Bicycle Brawl
Have you had any angry confrontations with cyclists or motorists? Who was at fault?
Weigh in on round one of this week's Dust-Up.
Comments will close after two weeks.
From the Los Angeles Times
| Advertisement |
|
|
The Latest | news as it happens
- You can cut back on alcohol - L.A. Times - Health 11/16/2009, 12:00 a.m.
- Help for those who drink too much - L.A. Times - Health 11/16/2009, 12:00 a.m.
- Do diet patch claims stick? - L.A. Times - Health 11/16/2009, 12:00 a.m.
- Produce, lean protein should substitute for convenience foods - L.A. Times - Health 11/16/2009, 12:00 a.m.
- Recruiting an Army of Women to fight breast cancer - L.A. Times - Health 11/16/2009, 12:00 a.m.
Save more than
Plenty blame for all, I had some disappointments with drivers but nothing a little patience will solve and calmly writing done a license number and what bugged me. Both writers are right in a sense. Best buck solution lies with educated cyclist, drivers (cars, trucks, etc) and especially law enforcement. Cyclists need to know the law and law enforcement needs to listen take a report.
DanC @ 8:27 PM PST, Jan 20, 2008
There needs to be better bicycle infrastructure and programs that entice people to ride instead of drive. I recently made a video where II tell a story of a bicycle trip through a bicycle-friendly city. I try to show design innovations that make the trip safe, efficient, convenient, and fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4GwyXGtdNw
snowyplover @ 8:51 PM PST, Jan 17, 2008
Just this morning I had one of the scariest encounters to date in LA. My friend and I were riding in the right lane of three and (legally) taking possession of the entire lane. A car was in each of two lanes next to us going the speed limit when a third car decided to use the right as a passing lane and comes within inches of my friend likely at 55 mph before swerving back into the center lane. While cyclists surely are not right all the time, when we do something stupid we are putting our own lives at risk. When a 2,000 pound metal box surrounds someone, that person often forgets that not everyone has that same protection.
EJ @ 1:13 PM PST, Jan 17, 2008
"One of the most detailed studies of bike-auto accidents was a California report that found that 46% of accidents for which blame could be ascribed were the fault of the cyclist, while 54% were the fault of the motorist." In my experience from friends and myself, many of these accidents are inaccurate. I've had friends who have had hit and runs and the police document it as the cyclist fault for simply not riding on the sidewalk, not waering a helmet has also been a reason..??
Booney @ 11:38 AM PST, Jan 12, 2008
September 29th a friend and I were struck by a hit & run driver in Santa Fe Springs. My friend spent 8 days in the hospital and I got a ride to the ER to get checked out. Fortunately Whittier PD caught the driver the next day and my friend and I both have civil cases pending against this person who was also charged with Felony Hit & Run. How's that for an angry confrontation?
Jeronimo @ 8:34 AM PST, Jan 12, 2008
In the 5 days I've ridden this year, I've almost been hit 4 times and had my first actual (but very minor) collision today. Car made a left turn in front of me while I was going about 7 mph. I made a quick left turn to avoid but the car stopped and boom. My 9 trip old bike rack and the 198X POS shared some paint. The guy must have been really worried about me because he peeled out and took off almost immediately after we bumped. Except for the little scratch on my rack (which was empty) the bike and I are fine. The best part. This was 2:30 PM in front of a Police Station.
Joe @ 4:47 PM PST, Jan 11, 2008
Been a bike messenger in San Francisco, biked from Washington to California, across Europe and the south west USA. I also biked around La. People in cars suck when it comes to bikers. Try taking a left turn in the middle of a major intersection. You will die! People in cars need to look out for us on bikes as we are always looking out for them or we die. Being one of the first critical mass guys ...back in SF in the mid eighties I have to defend their tactics. I have never hurt anyone in a car but I have been maced, doored, hit, spit on, shot at, and you name it all because I wanted to get from point A to point B even riding in the gutter.
Richard @ 2:28 PM PST, Jan 11, 2008
In fact, according to TPS numbers up to the end of Nov 2007, motorists ran red lights and stop signs three times more often than cyclists and they did so at high-risk intersections. A higher percentage of cyclists ran stop-signs and red-lights. But, they did so at low-risk intersections and none were involved in the approx 1,000 reported collisions. There were 44 motorists/cyclists/motor-cyclists and 21 pedestrians killed on Toronto streets up to the end of Nov. 2007. Not one was killed by a cyclist. I'll send you the article I wrote, if you wish.
Joe LaFortune @ 7:50 AM PST, Jan 10, 2008
Randall, the numbers you cite are surprising. Here, in Toronto, the 4th largest city in North America, with a 400,000+ cycling community during the peak months May-Sep and as many as 70,000 year-round cyclists, a detailed study of bike-car collisions revealed that more than 90% of all collisions were the sole or shared fault of motorists. Toronto Police Services recently confirmed with me the same details for this past year. Not one collision at an intersection was the fault of the cyclist and there were NO collisions as the result of cyclists running reds or stop signs. (Continued)
Joe LaFortune @ 7:43 AM PST, Jan 10, 2008
We definitely need to encourage more riding and walking in L.A.! Serious though, for some reason I think the biggest fear is getting hit or shot. Hit by someone on their phone or some drunk. OR getting shot by some Gang Banger!
Mark D. of Sherman Oaks @ 8:14 PM PST, Jan 9, 2008
Next