? I’m thinking of mounting a machine gun to my frame.
I’ll just take a page from the Bush doctrine and shoot all motorists on sight as a pre-emptive strike.
Looks like the “Goat” is no exception to the pointless political rhetoric found on most blogs these days that provides no thoughtful insight other than some regurgitated facts from MSNBC or the NY Times about how all repubs want to kill every endangered species and destroy every spec of land to get the last drop of oil.
Sorry Ben, but the Republican party is pro-death due to their support of capital punishment, and the cheering for the death of sick people at Republican debates.
Criticisms of these facts are not pointless. Thanks.
‘MERICA try posting something that is on topic M’kay……thanks.
In fairness, if a car slowed to 15 to pass, they wouldn’t pass. I cruise at about 18-25 depending on the section of road on the way to work, and having a car crawl by is REALLY annoying. On the other hand, people need to stop acting like bikes deserved to be treated like pedestrians OR vehicles. We can’t be expected to keep pace in traffic, we’re dangerous on sidewalks with foot traffic, but we shouldn’t have to stop at stop signs and we should be allowed to roll through reds when the sensors don’t trip.
We recently passed the Vulnerable User law here in Nevada, modeled after Oregon’s law. Motorists found at fault in a collision with a bicyclist or pedestrian can be charged with reckless driving and face harsher penalties. Penalties can include fines up to $12,500, temporary revocation of drivers license, community service, and safety classes.
@ ‘MERICA pretty sure you just proved Ben’s point. This is an outdoor blog not some political forum for your rants.
The spring mountains and Route 157 outside of Las Vegas are besieged with cyclist in the summer WHO THINK THEY OWN THE ROAD, they will not move to the right, they ride 3 and 4 abreast blocking the road, they give cyclists a very bad name, I have come to despise them.
Check out i15 then james plenty of open road for you there
@joey Road cycling IS an outdoor sport , and there is nothing political about discussing this ABSOLUTELY FUCKED UP ISSUE.
Real people ARE KILLED, MURDERED,SLAUGHTERED, on a weekly basis. There is a war “Us vs. Them” is going on all around the country.
PEOPLE ! STOP FOR A SECOND AND THINK ABOUT IT !
It’s not about who is right and who is wrong. As one of my friends said: ” This isn’t an issue - the shallow thinking, inconsiderate and ignorant people is.”
Paul WTF are you taking about bro