Hit-and-Run Bike Accident

* Regarding the case in which a driver drove 13 miles with a victim jammed into the windshield of his car and dumped him on a highway median on Aug. 22:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the media for their cooperation in our recent hit-and-run case.

The facts of this case were very disturbing to members of our department, and our investigators worked many long hours to resolve this case.

Early on, a decision was made by the victim’s family and investigators to work with the media in locating the suspect and vehicle.

The strategy was successful, with the vehicle located and suspect identified within 24 hours. Once identified in the media, the suspect was compelled to turn himself in.

SGT. JOE VARGAS

Anaheim Police Department

* Recently, a college student, riding his bike on the road next to his friends who were walking on the sidewalk, was struck from behind by a car going about 50 mph.

The bicyclist was killed. To me, the bicyclist’s death was just another example of how our unrealistic bicycle traffic laws are resulting in needless loss of life.

I believe that had the college student been riding his bike on the sidewalk next to his friends, he would be alive today. Riding a bicycle on a sidewalk has precedents. The city of Huntington Beach has sections where the bicycle path extends onto the sidewalk.

In Tokyo, tens of thousands of bikes share all of the city’s sidewalks with pedestrians. In fact, Tokyo residents have told me that they would ride their bikes only on the city’s sidewalks.

They consider bike riding in the streets of Tokyo too dangerous because there isn’t enough space on the side of the road to safely ride a bike. I believe a workable law would limit the speed of the bicycles on the sidewalk to about 10 mph, 5 mph when there is pedestrian traffic or a driveway.

This would be similar to the current speed limits on walkways that bikes and pedestrians share along the beach. It would prevent needless loss of lives.

B. WONG

Westminster