Are cycling death un/under-reported in your news?
06-12-18, 11:00 AM
#26
Me duelen las nalgas
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I'm sure my recent injury due to being struck by a car wasn't reported in any news outlet. It won't be counted in any data for statistical purposes. It'll cost me the rest of the year to recover and who knows how much in lost income, medical expenses, etc.
The only incidents reported by our local media that I can think of involved deaths of cyclists and pedestrians, mostly folks who were considered expendables -- homeless, transient, mentally ill, eccentric, etc. These are generally greeted in reader/viewer comments with less sympathy than most folks reserve for abandoned animals, pets locked inside hot cars, or neglected farm animals.
Occasionally a more notable death of an employed cyclist, jogger or pedestrian gets a bigger splash. But judging from reader and viewer comments on news media sites, too many folks still consider those victims to be expendable. The attitude of too many metal-cocooned Americans appears to be that exercising outdoors is a sign of an eccentric, probably someone unAmerican who votes the wrong way, one of those health nut tree hugger types, and the nation is probably better off without them.
The only incidents reported by our local media that I can think of involved deaths of cyclists and pedestrians, mostly folks who were considered expendables -- homeless, transient, mentally ill, eccentric, etc. These are generally greeted in reader/viewer comments with less sympathy than most folks reserve for abandoned animals, pets locked inside hot cars, or neglected farm animals.
Occasionally a more notable death of an employed cyclist, jogger or pedestrian gets a bigger splash. But judging from reader and viewer comments on news media sites, too many folks still consider those victims to be expendable. The attitude of too many metal-cocooned Americans appears to be that exercising outdoors is a sign of an eccentric, probably someone unAmerican who votes the wrong way, one of those health nut tree hugger types, and the nation is probably better off without them.
06-13-18, 01:38 PM
#28
genec
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For those of you doubting that cycling crashes are under investigated...
https://www.bikelaw.com/2016/02/update-on-mike-dayton/
- The driver never slowed down, didn’t brake, and never tried to move around the cyclists. She drove straight into them.
- While there was an oncoming car in the opposing lane, there was no immediate danger of the cars colliding. When the oncoming driver saw the crash, she immediately stopped her car and was still some distance down the road from the scene of impact.
- There was no sight distance issue; the oncoming driver could see the driver coming before the driver reached the cyclists; we stood at the bottom of the hill and could see far beyond the crash scene
- After hitting the cyclists, the driver drove another 400 feet or more down the road before stopping.
- After stopping, she ran erratically over to the crash scene and started yelling hysterically at the cyclists and telling them to wake up. She continued crying and yelling hysterically for an hour.
- According to news reports, the driver is currently is on probation for felony drug charges.
06-13-18, 01:45 PM
#29
genec
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Are All Bicycle Crashes Reported?
No, they are not. And they should be!
No, they are not. And they should be!
Many officers simply do not understand bicycle law, bicycles, bicycle damage, bicycle injuries (including concussions and DVT—injuries that may not be readily apparent at the scene of the crash) and/or why it is critical that they preserve information and evidence regarding a bicycle crash, especially when the bicyclist is physically or mentally compromised after a crash. This is something that needs to be addressed with education and agency resources.
06-13-18, 06:19 PM
#30
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For those of you doubting that cycling crashes are under investigated...
https://www.bikelaw.com/2016/02/update-on-mike-dayton/
https://www.bikelaw.com/2016/02/update-on-mike-dayton/
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