Frank

I have long been simmering over bicyclists use of the road. Sometimes I start to boil.
In early August, in Kansas City, a man and his granddaughter were killed while riding on a busy street. They were training together for the MS 150. It was horribly tragic and I can't imagine how very sad it must have been for the family. A few days ago the driver of the truck that hit the pair was arrested and charged with 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Yes, it would be nice, maybe even comforting, to hold someone responsible for the tragedy. Police have said the driver was speeding, distracted, and did not control his vehicle. But it took them over three weeks to charge him. The prosecutors suggested a $50,000 bail. http://http://www.kctv5.com/news/14242860/detail.html
As more and more bicyclists are on the road, more and more deaths are occurring. The bicyclists want drivers to be held accountable. Mike Hendricks, a KC Star columnist is calling for tougher penalties. http://http://www.kansascity.com/news/columnists/mike_hendricks/
I am sorry but I want the bicyclists to be held accountable.
My own experience with bicyclists has been scary from the get-go. When I was 16 I was driving on a residential street when a little boy on a bike turned into my car. I'd seen him riding back and forth from the side street to the street I was on. Fortunately, I had slowed down. Suddenly he turned back into the road and grazed my car. My mirror was pushed forward so hard that I wasn't strong enough to raise it back into position. The white rubber from his handlebars was pasted onto my window and later had to be scraped and washed off. He was fine and I was hysterical. He wouldn't tell us who he was and walked away. I followed him. I had to go to his door and tell his mom that I had just hit her little boy. It remains one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. But it wasn't my fault. I didn't do anything wrong.
Today I am constantly infuriated with bicyclists. And usually they are adults. Very often I come upon a rider and barely see them. They are riding in the early morning, at dusk or even after dark. They always have dark clothes on. They expect me to see the little glow in-the-dark strip on their shirt back or the blinking red dot on the back of their shoes. Even those with a tiny light on the front and back of their bikes are difficult to see until the last minute. They ride in the middle of the road and come out of nowhere. They ride on very busy streets. I never see a bicyclist following the rules of the road. They cut through traffic. They make illegal turns. They don't stop when they are suppose to.
On Tuesday the Kansan asked students if campus bicyclists should be subject to automobile laws. Well, YES. First of all it is the law. All traffic laws apply to bicyclists. http://http://www.ksdot.org/burrail/bike/biking/KsBicyStatutes.asp . And besides, the laws are there for the bikers safety. I just don't think the laws are convenient for the bikers. They want to take short cuts. They don't think.
Maybe most bicyclists would argue that the bulk of riders do follow the rules. (Maybe the only problem riders are the ones I have encountered.)
I would argue that almost all drivers act responsibly toward bicyclists. No one is aiming for bicyclists.
It is frightening to me that myself or one of my family might actually have to do prison time because of a bicyclist's irresponsibility.
So who pays for the bikers indifference? Who should be held accountable?