WebFootFreak

Stumbled across this a few mins ago:

Ironman bicyclist killed, another injured, in eastern New Orleans crash | NOLA.com

Info on the deceased:
He was a Firefighter from Atlanta.

https://www.ajc.com/news/news/breakin...e-wreck/nfYPr/

JoeyBike

That is one of the safest stretches of road near New Orleans I can think of. Straight as an arrow, good surface, wide shoulder (may have rumble strips in places) and very light traffic. The local roadie and tri-clubs, as well as many other cyclists use this as a training route on Sat and Sunday mornings at sunrise. However, this happened in the middle of the day, not when the sun is directly into eastbound traffic eyes. This highway is also the ONLY way to cycle out of New Orleans to the east for bicycle tourists. I have cycled it a thousand times myself without even one incident. I don't think I have ever heard of an incident here involving a cyclist other than fast pace-line riders getting tangled up with each other.

Motorist was looking at his phone I bet. Or maybe asleep at the wheel. No other excuse i can think of other than trying to pass a semi on the right with the view of the right lane blocked. No semi was mentioned tho.

Sucks.

Chris516

Not just that. Also his brother-in-law saw it happen and probably had to tell his sister.

spivonious

It's refreshing to read the comments on the story and not have to sift through "blah blah running stop signs blah blah".

rydabent

Again the biggest posibility of this death is the driver was probably playing with his cell phone. Yet when I suggest cell phones should shut off if moving faster then 10 mph, people come unglued. Is a text message or a cell phone call worth a persons life. Only a few years back before cell phones, the world still turned. IF YOU WANT TO USE YOUR CELL PHONE IN THE CAR PULL THE HELL OVER AND THEN USE IT.

cannondale125

100% agree shut the damn things off when driving.

WebFootFreak

If I read it right, the brother-in-law was the one injured...

Truth. The only thing I use my phone for while driving is music/Pandora. Plug-n-go!

spivonious

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. I routinely have a passenger in my car take/make calls for me. And of course what about public transportation? Should all bus and train passengers not be allowed to use their phones? It is all about personal responsibility, not having the government come in and set restrictions.

bikemig 

Yep that is a safe route and I have never heard of an incident on it before. Who knows what happened but cellphone usage in a car by the driver should be made illegal and subject to serious penalties.

bikemig 

Sorry but that's a bogus argument. The government can and does set all sorts of restrictions when individuals engage in behavior that hurts (or has the potential of seriously hurting) third parties. You don't have an unfettered liberty interest to drive a car as you wish free of any and all government restrictions. It doesn't look like you even believe your own argument as you have third parties call on the cell when you drive.

spivonious

My argument is not that drivers should be able to use their phone while driving. I'm not sure where you got that from.

The government sets DUI laws. People still drink and drive. The government puts in speed limits. People still speed. What makes you think that people will leave a proposed cell phone speed lock in place? Hacks would show up instantly, making the law unenforceable.

The goal should be getting people to understand how idiotic it is to text and drive, not to place restrictions on everyone.

lenA

that's a tough one

the self driving car can't get here soon enough

rcschafer

Advocacy group Bike Easy reports that the driver has been arrested and charged with Negligent Homicide, Negligent Injury, Suspended License and Reckless Operation.

See also https://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/...gent_homi.html

I-Like-To-Bike

The response to this remark reminds me of the Duck that would drop down when the $50 special word was mentioned on the early 50's Groucho Marx TV show.

Any mention of the word "cell phone" in relation to an accident, even when stated that it is only speculation, brings out the A&S usual suspects quacking the same old, same old stuff.

FBinNY 

You do understand that cars were hitting bicycles on open roads long before cell phones were invented, don't you?

Every time there's an accident reported on BF, "experts" who weren't there post speculation about how the driver must have been on his cell phone, even when there's zero evidence or even mention of a cell phone at all.

I guess it's nice to have some convenient non-human scapegoat to blame all the evils of the world on, but realistically accidents still happen for all of the same reasons they did before cell phones were in use.

I feel bad for all the parties and their families and friends, but I wish folks would hold back on the "accident analysis" until there's some evidence. Idle speculation, and blame assignment serves no purpose at all.

WebFootFreak

Well that was quick...

Driver Charged

JoeyBike

I admit that I am just old enough to remember that duck. However, I believe I was watching Groucho re-runs.

Maybe there should be a sticky for cell phone discussion right below the helmet sticky. Sorry I mentioned it up top. My point was that the motorist could not have been looking through his windshield at the time of the incident. The weather was perfect, sun high in the sky, road straight as an arrow, 4-lanes of wide tarmac and unlimited visibility. Dude just wasn't looking at the road, or he did it on purpose.

I wonder what could be inside the cockpit of a car that would draw a motorist's eyes away from the windshield for an extended period of time? There is a pretty short list of things. Falling asleep is certainly one of them.

I-Like-To-Bike

I second that recommendation, and further suggest that all cell phone ranting be moved to that sticky and let the wackos wail and carry on unmolested by reason or rational thought. Either that or send 'em all to Trollhem or P&R.

phoebeisis

He-the driver-was driving on a suspended driver's license
and he has a "ship job" unclear if he is a captain/navigator/pilot ??
But the suspended license USUALLY means a SERIOUS OFFENSE-
and since he has a good job he would have had a good lawyer-but suspended anyway??
He did something BAD to get it suspended

Dunbar

I'd be wearing a mirror on a road like that and bail onto the shoulder if I needed to. There's a thread on Slowtwitch which indicates that shoulder is often full of debris and that the riders were out in the (right) lane.

bikemig 

I've ridden like forever without a mirror and simply relied on my hearing. I agree with you though and I've been meaning to add a mirror to my helmet. It can't hurt and it will probably help.

FBinNY 

In and of itself, a suspended license means very little, in terms of what he did to get it suspended,. IN NYS you would likely get a suspension for a failure to appear on an expired inspection violation.

However, given the criminal charges, I suspect there's more involved than just the license suspension.

enigmaT120

In Oregon I think you can lose your license if you don't pay your child support.

rcschafer

Driver says it wasn't his fault. Cyclists were traveling in right-hand lane of a 4-lane road: Motorist who kills cyclist, injures another before Ironman race says wreck not his fault | NOLA.com

CB HI

So this is the third time this guy was caught driving without a license. Good reason to start locking these people up after they get caught the first time.