Marcus_Ti

They could help it though. By NOT knowingly parking in a garage they should well know they'll never fit into a legal stall with.

And that is what half of the any driving-related advocacy campaign is about...getting people who can and should and likely DO know better to actually follow what they can and have heard a thousand times before. Ask any drunk driver if they should drive drunk, they'll tell you right out no. But they do it anyway, repeatedly, and the DWI recidivism rate is crazy high in the USA and it costs lives every day of the year. Same for texting/SMS-ing while driving, everyone KNOWS it is an idiot reckless thing to do. Just last night I saw an SUV loaded down with kids with a mom at the wheel yapping on her phone.

And wonder of wonders, it sounds by reports that this driver was impaired. Whether it was cellphone or beer doesn't matter much to those now dead.

cb400bill

Thread from General Cycling merged with this one in A&S.

genec

The other obvious sign is that working trucks tend to NOT be jacked up nor covered with lots of hideous chrome.

bmthom.gis

I see lots of "muddin" trucks around my parts that never see the mud. Jacked up, tricked out, and big ole mud tires for driving on the highway. Too clean, too new looking to have ever seen any mud or rough usage. It's the battered up, dented trucks I occasionally see that get used out in the mud.
In terms of jackassery, it's more SUV/luxury SUV drivers that are complete asshats, with some others thrown in there.
Self driving cars can't come out soon enough.

jefnvk

Just as a reminder it pays to remain aware all the time, a cyclist died also died on Mackinac Island after falling off her bike and being run over by a horse drawn carriage yesterday: Mackinac Island Tourist Dies After Bicycle Accident - Northern Michigan's News Leader

As to the stereotyping, I'm dealing with a bunch of commentors that essentially hold the opinion of cyclists are a bunch of dipwads who clog up the roads and who think of no one but themselves and their stupid hobby. I'm sad to see many here are of the same intellect, just biased against pickup trucks instead of bikes. Does it honestly accomplish anything to spread your belief that trucks are driven by low-life jerks?

My next vehicle will be a truck, for the incredibly simple reason that everything I carry in my car is generally dirty in some way and has trashed the interior. Might as well have a bed to put said stuff in.

JoeyBike

Aren't most of those SUVs just fancy cabs on top of pickup truck chassis? This was my impression but I really don't know which ones.

bmthom.gis

Nah. It's more often than not on a sedan or sedan type chassis. My Highlander is built on a Camry chassis (they now have their own). The only Toyota built on a truck chassis is (or was) the 4Runner. I highly, highly doubt there is a luxury SUV out there that is built on a truck chassis.

indyfabz

Man! I am heading to Montana on Tuesday to start an 11-day tour through some rural parts of the state. Your comment brought back memories of when I was there in 2011. The GF and I had recently turned onto a dirt road that crossed grazing land with free range cattle. A pickup was heading towards us, kicking up some serious dust. The driver saw us and slowed to a crawl so the dust plume would subside by the time we reached him, which took a couple of minutes. He smiled and waved at us as we passed. We returned the gestures. I am not sure which was more amazing: The fact that we was aware that we would have to ride through his massive dust if he didn't slow down or the fact that he was happy to sacrifice a few minutes of his time for our benefit.

I was back out that way again touring in 2014. While riding a narrow portion of an unpaved pass, an old timer approached me from behind in a truck. He patiently kept his distance until I reached a place where there was enough room for me to pull over so he could get buy. He waved as he passed. In the front seat was enjoying the view an old dog. Classic scene.

indyfabz

Wow! When I got to "run over" in your first paragraph my mind immediately said "Wait. There are no cars on the island." Crazy accident.

As for stereotyping, see my post just above. Also, I have toured across PA twice. The middle of the state is joking referred to by city folk as "Pennsyltucky." During both my trips I found rural pickup drivers to be quite courteous. PA has a 4' passing law. Often times on back roads they would give me far more room than that. And if you ever have a mechanical and need a ride, a pickup would come in handy.

Bikeforumuser0019

What unimaginable sorrow for the surviving cyclists and the families of all involved.

I wish someone had cared enough to take away that driver's keys before he was able to sow this terrible misery into the lives of so many people.

JoeyBike

Was it Hummer using Suburban chassis? The original Humvee for civilians I mean.

Sorry...kinda forgot this was another memorial thread.

1989Pre 

The laws for drunk driving need to become even more severe, especially when grievous harm is inflicted. Those in A.A. will tell you that alcoholism is a disease. It must be treated as such...A mental illness that can cause great suffering and loss to others.
If this case reveals that the driver was drunk, he belongs in the psych ward of a state prison.
Perhaps the people of Michigan can and will create a law where all those who commit crimes of violence while under the influence of alcohol are committed to state hospitals.
No one should have to go through what those cyclists went through. I saw a photo of the truck, and I would not have believed that that level of front-end damage could be created by any number of bicycles.
Ideally, our society would decide to elevate its values and to eliminate alcohol (and the desire for alcohol).
When I hear even cyclists talk about drinking before, during or after rides, I realize this is not going to happen, though.
It is a sad statement that the only tool we have to counter this menace is the law enforcement system.

SA_Brak

Top selling vehicle in the US is a Ford F150 which is what I drive (mine is 16 years old). I think the top 3 were all trucks. The actions of the driver caused the wreck, not the vehicle. As others have said, we cyclists complain that we are stereotyped yet many here are now stereotyping pickup drivers. We have to rise above the muck if we want to be taken seriously. This incident was tragic and I'm guessing we will see that the driver was somehow impaired or mentally unstable.

PatrickGSR94

I personally don't care what the vehicle was. It could have just as easily happened with a large sedan, a sports car, a pickup or an SUV. The fact is that a person made the decision to become impaired and illegally operate a motor vehicle, and subsequently murdered all those cyclists. There was nothing accidental about it. It was a crash, and a horrific one at that. I will be highly irritated if he doesn't do major time for this. I don't care what the group of cyclists was or wasn't doing, or what laws they were following or breaking, or what style they were riding. NO ONE deserves to die like that because of another person's stupid, selfish decisions.

All these stereotypes about what type of person you are because of what vehicle you're driving, frankly IMHO has no place on BF.

JohnnyCyclist

I didn't find any comments, but maybe my browser is screwed up. Anyway, I can guess what they are, and am glad to see someone cares. I recently posted about a plea deal (7 to 16 years) for a DUI hit-and-run. I couldn't believe some of the comments I read over the course of one year before the plea deal was reached: "if she wasn't on the road, she wouldn't have been killed" type stuff. And these weren't troll posts; that was their true opinion. Well, as the sayings go: "everyone is entitled to their opinion" and "everyone has an a$$hole, some people are one".

My heart goes out to the victims and their families of this horrible tragedy. The shame is that someone, somewhere is reading about this and smiling.

gpsblake

Horrible collision. But it appears that reports that he fled from the scene and he was drunk appears to have been incorrect.

Driver who hit 9 cyclists ID?ed as Battle Creek man | WOODTV.com

Feldman

Agreed; see, drunk drivers are like a top-of-the-foodchain predator with no natural enemies. They really, really need to be made to feel fear for their lives. Drunk driving shouldn't even go to court--blow blood alcohol and go straight to a hole in the ground with a bullet through your head to keep you there.

gpsblake

Fleeing the scene should be the worst or same punishment in these cases followed by drunk/impaired driving. The reason I say that is right now, if you are drunk and kill a cyclist, the best thing you can do is go home, sober up, then turn yourself in.

This driver no matter the situation should never, ever, have a valid drivers license again. Even if the driver was having a medical emergency, no more license.

Chris0516

I agree with both of you. I refuse to test for a drivers license(it isn't as if anyone is pressing me to take the test). Because, Regardless of being on medication to control my epilepsy. I won't risk the lives of others with a motorized death trap on wheels.

CliffordK

That is a major sacrifice, but very responsible, at least until you have the seizures 100% under control for years.
Pay attention to your Aura, and be careful on the bicycle.

KD5NRH

I used to derive much amusement from parallel parking or backing in my old boss's 1-ton dually on the first try, then stopping to point out to whatever idiot had a half ton wedged in across the lines on both sides that yes, it can be done quite easily if you'll coat your neck with Astroglide, grab your shoulders and pull until your head pops out.

Chris0516

People with epilepsy, can have aura's. I am not one of them.

Just as I won't risk other people's lives by getting behind the wheel. I won't let motorists' make a bad pass. Where I would either. Get knocked off the road, or they cross the double-yellow line and/or on a blind curve.

blart

Very sad. A difficult year for this community...

I moved away from Kalamazoo just over a year ago, but have fond memories of biking North Westnedge and then D Avenue. I'm even having my wedding reception at the park this incident happened at by next month. Hang in there, victims, families & Kzoo.

ItsJustMe

"If you can't park it, don't drive it."

If I'm in a vehicle that I can't park in one spot, I go to the least desirable spot I can find and walk. In parking lots, I park as far from the door as possible. In parking structures, I go all the way to the top, bypassing other spots I could have parked.

asindc

I went to college in Kazoo years ago and used to ride my bike on that road.

My condolences to the family and friends of the killed bicyclists.