Share the Road is a Two-way Street

Ghost Bike for Atlanta firefighter and Ironman triathlete Frank Guinn killed by motorist on April 11th (LA Hwy. 90 near Venetian Isles)

On Sunday's Giro, we stopped for one red light on Hayne. I'm not sure why. The group barreled through all of the others and trickled onto Chef Hwy. with cars approaching from the east and west.

Louisiana Law:

 32:194. Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway of this state shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this Chapter, except as to special regulations in this Part, including special regulations applying to peace officers utilizing bicycles in furtherance of their official duties, and except as to those provisions of this Chapter which by their very nature can have no application. Acts 1962, No. 310, § 1. Amended by Acts 2011, No. 98, § 1.

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The Uncomfortable Relationship Between Bikes and RedLights

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Is It O.K. To Kill Cyclists?

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By law, bicyclists have “the same rights and responsibilities as automobile drivers.” (California Department of Motor Vehicles [CDMV], 2009, p. 47). A cyclist has the right to occupy the road, use turning lanes, and move within their lane to avoid hazards such as parked cars and debris (CDMV, 2009, p. 48). However, the cyclist also has the responsibilities of signaling turns and lane changes, riding in the same direction as traffic, and obeying all traffic lights and stop signs. In cities such as Los Angeles that allow cyclists to ride on sidewalks, bicycles are usually required to move at a walking speed and yield to pedestrians (Pool, 2008). Unfortunately, while most cyclists are quick to demand their rights under the law, they are slow to remember their responsibilities. Cyclists clamor for the public to take bicycles seriously, but the public has difficulty seeing bicycles as a serious adult form of transportation when the riders' actions are so juvenile. Until cyclists begin obeying traffic laws and showing courtesy and common sense, their relations with the motoring community will continue to degrade.

Source: http://myoldschoolessays.blogspot.com/2012/09/traffic-laws-cyclists-need-to-educate.html


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. . . cyclist fatalities in America were estimated at somewhere in the range of 58 to 109 deaths per 1 billion kilometres cycled in the early 2000s. (It may have declined somewhat since, but probably not by too much, since the total number of deaths has remained roughly constant.) In the Netherlands, statistics on this subject are more precise: there were 12 deaths per billion kilometres cycled in 2010, down by a third since 2000.

Source: http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/11/cycling-v-cars

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Chris Bucchere, the cyclist who "plowed through" a crosswalk at Castro and Market, striking a 71-year-old pedestrian who later died from his injuries, was sentenced today in a San Francisco Superior Court. According to the terms of the plea deal Bucchere made last month, he will serve three years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service for the felony vehicular manslaughter charge. By pleading out, Bucchere avoided a jury trial and the possibility of jail time.

Source: http://sfist.com/2013/08/15/cyclist_chris_bucchere_sentenced_in.php


See also: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/21/12330744-cyclist-accused-of-vehicular-manslaughter-over-pedestrians-death-pleads-not-guilty?lite

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When a bicyclist completely ignores all traffic laws, bad things happen.

Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/21/1101869/-Even-Bicyclists-Should-Obey-Traffic-Laws#
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Shafted Again (from Bike Snob NYC)
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2013/11/shafted-again.html

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Louisiana Law (for the OWNHB and maybe Brian B. MD):

 32:195. Riding on bicycles

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C. A person operating a bicycle shall at all times keep at least one hand upon the handle bars thereof. Acts 1962 No. 310, § 1.

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