[bw77]

Turns out that a 14 year old SUV driver killed a cyclist in Colorado 2 weeks ago.
How sad.

http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2008/07/24/news/doc4887efd934863615674811.txt

 

[pgk]

That's terrible 14 years old, unbelievable. I just about got hit yesterday, a lady came up behind me and sped up to go around because of a on coming car and miss judged the distance between her and that car. So she swerved back towards me pushed me into the shoulder of the road which just about made me crash. A young lady who was out jogging in the opposite direction asked if I was alright, I told her that I was fine and that I think I just gained a few more gray hairs.. Be careful out there...

 

[Slow Eddie]

That kid should be permabanned from ever driving again. Then he can get killed riding his bike around.

 

[My Own Private Idaho]

Are any states still issuing driver's licenses to 14 year-olds?

 

[El Guapo]

"Burning fake residency cards...."

Gotta love that! Underage, very likely illegal alien driver fleeing the scene. I am not trying to start an immigration debate, but this kid will NOT get any punishment. Prevent him from ever getting a driver's license? What would that matter, he will clearly disobey that law and drive anyway. Punish the parents for letting and underage kid drive? If he is illegal, they are too. Now, the kid's immigration status has nothing to do with his driving skills or lack thereof. I know TONS of legal residents who drive in all likelihood much, MUCH worse...most illegal aliens tend to try to follow the rules to avoid confrontations with the law. But, his status will effect how we handle any punishment phase. Anyway, this is a tragedy all the way. If only it would help other drivers out there understand and be respectful of cyclists on the road. I can't pretend that will ever happen though. This story will happen again and again as sad as it is to say because the majority of American drivers could give a cr*p about other people if they get in their way. My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased cyclist

 

[sheldon]

Turns out that a 14 year old SUV driver killed a cyclist in Colorado 2 weeks ago.
How sad.

http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2008/07/24/news/doc4887efd934863615674811.txt

Just awful, Tom Fortmann is a cycling friend of mine and was instrumental in pushing forward the MinuteMan Bikepath, one of the first rail-trails in the country...relieved he is ok but very sad for the other cyclist and his family...

 

[filtersweep]

Reading the comments there makes me lose faith in humanity. People are blaming the cyclist. There are a lot of sick people in the world.

 

[Bocephus Jones II]

Reading the comments there makes me lose faith in humanity. People are blaming the cyclist. There are a lot of sick people in the world.

What tour was this? RTR or BTC? ALso....looks like the kid had fake residency cards he was trying to dispose of. Probably an illegal alien. Good luck getting any $$ out of him or his family.

 

[wipeout]

Reading the comments there makes me lose faith in humanity. People are blaming the cyclist. There are a lot of sick people in the world.

I agree with you there, and it is going to get even worse as more and more people start finding cheaper ways to get to work. How many people remember Matt Wilhelm?

"...
Matt's Law is about 25-year-old Matt Wilhelm, a recent University of Illinois graduate and avid biker who was killed by a distracted driver in September 2006. The teenage driver completely left the roadway while downloading cell phone ring tones, hitting Matt with the driver side of her car.

Matt's bicycle helmet, which his parents said he wore religiously, did not save him from the traumatic brain injuries that claimed his life days later.

When Matt's parents spoke with the state trooper who handled the collision, he said, “Your son did everything right. He did nothing wrong.”

Because Illinois does not have a Negligent Vehicular Homicide law similar to 35 other states, the driver was only charged with improper lane usage, a petty offense with a maximum fine of $1,000.

Illinois needs a new law NOW! We also need more education in schools to reduce distracted driving. Every day, 4,300 crashes are caused by driving distractions in the U.S.
..."

Kill a cyclist in Illinois and it's a 1k fine. Disgusting.

www.mattslaw.org

 

[Arginine]

Reading the comments there makes me lose faith in humanity. People are blaming the cyclist. There are a lot of sick people in the world.

Agreed. WTF is wrong with people? What a horrible way to comment on this tragedy...

 

[oily666]

I think cell phone activity should be a mandatory component in all motor vehicle accident investigations. I came to this conclusion after driving next to a teen driver who spent 75% of her visual focus for over a mile at 55 MPH on text messaging in heavy four lane traffic. I also heard that about 60% of drivers between the ages of 16 and 25 admit to text messaging behind the wheel.

Fender bender while talking or texting = reckless driving. Injury to others resulting from such activities = reckless endangrement. Loss of life = reckless homicide.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSuglZ_oLcI

 

[Jstaylor]

" I have to agree with the trucker as I have found that a majority of these cyclist's think they own the road. When a person is doing the speed limit and comes apon a cyclist doing 10-15-mi. per hour and your in a no-passing lane. You have a choice of either hitting the cyclist from behind or passing and having a head on. If it doesn't have the capacity to do the speed limit, it shoud not be on the road!!!! "

Wow...Why doesnt this guy go head on with a bull dozer going 5-10 mph. Maybe then he will learn. :mad2:

 

[Mr. Versatile]

I'm a teacher, and have been for almost 30 years. IMO/IME education will not stop this. You can talk to kids, reason with them, discuss things, show them movies, make them take driver's ed, give them tests, and they're still going to use cell phones when they drive. They know it's dangerous, both for them and other folks, but they're still going to do it. IMO cell phones are probably one of the most addictive electronic gadgets to come down the pike. I have a cell phone - it's a track phone. I buy minutes for it when I have to. I keep one in my car, and one on my bike. I'd be willing to bet I haven't talked on them for more than 2 hours in the past year. I truly use them just for emergencies. Kids don't. It's a life style for them. You might as well tell them to never wear jeans.

 

[Elfstone]

I'm a teacher, and have been for almost 30 years. IMO/IME education will not stop this. You can talk to kids, reason with them, discuss things, show them movies, make them take driver's ed, give them tests, and they're still going to use cell phones when they drive. They know it's dangerous, both for them and other folks, but they're still going to do it. IMO cell phones are probably one of the most addictive electronic gadgets to come down the pike. I have a cell phone - it's a track phone. I buy minutes for it when I have to. I keep one in my car, and one on my bike. I'd be willing to bet I haven't talked on them for more than 2 hours in the past year. I truly use them just for emergencies. Kids don't. It's a life style for them. You might as well tell them to never wear jeans.

Yup yup, I agree...

Peace

 

[fabsroman]

What is the punishment when you cause an accident because you were spending 75% of your visual focus watching a teenager spending 75% of her visual focus on text messaging? How ironic would that be?

Distractions in vehicles come from many places. Usually, the use of a hand to talk on the telephone isn't the problem, but the lack of concentration on the road is. I believe statistics show that a person is just as likely to be involved in an accident if he is speaking to somebody actually seated in the vehicle versus speaking to somebody on the cell phone. Texting is a complete disaster. Now, how about people with the newspaper or a book on their steering wheel, or the guys shaving while driving or the women applying makeup. Eating in the car can be pretty dangerous too.

Me, I hate texting all the way around and try as hard as possible not to ever do it. I hated cell phones too when they first came out and I refused to buy one. Then, I bought one 6 years ago for the free long distance for a long distance relationship and I have had it ever since.

 

[Cross Chained]

In my experience, punishments for drivers who cause accidents with injury/death are pretty much nil. At least, that's the case in my state. Shortly after I moved here, I was nearly killed by a 15 year old girl who ran a red light on a county road and caused us to T-bone her at 60 mph (I was a passenger). The girl's punishment was that she couldn't get her license till she was 18 (woop-de-f***ing-do). Her dad, who was accompanying her on this drive, was not cited at all, not even for lack of insurance. Her mother's license ended up being suspended because she'd signed for the girl's permit, despite the fact the mother had nothing to do with the accident. Then they filed bankruptcy so I couldn't sue them for my medical bills and since they had no insurance, I was pretty much SOL without health insurance of my own. Fortunately, my bf's insurance ended up paying my bills, but that was about it. No pain and suffering money or anything like that.

In another instance, I was hit while crossing at a crosswalk on campus. The guy driving turned out to be a federal judge on the EEOC court. He came and yelled at me for being in his way, even though I had the right of way and he was speeding. He didn't get a ticket and once I again, I got stuck with bills that his insurance refused to pay. After nearly 9 months, my insurance reimbuirsed me and sued his company. I hope his premiums are huge now.

I figure it's only a matter of time before someone hits me while I'm biking. In fact, it's been about a year and a half, now, so I figure I'm due for something like that to happen soon. There's no way I'll get out of 2008 without some kind of scary traffic incident. In the meantime, I wear a helmet while I ride...

 

[fabsroman]

If I felt like I was due for an accident because I had gone a year and a half without one, I wouldn't be riding any more. I have been riding on the road for 24 years now and have yet to be hit by a vehicle. Knock on wood. Obviously, when you are a passenger, there isn't much you can do about it. However, you need to walk, ride, and drive defensively whenever you are in charge of those activities. Try to look out for the air heads that aren't paying attention to what they are doing. I have had 2 encounters with air heads just pulling out of my development. There is a 4 way stop sign at the intersection to get out of my development, and in the 4 years we have lived here I have had 2 people blow through the stop sign without even trying to stop. I was already stopped and had the right of way, but I could tell that they weren't going to stop, so I just sat there and waited for them to go by. Imagine if I had just pulled out thinking that they would stop like they are supposed to. It would have been a mess.

 

[oily666]

What is the punishment when you cause an accident because you were spending 75% of your visual focus watching a teenager spending 75% of her visual focus on text messaging? How ironic would that be?

You raise a valid question. However I needed less than an occasional half second glance, probably less time than one would spend checking their mirrors, to verify what I was seeing. Plus she was in front of me to my left.

 

[axebiker]

Terrible deal. ++Vibes++ to the family.

But I can't help but wonder what the headline would have read if the kid had been driving a VW Beetle... I don't get what the difference is if he had been driving an Electro-car or a Hummer. "Journalism" at it's finest. Sorry for the editorial comments... Back to the tragedy at hand.