Bicyclist/RV Death

[TUCQUALA]

Just read this am:

clicky

Having just come back from 3 weeks on 2 lane Idaho and Montana roads, I feel for the rider and his family, but also for the RV driver. 2 lanes, curves, and bikes = problems!! Just my opinion.

[mich800]

Airdaile wrote:

whjco wrote:

azdryheat wrote:
When you step foot in the ocean you become part of the food chain. Kind of the same on a roadway.

Like it or not, as aggravating as they can sometimes be, a cyclist has the same legal rights to most roads as we do with our RVs.

And I will afford them their rights as soon as I see one of them stop for a stop sign.

Case closed. I also have never seen someone in an automobile not obeying traffic laws. But I assure you. If I see someone in a car fails to stop, game on time to run them down.

[gbopp]

Chum lee wrote:
Cyclists generally don't buy gasoline (pay fuel taxes) so funding is an issue, Chum lee

If the cyclists are keeping cars off the road, I'm okay with them not helping pay for the roads/bike lanes, at least at this point.
I wonder how long a new Interstate would last if only bicycles were allowed on the highway? 🙂

I agree, the bike lanes are a good idea and money well spent.

[Chum_lee]

As an avid cyclist all my life, I've been gravitating towards using dedicated bike lanes more and more. Cyclists generally don't buy gasoline (pay fuel taxes) so funding is an issue, but, keeping bike lanes separate from vehicular traffic, where possible, IMO, is a good idea for everyone.

Chum lee

[Airdaile]

whjco wrote:

azdryheat wrote:
When you step foot in the ocean you become part of the food chain. Kind of the same on a roadway.

Like it or not, as aggravating as they can sometimes be, a cyclist has the same legal rights to most roads as we do with our RVs.

And I will afford them their rights as soon as I see one of them stop for a stop sign.

[rk911]

Ductape wrote:
There’s no excuse for running down a cyclist in your lane traveling the same direction. Vehicular homicide open and shut case.

really? RV coming around a right-hand curve at or below the posted limit and sees a biker 20-ft in front of them as they round the apex of the curve. the driver does a panic stop but physics am physics and the biker loses. what's the RV driver or other motorist to do... assume there is a bike, pedestrian or water buffalo in front of them and slow to a crawl and peek around the curve or move over into the oncoming lane and hope to God there are no vehicles in that lane? I do slow down around those types of curves as I imagine the RV driver involved did but not to a crawl. yes, bikers have the same right to the roadway but just as a driver of a motor vehicle must use caution and common sense so does a bike rider and that means assuming that a motor vehicle may not see them in time to stop or safely pass.

on a 2-lane country road in Texas a few years ago we encountered an organized group ride, may 100-bikes or so. most of the group was strung out for at least a half mile but we were down to a crawl as many of the groups were riding 4-6 abreast across both lanes. irresponsible.

[rk911]

d3500ram wrote:

TurnThePage wrote:
Yes they do have that right. It doesn't do them any good to be dead right. I've reached an age that when I do things, safety is a higher concern than legality.

Ditto that! Plus, bicycles might have legal municipal laws on their side, but that does not override the laws of physics.

Part of bicycles being on the road with legal laws allowing them such, I find generally that they will thumb their noses at traffic laws. The majority that I see will run red lights and stop signs. Don't shoot the messenger if you ride and do not like what I just said. I am sure there are many, many respectful cyclist who do follow the rules. When on the streets, they are considered vehicles and must obey same as an automobile.

Last month, I had a rude bicyclist run a stop sign almost hitting me as I was in the crosswalk, and she had the nerve to mouth off at me as if I was intruding into her space! She was blinded by a cube van and she did not see me as I was almost completing crossing the road when she just kept trucking along side of the van that did stop.

X2. we almost killed one a few years ago. we were stopped at a stop sign around 10pm and literally just a second before we would've hit the gas to proceed a biker wearing dark clothing on an unlit bike came flying off of a bike path that was perpendicular to the street and crossed in front of our Jeep. he was inches and a second away from being severely injured or more likely killed. lots of inattentive and distracted drivers out there but in a bike vs motor vehicle collision in almost all cases the biker loses.

[gbopp]

Ductape wrote:
There’s no excuse for running down a cyclist in your lane traveling the same direction. Vehicular homicide open and shut case.

The cyclist was hit by the side mirror of the RV and crashed.
Should we forget that nonsense about being 'innocent until proven guilty' and send the RVer to prison without a trial?
This could happen to any one of us.

[JRscooby]

colliehauler wrote:

Ductape wrote:
There’s no excuse for running down a cyclist in your lane traveling the same direction. Vehicular homicide open and shut case.

The cyclist was dead right, emphasis on dead.

But I bet If in a few months a thread was titled "RVer gets life without for running over cyclist" there would be fewer dead cyclist.

[colliehauler]

Ductape wrote:
There’s no excuse for running down a cyclist in your lane traveling the same direction. Vehicular homicide open and shut case.

The cyclist was dead right, emphasis on dead.

[Ductape]

There’s no excuse for running down a cyclist in your lane traveling the same direction. Vehicular homicide open and shut case.

[Fizz]

What cyclists don't seem to understand is there is no such thing as a 'fender bender' on a bike.
I cycled to work for years and I always, always gave way.

[Lynnmor]

They are building a lot of bike trails in Montana near and in the cities because of the crazy driving. I have ridden along a few of those roads and the speed limits are beyond belief. 80 MPH on rural roads and everyone thinks that is what they need to do all the time. With all of those white crosses you would think someone would get a clue.

[ReneeG]

Very tragic for everyone involved.

[Lwiddis]

"Last month, I had a rude bicyclist run a stop sign almost hitting me as I was in the crosswalk, and she had the nerve to mouth off at me as if I was intruding into her space!"

d3500ram, I stop for pedistrians and I'm sorry some of us are rude...and wrong.

[Lwiddis]

"A motor home driving in the same lane as the cyclist came up behind him while navigating a curve near mile marker 79 and reportedly slowed down but could not move over on the two-lane highway as another vehicle was oncoming, MHP officials said."

So much for sharing the road with this MH driver. So much for controlling your speed so that you can stop before you hit a cyclist on a narrow road.