Suv / Bicycle Collision July 3 On E Natoma
#31
Posted 16 July 2012 - 09:41 AM
#32
Posted 16 July 2012 - 09:50 AM
Ducky, here's the short version. Of all reported bike crashes (they are typically only reported if they involve medical treatment), less than 30% involve a car. About the same percentage involve another bicyclist, and the rest are random falls, collisions with fixed objects (e.g., bollards), etc. Of those involving a car, less than 15% involve a car going in the same direction, the ones that a bike lane helps prevent, but which can still happen when riding in a bike lane (the ones that scare you and many other people). But the real risk of riding where cars are involved, is at intersections. And the best way to avoid those, as the League of American Bicyclists Traffic Skills Class mantra states, is by acting and being treated as a vehicle. Specifically, when you follow the rules of the road (same ones apply to bicyclists as motorists, with a few notable exceptions) you are predictable and visible, and those are the two most important factors is riding safely. The problem with sidewalk riding is that at every driveway and intersection, you are NOT in the field of view of the normal motorist, who is looking for cars on the road and, if you're lucky, slow-moving pedestrians on the sidewalk. Plus, half the time, you are going the "wrong" way, which means the motorists will not even be looking your general direction (right turning motorists look left for traffic and rarely look right before starting to move). Also, riding on the sidewalk you are a hazard to pedestrians.
BTW, you sound like a prime candidate for a Traffic Skills 101 class. They are offered regularly in Sacramento by Smart Cycling Sacramento, but if there were some interest (four to six people), I could get a class together in Folsom (the benefit of taking it in Folsom, besides not having to travel, is that you practice on the roads you are most likely to be riding on with instructors who ride them all them time).
Thanks, Tony, for the information. Like I said, I'm not doubting that you are 100 percent correct. I've already decided that bike riding on busy roads is not for me so I'll pass on the class. I'll stick to occasional rides on the trails. And, yes, I know those can be dangerous too because of riders that speed, but I like the odds better. Truth be told, I prefer being a pedestrian. I've managed to be one of those without becoming paint on someone's hood in a town that doesn't believe peds have the right-of-way.
#33
Posted 16 July 2012 - 10:29 AM
I have been riding motorcycles for over 40 years, one of the first lessons I learned was you have to drive as if nobody sees you because frequently they can look right at you and not see you. Same goes for bicyclists, you can be in the right, but you can also be "dead" right. There are way to many motorcycle riders as well as cyclists that ride like they are invincible, and way to many of both that don't obey traffic laws, especially bicyclists. Stop signs apply folks, when was the last time you saw a bicyclist get a citation for running a stop sign? I was working in my front yard as a motor cop sat up the street from a stop sign letting several bicylists blow right through a stop sign, the first car that did a "california" stop got pulled over, that's just not right!
And that happens all the time. People on bicycles just do not stop at
stop signs. I wish they would ticket the batch of them. There are not
kids either, they are adults???
#34
Posted 16 July 2012 - 10:38 AM
I agree on almost all points, except, as I responded to Ducky's first post, is it necessary to turn every bike-related topic into a bicyclist bashing fest? Yes, I live on a corner with a 4-way stop that is very busy with both motorists and cyclists, and I am frequently aghast at what bicyclists do there, but it's also not uncommon to see a car blow through the stop sign at 35 mph (speed limit is 25) without so much as tapping the brakes. And yes, I wish the FPD would ticket a few more bicyclists running stop sings and red lights. Next time I see them parked next to our house I will make that suggestion.I have been riding motorcycles for over 40 years, one of the first lessons I learned was you have to drive as if nobody sees you because frequently they can look right at you and not see you. Same goes for bicyclists, you can be in the right, but you can also be "dead" right. There are way to many motorcycle riders as well as cyclists that ride like they are invincible, and way to many of both that don't obey traffic laws, especially bicyclists. Stop signs apply folks, when was the last time you saw a bicyclist get a citation for running a stop sign? I was working in my front yard as a motor cop sat up the street from a stop sign letting several bicylists blow right through a stop sign, the first car that did a "california" stop got pulled over, that's just not right!
At any rate, I would agree that, while being as visible as possible, it is also good to assume that you are not seen by motorists. Motorists see what they are looking for - cars. Which is one big reason why it is safer to ride in places with lots of bicyclists - because motorists are used to seeing and looking for bicyclists and they are also more likely to be a bicyclist themselves. But, assuming you are invisible can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy; if you ride like you are invisible to motorists, you likely will be. And that is not a good thing. And the parallel to motorcyclists only goes so far because motorcyclists are much more likely to be overtaking motorists from behind, which requires them to be detected in mirrors.
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