terrible. I read that article on deadspin yesterday.

Based simply on reactions and actions to motor vehicle deaths, pedestrian deaths, and cyclist deaths..........one could conclude that we don't give a rat's ass about the sanctity of life unless it is unborn.

As soon as life breaches and has left the hospital, screw it.

Until some "common" men and women start going to prison for actual time from these incidents, nothing will change. I don't care if a mom of 3 kids and husband did it. 5 years in prison.

It just amazes me that a person in Alabama the other day got into a fight, and was injured by another person. The injured is going to face charges of the death of their unborn child.

Nevermind the politics of that incident, but compare it to this one. Someone mows down a pedestrian or a cyclist (assuming that's where the fault lies)...........and nothing. People even try to leave the scene and claim ignorance.

It's the age of the unabashed demonstration of the ideal FYIGM.

NYC is a nightmare for cycling. I live in Brooklyn and gave up cycling outdoors here a long time ago after getting hit by a cab that failed to give me the right of way on a left hand turn. It's not just cars and trucks, it's also pedestrians that wander into the bike lanes, crazy people with their shopping carts full of bottles & cans, delivery guys on e-bikes riding the wrong way, drunk people, you name it. Even cops park in the bike lanes so forget about actually enforcing those laws. De Blasio is a joke and it's sad that his vision zero is just lip service to grieving families whose loved ones have been killed by crazy drivers.

---

Strava

You could throw shooting rampages in there, too

But then, we'd have to move this thread to the LR

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Very sad. As others here have said, nothing will change until drivers face real consequences and politicians do more than just pay lip service to the problem.

Have you seen the laws in NY? The only lives that seem to be protected are those of criminals. Unborn are valued about as much as the working middle class in NY by those that make and pass laws - they are not

The United States averages around 800 cycling fatalities per year. I think most are in California at around 125/year. New York averages around 50 cycling fatalities/year.

It sounds harsh, but we ought to expect about 1 fatality per week in the state of New York, probably most in NYC. The key here is to consider the trends-- is it getting better or worse. This may actually be improving, though most of the fatalities are probably likely to occur during the warmer months.

Since I have seen the unedited traffic cam footage, I need to point out that in this case the truck had the green light and the right of way and the woman on the bike ran right into the side of the truck.

There was nothing the driver, or any of us, could have done to prevent the accident, and it was in no way the driver's fault.

---

"...the street finds its own uses for things"

I live in a little suburb of 25000, which has a nice road along the lake with a bike lane. The bike lane has some rough spots--but it's decent enough for cruiser bikes and a Tri bike if you're OK dodging stuff. Our local Tris use it several times a year so I ride it regularly. I get buzzed by landscaping trucks and honked at drivers who think I'm in the way---even if I'm within the bike lane and racing with dozens of other bikers who are all in a single file---albeit, the far left side close to the road as it's the smooth part.

We've had two bike vs car accidents in the past month or so, resulting in one death and one serious injury, both people known by our local bike and Tri community.

So, I guess I'd say it has nothing to do with the size of the city....or even the availability of bike lanes. That said, the community has been very supportive of the surviving rider and both at-fault drivers are being prosecuted--with cyclists showing up at the courthouse!

That reminds me, I need to get a brighter rear blinky light for my wife's Kestrel.

The link said NYC had only 10 fatalities last year - maybe that was a record low?

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

https://gizmodo.com/...accidents-1717997041

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

You are correct. It wasn't an accident. It was suicide by cement truck.

Case closed.

---

"...the street finds its own uses for things"

It may be. I cited data from a NY DMV report that they have not updated since 2014. In that report, about 1/2 of NY's fatalities occurred in NYC (or maybe more-- the report does not break out that metric). In 2014, there were at least 21 cyclist-vehicle collision deaths in NYC. Maybe fatalities dropped a lot since 2014. Another super-interesting metric: at least 60% of the fatalities occurred when the riders were not wearing helmets. So, increases or decreases in fatalities could be due to riders choosing whether to wear helmets.

Still sad, but as someone who bikes in NYC regularly this makes me feel better about my safety.

Basically I always assume that cars will turn without looking and I bike on walk signs only. Has kept me away from any close calls for 7 years now. The biggest danger to me is really the e-bikes going the wrong way and running lights to deliver food 2 minutes faster.

---

Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

Thanks for the info!

Love the media... it's all spin and BS. "How can we twist this event into something that serves our agenda/beliefs?"

To be honest, nobody really cares about unborn lives either. It's just an emotional story that both sides of the isle are using to train electorate like Pavlov's dogs.

As for cycling deaths, this is a part of a larger issue. Big cities in the US were kind of forgotten and under-budgeted since 1920s till 1990s. Either country didn't have much money (30s-40s) or everything was directed to suburbs (50x-80x). But for already 20+ years things are improving.
We of course will not live to see that, but our children might very well have decent cycling experience in cities.

It's "aisle" ... unless maybe you're referring to Long Island, of which Brooklyn is the Westernmost part [along with Queens]

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Oh shit, was she on a fixie? It looks like she locked up & skidded into the truck

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/...-York-512090242.html

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

This just started in Arkansas yesterday. If this law was in place, enforced and she obeyed, it could have been prevented. RIP.


"New biking law ready to roll out in Arkansas; change for cyclists affects use of stop signs, red lights"

https://www.arkansasonline.com/...o-roll-out-201904-1/

Same in the UK. Cycling deaths are perfectly acceptable it seems and SMIDSY ( 'sorry mate I didn't see you') a near instant get-off.

In fact about a week ago a cyclist was ordered by the courts to pay compensation to a woman who he collided with after SHE walked into the road into his path whilst she was fhecking about on her phone amd not looking where TF she was going !!! Despite witnesses saying that's what she did.

That's unfair of course, but it seems in this case all of our outrage is misplaced as the cyclist seems to have blown a red light and rode straight into the side of the truck. I cannot see that the truck driver could have possibly done anything, even if we was looking very carefully and attempted to avoid her as best as he possibly could.

---

-------------
Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

There are certainly some right eeejits out there on 2 wheels at times, that's for sure. Not always the car or truck driver's fault.
It's just they often get off near Scott-free even when it is their fault.

I was driving a big ass box-truck for the first time in my life last month [we got it from Enterprise; I figured if little Kristen Bell could drive one, I sure fucking could] I was amazed - and terrified - how poor the visibility is in those things. You can see straight ahead, straight behind with the mirrors on the side, pretty OK to the left, but maybe 50% of what's on the right [looking out the passenger window, basically down a tunnel]

I can assure you, he never saw her

Also, looking at the video, it seems [to me] she was coming off the sidewalk, and was startled to see the truck there. She turned right a little, but panicked & stopped pedaling, which locked up the rear wheel, sending her into a skid [the vid I saw cut out there, but I suspect she slid under the truck]

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Hello RandMart and All,

https://sf.streetsblog.org/...ons-at-lake-merritt/

https://twitter.com/...s-at-lake-merritt%2F

https://bikinginla.com/...vers-is-a-thing-now/

---

Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster