[blue]

A few days ago there was a tragic death here where a young woman was killed while riding up one of the Salt Lake canyons. Here's the first column on the accident:

http://www.sltrib.com/mullen/ci_2417841

The columnist received a ton of feedback from her column, and she published some of it today . A couple responses particularly bothered me...

"I tell my son to stay out of the road when he is on his bike, because a car will hit him. And if there is no bike lane then I tell him to ride in the dirt, and watch out for cars. Everyone expects their children to stay out of the road on their bikes, but not adults. If this girl was so smart, she would realize the dangers of riding your bike up a narrow winding road. She probably knew this, but was willing to take the chance. Now she paid the consequence. This shouldn't be blamed on the driver of a car who was probably obeying every law." - J.N.

"Two-lane narrow roads are not meant for bicycles, no matter who might be at fault. You should be ashamed for blaming that poor woman who was driving before you know all the facts." - C.K.

I find the basic ignorance of the population disturbing. While cyclists do have to obey traffic rules, it was apparent she was while riding up the canyon. Also, where she was hit the road turns into three lanes, with two on the uphill side. It is by no means a winding canyon road at that point, it becomes wider and much straighter. Another thing that bothers me is that they still haven't charged, or even cited the woman that hit her.

/rant off

Utah needs help...someone free us from our gas-guzzling ultra-conservative birth control-shunning hell...

 

[dhtahoe]

This is such bullsh!t. I was hit last year by a drunk driver who already had 1 DUI and it still took almost 7 months to get charges pressed. I was in a bike lane (he thought it was a right turn lane) and BAM. I got lucky and only had a little road rash, but I was still treated like I was in the wrong. At one point the Reno police had this "just let it go" attitude going. No way I wanted to make an example of this guy. My lawyer used the fact that I am a pro rider to say that it would be like me coming to his office with a gun and opening fire. If you drive a car at a police officer it's assalt with a deadly weapon. Why that rule does not apply to me when I'm riding my bike is beyond me. The guy at the bike shop made a GREAT point. If you rear-end someone in car it's your fault 90% of the time. So why does that not apply to someone on a bike. People don't learn to drive they learn to pass a test.

My 2 cents

 

[Rip]

This is really why the population needs thinning out badly. Not the cyclist, but the idiot that says that bikes shouldn't be on the road.

 

[dexterq20]

This is really why the population needs thinning out badly. Not the cyclist, but the idiot that says that bikes shouldn't be on the road.

I think the best way to do this is to remove all warnings from electric appliances, such as the tags on hairdryers that say "do not use in the bath or shower". :devil:

 

[lovebunny]

well is there anything we can do aboutthis to pass tougher laws? like a petition or something?

 

[chicodude]

Stupid people like the bitch who hit her need to Be beaten to death With a handlebar.


Now.

 

[blue]

well is there anything we can do aboutthis to pass tougher laws? like a petition or something?

I really wish there was something I could do, they really need to make an example of the woman that hit her. Utah's cycling community is fairly fractured and doesn't make up a good part of the population, however. It'd be tough getting anything that would help cyclists out through our government, which is made up of mostly blind-faith conservatives with no interest in curtailing any sort of motor vehicle usage.

What do you mean by tougher laws? Just tougher standards by which to punish drivers for nailing cyclists?

 

[Tenchiro]

I really wish there was something I could do, they really need to make an example of the woman that hit her. Utah's cycling community is fairly fractured and doesn't make up a good part of the population, however. It'd be tough getting anything that would help cyclists out through our government, which is made up of mostly blind-faith conservatives with no interest in curtailing any sort of motor vehicle usage.

What do you mean by tougher laws? Just tougher standards by which to punish drivers for nailing cyclists?

I bet if a big stink was raised to the local District Attorney, Mayor & Chief of Police something might happen. I am not sure if the Utah Attorney General would be appropriate to bring it up to, but it couldn't hurt.

 

[Rip]

I say we use the power and rights we have and show these bikes don't have rights people what RESPECT is about.

 

[blue]

Maybe a Critical Mass up Big Cottonwood canyon in her memory?

The canyon isn't within Salt Lake City boundaries, whos mayor is actually pretty bike friendly. It falls in unincorporated Salt Lake County, whos mayor is currently involved in a huge corruption scandal...

 

[Echo]

Stuff like this really pisses me off.

 

[Pulser955]

The best thing to do would be a show of civil disobedience by a large group of cyclist. Get as many cyclist as you can and ride in a vary large group shutting down roads. But you have to get the media involved. Motorcyclists have the same problem in most states. The AMA has to have national media companies to make local law enforcement look bad to force a different view. With a lot of hard work it can be changed.

 

[blue]

AKA...Critical Mass

 

[Hawkeye]

Funny here in Chicago and the burbs it is technically against the law to ride on the sidewalk. So bicycles have to be ridden on the street to follow the letter of the law. You would never know it the way people yell at you.

Now runners are never yelled at for running on the road, but if you hit one of them with your car you get 7 years in the joint.

Talk about a double standard.

 

[blue]

I just moved a couple months ago from suburban hell (ala Salt Lake) up to a small town 90 miles farther north. A very bike friendly town, as well, I've only had one can thrown at me so far

 

[JRB]

Stuff like this really pisses me off.

 

[fatpandas]

Funny here in Chicago and the burbs it is technically against the law to ride on the sidewalk. So bicycles have to be ridden on the street to follow the letter of the law. You would never know it the way people yell at you.

the law says basically the same thing in atlanta, but all the bicycle cops i know ride on the sidewalk because they don't want to take the risk of being in the street.

 

[blue]

On the sidewalk you act as a pedestrian, and you shouldn't be tearing it up...on the road, you act as a vehicle. Thats how I've always played it...I don't clip down the sidewalk at 20mph when going to the coffee shop.

 

[bushwacker]

I was in a bike lane (he thought it was a right turn lane) and BAM.

In California you are legally allowed to enter a bike lane 500 feet before making a turn.
I know this because I missed this Q on my driving test when I first moved here. 500 feet is a long freaking way to prepare to turn IMO.


Better news from my local court system:

SR MAN GETS NEARLY 9 YEARS IN KILLING OF BICYCLIST ON HWY. 12

 

[Echo]

In California you are legally allowed to enter a bike lane 500 feet before making a turn.
I know this because I missed this Q on my driving test when I first moved here. 500 feet is a long freaking way to prepare to turn IMO.


Better news from my local court system:

SR MAN GETS NEARLY 9 YEARS IN KILLING OF BICYCLIST ON HWY. 12

linky no worky...

 

[Motionboy2]

It amazes me that any human can justify one person killing another. We are not talking about self defense we art talking about being careless.

If this woman hit a rock and dodged out into traffic for a moment, and this lady hit her and made her fly 20 YARDS!! how fast was she going? Was it a reasonable passing speed? NO! Good Lord!

I am definitely not going to say that I have not made any mistakes in my car, but lets be reasonable! It just makes me sad to see a woman being killed and people defending the carelessness of the person who killed her!

 

[bushwacker]

linky no worky...

Linky fixed from local podunk news-archive.


here

 

[soboko]

i saw that column in the tribune too and those comments really pissed me off.

i saw a biker get hit on wasatch blvd a few weeks ago while i was on my way to a ride. he seemed ok, kind of shaken up, but the bike was totalled. he was very lucky, he must have just barely gotten tagged.

i was impressed with the emt response time. it took less than 10 mins for them to arrive from the time i called 911.

it was an woman in her 40s driving a big suv that hit him... probably the same one who wrote the tribune and felt bad for the "poor woman" who was "probably obeying every law"…

a critical mass up bcc would be a great idea… i'd go…

 

[blue]

JUSTICE!!!

 

[lovebunny]

glad somthings coming of it. from what that article says it sounds like it was deliberate or that lady cant control her car. either way she deserves more than 1 year

 

[Slugman]

JUSTICE!!!

Barely...

 

[blue]

Barely...

This is Utah. I'm not complaining...we take what we can get here

 

[Silver]

<I>Yesterday bicyclists rallied on Capitol Hill to pass a new, tougher bike safety law, which would require cars to give bikes a three-foot berth unless the road is too narrow.</I>

What ever happened to waiting until it is clear to pass? If I'm stuck behind a car or a motorcycle, I don't get to push him off the road just because he's slower than me.

 

[Echo]

I wouldn't call it justice... and it sucks that grandma has to spend a year in the slammer... but it's better than nothing.

 

[DHS]

This is such bullsh!t. I was hit last year by a drunk driver who already had 1 DUI and it still took almost 7 months to get charges pressed. I was in a bike lane (he thought it was a right turn lane) and BAM. I got lucky and only had a little road rash, but I was still treated like I was in the wrong. At one point the Reno police had this "just let it go" attitude going. No way I wanted to make an example of this guy. My lawyer used the fact that I am a pro rider to say that it would be like me coming to his office with a gun and opening fire. If you drive a car at a police officer it's assalt with a deadly weapon. Why that rule does not apply to me when I'm riding my bike is beyond me. The guy at the bike shop made a GREAT point. If you rear-end someone in car it's your fault 90% of the time. So why does that not apply to someone on a bike. People don't learn to drive they learn to pass a test.

My 2 cents

PROPS, i was hit by an old lady once, she drove off. people that saw it called the police. he took report. and nothing was ever done.

 

[laura]

Now runners are never yelled at for running on the road, but if you hit one of them with your car you get 7 years in the joint.

Talk about a double standard.

i actually get yelled at quite a bit while running in the road. i've almost been hit more times running than biking, probably because i am less visible and going against traffic when i run but still. cars don't like anything in their roads, its not just cyclists, its joggers, walkers and other cars as well.

 

[TN]

the lady who hit him is the resort owners wife, i would definitely pursue a MASSIVE civil suit if I was the victims family. It wouldn't replace the life lost but it still would be a little justice (if they won).

 

[KaTooMer]

... and it sucks that grandma has to spend a year in the slammer... but it's better than nothing.

News reports usually state the maximum penalty...doubtful granny will do a year in the joint. Or any time in the joint for that matter, with a good attorney and some plea bargaining. Justice, eh?

 

[BigHit-Maniac]

someone free us from our gas-guzzling ultra-conservative birth control-shunning hell...

I couldn't agree more man.

When you can't even exercise in this country, it's really BAD.
The ONLY places a bicycle should not be allowed is on the highway system(s)

That is utterly pothetic that they're justifying a car hitting a biker.
:mumble:

 

[SkaredShtles]

This is really why the population needs thinning out badly. Not the cyclist, but the idiot that says that bikes shouldn't be on the road.

That being said, I'm *VERY* leary of riding on the road.

Besides, road riding sucks.

-S.S.-

 

[SkaredShtles]

I couldn't agree more man.

When you can't even exercise in this country, it's really BAD.
The ONLY places a bicycle should not be allowed is on the highway system(s)

Alot of Interstate mileage here in Colorado *is* open to cyclists.......

-S.S.-

 

[SkaredShtles]

This is Utah. I'm not complaining...we take what we can get here

It's a small price to pay for the stellar skiing and biking.

-S.S.-

 

[BigHit-Maniac]

Alot of Interstate mileage here in Colorado *is* open to cyclists.......

-S.S.-

Probably the run through Summit county eh' ?

I know a lot of roadies like to go all the way up by the Eisenhower tunnel.

I'd like to go DOWN it, not up it.. but I definitely agree with most of the areas that are open.

-Matt

 

[LordOpie]

<i>Yesterday bicyclists rallied on Capitol Hill to pass a new, tougher bike safety law, which would require cars to give bikes a three-foot berth unless the road is too narrow.</i>

What ever happened to waiting until it is clear to pass? If I'm stuck behind a car or a motorcycle, I don't get to push him off the road just because he's slower than me.

bumping this post.

Probably the run through Summit county eh' ?

I know a lot of roadies like to go all the way up by the Eisenhower tunnel.

Roadies can and do ride the frontage road. I wouldn't ride a busy highway mostly cuz of the fumes.

 

[blue]

I-80 up Parley's Canyon to Park City is open to riding here...You've gotta be halfway insane to do it, though.