squirtdad

Yesterday was first day back to school in my area.

In a 5 mile commute I go by 6 schools, 4 stop signs and 7 stoplights

I have not seen some many clueless parents in Yukons, Suburbans, Escalades and the like in ages

stop in the bike lane to drop kids off, right hook situations, no turn signals

going to have to go in much earlier to avoid this.....and keep my blood pressure down

rant over

msalvetti

Driving by a school during drop off and pickup times is frightening enough, can't imagine trying to bike it.

Mark

Daniel4

Parents in school zones are close to being worse of types of drivers. Their behaviour is everything opposite of what kids are taught to behave.

When my kids were old enough to go on their own, I taught them how to ride the bus.

Darth Lefty 

Word.

It's also really frustrating to participate in it.

CliffordK

There are a few things I avoid like when college football games let out.

Is there any way for you to find an alternative route that doesn't go right past the schools? Even a couple of blocks over would make a difference.

Or take the off street bike path that leads to the schools.

Joe Bikerider

One place I observe even worse driving is around garage sales. Now that those have restarted it’s just a real mess. It used to be that I could wander around my town and follow the signs and look at stuff pretty comfortably. But NO. Apps like Waze direct people to speed through neighborhoods in search of that special thing. And when you get close the parking means all kinds of nonsense. Now garage sale signs direct me away for safety. Sigh.

noglider 

I read an amazing statistic: Out of all the kids who walk to school or ride a bike to school AND get hit by cars, half of them are hit by parents driving their kids to school. So these parents think they are avoiding danger by driving their kids, but really, they are creating the danger they think they are avoiding.

caloso

My son rode his bike most days to middle and high school, and his take was that the last 1/4 mile and the entrance to the school parking lot was always the sketchiest part of the trip due to the impatient and distracted driving.

squirtdad

That stat sound solid.....yelling kids, other drivers, running late, too much or not enough coffee, cell phone text/calls. Add kids being kids when walking, biking and it is the perfect storm.

and add in narrow streets where often one care has to wait for another..... it is challenge..... after work there is a log jam by the churro cart.....

I always challenge supporters of autonomous driving to see how they systems would handle this situation....no takers so far.

pdlamb

OK, I clicked on "like" because it was an insightful post; but I really dislike the insight it contains.

Darth Lefty 

I've been hauling my 8yo to school across town these two weeks. He's in a program at another elementary school in our district. In addition to mine there are two other dropoff zoos on the route. Bus has finally been arranged and starts Monday. Instead of driving 7:45-8:45 and getting him 2:15-3:15, I can dump him on the bus at 7:15 and RIDE TO WORK, nor do I need to retrieve him. Oh thank God! Two bike rides a day instead of two gallons of gas in my piggish truck. He does get to ride the bus for twice as long as he was in the car because he is the first/last on the route... sorry sucker! I still do need to come home to get the twins out of the (local neighborhood) kindergarten and then be there when he comes home and WFH the afternoon.

Daniel4

I would expect that once the human factor (rushing, impatience, butting-in, etc) is removed from driving, it would become orderly and safe.

Daniel4

People who describe bicycling as dangerous and prefer to drive are making self-fulfilling prophecies as they become the contributing factor making roads dangerous for all.

noglider 

Yes, I've made that point to some people. The problem is that "everyone knows" how dangerous cycling is, so there's no convincing those people.

Vetnherder

I feel this pain. Yet I'm kind of looking forward to it to be fair, when this weekend and holiday are over, our bike lanes will be infested with commuters, students etc again. The goal is to smoothly overtake and negotiate that traffic at a reasonable pace. (On a Nicolai G13 GPI...)
In the Netherlands we are quite shielded from cars, except for some traffic mixing points. (Crossroads etc.) Despite all that, I can still choose to collide at least twice. (because cars or even cyclist are just not paying attention) These 203/180 rotors have saved me and others in a couple of occasions.

I'm doing this commute for just over 20 years, I don't get angry on silly road users anymore, I'm mainly wondering how these people are still alive.

Good luck in the zoo!

Daniel4

I'm assuming the other half of those kids were hit by drivers (who have no kids) just leaving or returning home and by drivers cutting through the neighbourhood avoiding traffic that are more busy than in school zones.

In 2018, in a Toronto suburb, an 11 year old kid who just got out of school was run over by a driver cutting through the neighbourhood to avoid a busy traffic light intersection.

Since then, many of Toronto's school zones have had speed cameras, and flashing speedometers to enforce the 40 km/hr speed limit. But those speed enforcement devices aren't going to affect rude and angry parents much since they are already going so slowly.

fooferdoggie 

no matter how I go to work I can hit a school. but they are all on regular streets. I had a line of cars on the first few days after school started after the pandemic. I was in the bike lane then kids started opening their doors on the right side.

noglider 

NYC government just had a big fight with the state and won. It may now operate the speed cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not just when school is in session. The DOT says it will saves lives, and that's easy to believe. The pedestrian hit rate has been RISING in recent years. It's a disgrace.

By the way, a few years ago, a study came out that taller vehicles (such as today's monster SUVs) are more injurious to pedestrians. So next time you're car shopping, try to find the shortest car that suits your needs, for everyone's sake.

gringomojado

SO TRUE!

gm

gringomojado

Maybe to avoid getting hit by a car? A cyclist should be able to avoid a peoplestrian better than a driver!

gm

mschwett 

this is sad and not surprising. a primary criteria for our kids school choices to date have been not requiring driving. so far so good.

Daniel4

A few years ago? In Toronto, we're just starting.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6551924

noglider 

If you are active with one of those Ontario organizations, you may want to connect with or learn from Families for Safe Streets here in the US.

I've been following the Facebook feed of the NYC DOT. Every week, they put out public service announcements, and some of them are reminders about driving safely, some are reminders to drivers that cyclists and pedestrians are vulnerable. And every time one of these goes out, there are tons of people who are hostile to the idea that drivers are responsible. They blame pedestrians and cyclists for all traffic problems and say how they resent how NYC is changing the incentives. We are about to get congestion pricing. We are removing parking spaces and in some cases reducing the number of travel lanes (lanes where motor vehicles can go). What they can't see is that if we manage to reduce the driving in the City overall, the remaining drivers' lives will be improved. But no, they see any immediate impediment to driving an impingement of their god-given rights. Just this week, someone said that removal of some free public parking spaces is illegal.

fooferdoggie 

very true. I was just not expecting it the first time I saw it. I was going to work earlier before the pandemic and never encountered it.

Darth Lefty 

I am really conflicted about red light and speed cameras. They don't seem to punish the behaviors that are actually problems. The corporations that run them are cash-grabby and connive with the traffic authorities to invent some low-rent tricks that make them more profitable.