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PDX: Special Report: Who's to blame - drivers or cyclists?

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PDX: Special Report: Who's to blame - drivers or cyclists?

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Old 11-13-07, 09:18 AM
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mlh122
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PDX: Special Report: Who's to blame - drivers or cyclists?

Portland, OR. KATU news did an article and video on how blame is distributed in bike vs. car accidents.

https://www.katu.com/news/11219826.html
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Old 11-13-07, 03:01 PM
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drunk cyclists on the sidewalk and probably did not have lights.

Yeah, he totally deserves 90 grand.
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Old 11-13-07, 03:05 PM
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Well, if the cab driver cannot tell the difference between a gas pedal and brake, then maybe he deserves to pay up.
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Old 11-13-07, 03:07 PM
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sidewalks were not designed for someone going 10-20 mph. Any Engineer would tell you that.
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Old 11-13-07, 03:08 PM
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Originally Posted by gosmsgo
drunk cyclists on the sidewalk and probably did not have lights.

Yeah, he totally deserves 90 grand.
The cab driver looks both ways and inches out, but he doesn't see a bike on the sidewalk coming his way. The bike and cab collide.
In my experience the driver "looking both ways, then inching out across the sidewalk" actually equals "the driver zoomed up to the intersection, braking barely in time to avoid going into the road and stopping fully across the sidewalk before looking for CARS in the roadway"

Pick a parking lot somewhere with a driveway that crosses a sidewalk and has a good amount of car traffic. Sit for a half hour or so and count how many drivers stop BEFORE the sidewalk and look for pedestrians.

I'd be willing to bet the percentage is VERY close to 0%

edit: I also fail to see where you say the cyclist was drunk... though I do see where the CYCLIST does, in fact, say that the driver stopped before the sidewalk. (Honestly, I'm shocked at that!)

Ok... in the article it says that "However, police never gave the driver a ticket, and the bicyclist was accused of being intoxicated."
Which doesn't mention WHO accused the bicyclist of being intoxicated, or if there was any evidence, etc.
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Last edited by bmclaughlin807; 11-13-07 at 03:29 PM.
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Old 11-13-07, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by bmclaughlin807
In my experience the driver "looking both ways, then inching out across the sidewalk" actually equals "the driver zoomed up to the intersection, braking barely in time to avoid going into the road and stopping fully across the sidewalk before looking for CARS in the roadway"

Pick a parking lot somewhere with a driveway that crosses a sidewalk and has a good amount of car traffic. Sit for a half hour or so and count how many drivers stop BEFORE the sidewalk and look for pedestrians.

I'd be willing to bet the percentage is VERY close to 0%

You mean he lacked enough judgement to look for VEHICLES on the sidewalk. So would I.

Drunk rider on the sidewalk without lights gets hit and we want to hang the car driver.

Unreal. Save your venom for the drivers who are blabbing on the cellphone and hit something going 15 mph slower than them.
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Old 11-13-07, 03:24 PM
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Originally Posted by gosmsgo
You mean he lacked enough judgement to look for VEHICLES on the sidewalk. So would I.

Drunk rider on the sidewalk without lights gets hit and we want to hang the car driver.

Unreal. Save your venom for the drivers who are blabbing on the cellphone and hit something going 15 mph slower than them.
So you think it is OK to have drivers on the road that cannot tell the difference between a gas pedal and brake?

Personaly, I would rather come across a drunk cyclist, than a motorist that cannot tell the difference between a gas pedal and brake.
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Old 11-13-07, 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by gosmsgo
sidewalks were not designed for someone going 10-20 mph. Any Engineer would tell you that.
So, back in the day that I ran on sidewalks at 12 mph, it would have been OK for a motorist to run me over because I exceeded your 10 mph criteria?
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Old 11-13-07, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by gosmsgo
You mean he lacked enough judgement to look for VEHICLES on the sidewalk. So would I.
At least that puts your post in proper context!

Last edited by CB HI; 11-13-07 at 03:41 PM.
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Old 11-14-07, 10:49 PM
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Nice. The article provides evidence that auto drivers are typically a problem in cycle-auto collisions, then closes with an example of a possibly drunk cyclist and the ever-vigilant and careful Radio Cab driver (this is near impossible to believe!) blamed for a collision...just to make sure the reader remembers the "problem" is really those damn cyclists!
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Old 11-14-07, 11:24 PM
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Originally Posted by CB HI
So you think it is OK to have drivers on the road that cannot tell the difference between a gas pedal and brake?

Personaly, I would rather come across a drunk cyclist, than a motorist that cannot tell the difference between a gas pedal and brake.
What is it with you and all of these hyperbolic statements you post so frequently? You seem to have a temper tantrum whenever someone blames a cyclist for something (in this case, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol) but then you turn right back around and say something idiotic like "OMFG THE TAXI GUY DOESN'T KNOW WHICH PEDAL IS THE ACCELERATOR AND WHICH IS THE BRAKE".

Yeah, that's really clever of you. Do continue, by all means. It's not as if anyone notices it or anything crazy like that.
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Old 11-15-07, 01:41 AM
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Originally Posted by ChezJfrey
...an example of a possibly drunk cyclist and the ever-vigilant and careful Radio Cab driver (this is near impossible to believe!) blamed for a collision...
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Old 11-15-07, 02:34 AM
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more motorists at fault than cyclists; inflamatory news report nonetheless, trying to sell your station or what?

WTF, We All are Traffic.

Mainstream media sucks!
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