Chicago Bike To Work Week starts off with a fatality
Uncategorized June 13th, 2008
The cyclist was doored, then struck by an SUV. The usual comments about how it being his own damn fault follow the article.
–Erik Ryberg
The cyclist was doored, then struck by an SUV. The usual comments about how it being his own damn fault follow the article.
–Erik Ryberg
June 13th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I put the primary responsibility on the people who created door zone bike lanes. This is exactly how Dana Laird died 6 years ago.
http://www.riinsrants.info/bikes/doorzone.htm
http://www.labreform.org/pretending.html
http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/doorprize.pdf
http://www.labreform.org/blunders/b5.html
June 13th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
The shift in responsibility depresses me. Intead of, “Maybe I should look out for bicyclists when I open my door so that I don’t accidentally kill someone,” instead the attitude is, “Bicyclists run red lights and stop signs” with the implication that it is therefore okay to not be a responsible operator of a motorized vehicle.
And the comments that bicyclists don’t belong or that bicyclists are supposed to stay as far right as possible at all times: There are times when I see bike lanes that should be replaced by sharrows. When a bike lanes that are too narrow or too close to doors, they are inadequate and are symptomatic of city planning that prioritizes car convenience over human safety. I prefer sharrows over the doorzone anytime as they tell bicyclists where to position themselves so to stay out of the doorzone while sending a message to motorists that bicyclists belong.