longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 07/05/2015 03:45 PM |
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Third cyclist killed in the Burlington area this year.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2015/06/18/bicycle-car-crash-victim-uvm-radiologist/28922071/ |
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thinline
Posts:325
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| 07/06/2015 09:19 AM |
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| Crazy year. In the past decade we had one cyclist fatality due to being hit by a car, now three this season already. In the first and third, the driver was drunk. In the second, it was a teenage driver stoned out of his gourd going over 80 mph in a 30 mph zone. Driver and cyclist both killed. The third one, which you provided a link for, the woman who was drunk as a skunk is married to a cop. She was cited for DUI and released with a court date that was last week. Haven't heard any follow-up. |
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vtguy
Posts:298
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| 07/06/2015 03:08 PM |
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| I hope that it's just bad luck. Our legislature recently passed a law outlawing the use of hand held devices while driving and hopefully that will make the roads a bit safer. That said, most of my road rides start at 5:00 am and my bike and I are lit up like a Christmas tree. |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 07/06/2015 10:13 PM |
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Sadly there is little difference between handheld and remote - still distracted to near a level of legal intoxication…
And then again, there are those who chose continually to drink and drive.
It ain't getting better until the lives of cyclists are societally deemed as important as the pedestrian/mother/child who gets run down. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 07/07/2015 07:23 AM |
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Posted By Huckleberryon 07/06/2015 10:13 PM
It ain't getting better until the lives of cyclists are societally deemed as important as the pedestrian/mother/child who gets run down.
It won't get better until cyclist get the same protection as a state trooper or highway construction worker with signs all over the place "Hit a cyclist pay a $10,000 fine and get 10 years in prison."
How about a little equal protection under the law? |
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thinline
Posts:325
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| 07/07/2015 08:28 AM |
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While I know it doesn't make things better, in two of these incidents the police seem to be getting it right. In the first incident the investigating officer stated without condition that the cyclist did nothing wrong, was obeying the rules of the road. In the second case, the local police chief said that if the driver had survived, he would have pursued a murder charge against him.
However, in the third incident, the driver is married to a police officer and was not arrested, but cited for DUI first offense and released. It is unclear whether she will face any charges related to the death of the cyclist. Apparently, to charge DUI with death resulting, you must be able to show that the intoxication caused the death (i.e. wouldn't have happened if the driver was sober). Uh, let's see, a fairly quiet side road in a rural area, clean long sight lines . . . |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 07/07/2015 10:33 AM |
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Is there actually a difference in consequence when a cyclist gets hit versus pedestrian/driver? I am reading plenty of times where pedestrians get mowed down without any apparent proper punishment for driver. If a driver kills another driver, does society blink an eye?
What Dale suggests...real punishment when ANYONE gets hit/killed, that would be a start. Or what they have in many Euro countries, hit a weaker road user, you are automatically deemed guilty until proven otherwise. |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 07/07/2015 10:43 AM |
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"Or what they have in many Euro countries, hit a weaker road user, you are automatically deemed guilty until proven otherwise."
But that would be socialism ; ) |
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SideBySide
Posts:444
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| 07/07/2015 11:59 AM |
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Posted By christopher behrens on 07/07/2015 10:43 AM
"Or what they have in many Euro countries, hit a weaker road user, you are automatically deemed guilty until proven otherwise."
But that would be socialism ; )
That sounds good to me.
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 07/07/2015 12:12 PM |
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| Me too... |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 07/07/2015 02:00 PM |
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| I knew General Ripper was right, the damn commies have even infiltrated the VN forum! |
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vtguy
Posts:298
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| 07/08/2015 12:14 PM |
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| +1 Huck |
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huckleberry
Posts:824
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| 07/08/2015 01:14 PM |
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| DELETED
Oops, meant to post the deleted post on the TdF thread... |
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Gonzo Cyclist
Posts:568
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| 07/09/2015 12:18 PM |
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That sucks.....pretty crazy down here in New Mexico also, a few this year, been kind of staying away from the road bike lately, doing more cross rides, and MTB riding.
Traffic is just nuts here right now here in Santa Fe, tourist season is going full bore, lost tourists, narrow winding roads, GPS in one hand, phone in the other, and they are like 90 years old it's scary!! |
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