Cyclist teammate hit by car

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Completely illegal and unsafe.

This is a far cry from going 5-10 miles over the speed limit.

Yeah haven't you learned anything on this board yet, we already covered the running red lights thing in the Cop Pulled Over Family Trying to See Their Dying Mother thread...

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by WheelsVT

He was on the right side of the lane about to turn across it. From what I heard he had just turned onto the road, a van passed and then he signaled his intention to turn left across the lane that he was currently in. He looked back to verify the lane behind was clear, put his hand down to steer and began to turn left. Knowing him he wouldn't have cut off a car so he had to have not seen it even though he looked. My guessis the car sped up to get around him before he started to turn.

That would make sense, and plenty of drivers would do that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

I think the other problem here (from my POV) is city versus exurban (is that a word?) driving.

Yes, exurban is a word. Although I'm sure there's some specific definition for it, basically it's used to describe outlying or farther flung suburbs.

Around Atlanta for example, the larger counties closest to the city (say Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, maybe Clayton more often than not) are safely "suburban" but those that are in the official metropolitian area (DMA,MSA, ADI) but that are mostly connected to the core metro only as bedroom communities and don't share a lot of other development characteristics (such as Pickens, Carroll, even Rockdale & Newton) are sometimes referred to as exurban.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

Cyclists are vehicles. Sidewalks are for pedestrians.

If they are vehicles that are to be treated on equal footing as cars, perhaps they should be registered or the riders licensed?

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

If they are vehicles that are to be treated on equal footing as cars, perhaps they should be registered or the riders licensed?

Just stating the CA Vehicle Code. I didn't make it. But just an FYI, it's also law in most cities here that you have to have a bike license.

[Karlifornia]

Idiot drivers + idiot cyclists = 100% of the problems

[damnMikeBrown]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

You just summed up Athens quite nicely considering the distance between your location & here.

You also just summed up why I've spent several years advocating hunting licenses be issues to motorists that allow them to bag an annual limit of cyclists in the roadway. Kind of like deer hunting.

It is amazing. You are such an asshole. Attitudes like this are literally why one of my old riding partners, a Republican Judge here in OH used to carry a firearm with him while riding. I am so pleased that you consider your life to be worth so much more than your fellow man. Truely an example to follow. I'd would give the benefit of the doubt that it was tounge in cheek, but hell man, you said the same thing last year too.

How many times on my bike have I endangered a persons life? How many times have you and attitudes like yours taken innocent people's lives in to reckless hands. Damn man...it's just pathetic.

[RainMaker]

That really sucks. I have some friends who are avid cyclists in the city and literally go everywhere on their bike. But as others have mentioned, there are some asshole cyclists who think they own the road and make it real difficult to drive around. They veer out of the bike lanes when they want and are too close to the middle on narrow streets.

Cyclists are overall good for any city and I wish there were better ways to integrate them on the road without causing too many incidents.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by damnMikeBrown

I'd would give the benefit of the doubt that it was tounge in cheek, but hell man, you said the same thing last year too.

I was just as serious then as I am now. I'd have no problem at all with it as long as it was regulated properly. They've essentially made themselves nuisance animals by choice, which is actually worse than coyotes & the like which largely don't know any better. From the standpoint of ever actually expecting it to happen, yeah, of course it's tongue in cheek.

But I'd be telling one hell of a big lie if I said I'd shed a single tear over the sudden & violent demise of any cyclist that jumps a traffic light or a line of traffic while lying their asses off about how they obey the laws of the road. That's a combination of Darwin's Law in action and poetic justice as far as I'm concerned.

[Tyrith]

Generally the sense I'm getting is that cyclists try to be both a vehicle and a non-vehicle at the same time - and that's what I believe, too. I have great sympathy for bikers, especially living in a very green friendly place (Austin). However, you aren't helping anyone if what you do clogs up traffic flow and you just do whatever the heck you feel like.

Bikers need to follow the rules and follow them consistently, just like they were a car, unless you are willing to take all the blame when you break the rules. Within that I am, and I think it everyone else should be, willing to work with the cyclists to make the roads as safe as possible.

[tarcone]

Im about to take up cycling. My bro-in-law bought a new bike and is giving me his old. This was a bad thread to read.
Although i live in a small town, the drivers here would hit bikes for sport I think.

[RainMaker]

More bikes = less cars on the road

As someone who lives in a city, that's a very good thing. Less traffic and less smog.

[gstelmack]

Similar accident here:

Cyclist killed in collision with vehicle in Apex :: WRAL.com

No word yet on details like hand signals, but basically looks like he just crossed in front of the car. What's sadder as you read the article is he sounds like one of the "good" cyclists who kept trying to teach local cyclists that they are a vehicle and need to act like it...