# When an SUV Kills a Cyclist...



## fbagatelleblack (Mar 31, 2005)

... then police should crack down on those no good, dirty-rotten, pig-stealing cyclists...

- FBB

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Simi cyclists will be under close watch

Police hoping citations will keep riders safe

By [email protected]
May 27, 2006

Simi Valley police will keep bicyclists safe by cracking down on them.

On (MONDAY) June 12, the department will launch a weeklong "maximum
enforcement campaign" aimed at cyclists who break the rules of the road
in
an effort to curb the increasing numbers of bicycle versus vehicle
collisions, police said.

An analysis of traffic collision data from 2001 to 2004 found 82 percent
of
collisions between bicycles and motorists were the fault of cyclists,
according to the Police Department.

Collisions are often caused by bicyclists riding in the wrong direction
or
riding off a sidewalk through a crosswalk.

"Bicycles have to be going the same direction of traffic," Sgt. John
Adamczyk said. "You have to go with the flow of the road you're on."

Two-wheel traffic law violators not only will receive a citation, but
police
also will give them an educational pamphlet outlining road rules.
Posters
and pamphlets have been handed out to major employers in Simi Valley,
Adamczyk said.

Simi Valley cyclist Aaron Hanson, a vocal proponent of biking safety,
applauded the Police Department's educational efforts but questioned
what he
perceived as a lopsided effort.

"It's interesting that they are focusing on cyclists and not really
focusing
on drivers," Hanson said. "That's really interesting. There has
definitely
been a lot of positive developments in Simi with bike lanes and bike
routes.
It's really positive and looks good for the community. ¿ I would hope in
this rigorous effort to educate and enforce, the Police Department also
has
an understanding that motorists are part of the equation as well."

Motorists will continue to be cited if they are found to violate traffic
laws, Adamczyk said.

Simi Valley has long been the bane of cyclists. In the late 1980s, city
officials decided to pave over painted bike lanes out of fear of
litigation.
But an effort, led by Hanson and other cyclists, led to the adoption of
the
20-year bicycle master plan in 2002, which mapped out miles of bike
lanes
and paths.

So far, 37 miles of bike ways have been constructed in Simi Valley. The
latest addition to the bike way system is a cross-town path that
stretches
from the east end of Simi Valley to Thousand Oaks.

For years, cyclists had complained about unsafe riding conditions. Last
year, Phil Hernandez, 39, of Simi Valley was struck and killed by an SUV
while riding on Long Canyon Road.

In response, to Hernandez's death the City Council decided to install
"share
the road" signs on portions of road that weren't striped.


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## slowmo1 (May 2, 2006)

I realize it seems a little unfair that the motorists are not getting their share of officers' attention, but as I read the article, I thought that the ultimate result could be a good one. One of the things that disturbs me is how many recreational or necessity cyclists (i.e. DUI-prone motorists, at least in my town) don't know the laws regarding cycling and traffic. While I think that citations seem a little heavy-handed, being brought up short by an officer for failing to stop at a stop sign would be educational. However, if a cyclist gets busted for failing to signal, that would indicate a double standard, cause motorists do it all the time! I applaud motivating the cycling community to responsible riding, but I feel the motorists need some "on-site" training, as well!


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## biknben (Jan 28, 2004)

I've got no problem with law enforcement cracking down on cyclist who do not follow the rules of the road. If cyclists aren't riding with traffic, blowing lights and stop signs, they need to be educated.

Plenty of citations are distributed to motorists on a daily basis. It's not like they are picking on the cyclist. They are just going to treat them like everyone else that uses the roads. Isn't that what we want anyway? You can't have your cake and eat it too.

They wouldn't start a campaign like this unless that had noticed a marked trend. If cyclist/motorist accidents are on the rise and cyclist are more and more to blame, we should expect this.


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

I'm a Simi Valley resident (sometimes), and if there's serious intent behind enforcement of cycling-related traffic infractions, the police need to invite the Border Patrol along on these sweeps--it's rare that I see Anglos riding on sidewalks or committing other noteworthy offenses. 

...and we're off to Politics Only in 5...4...3...2...1...


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## KendleFox (Sep 5, 2005)

Where I live, I see department store bikes riding in the wrong direction all the time. The true biker doesn't do that. We are dealing with two different types here.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

The Sheriffs did this in Malibu after two local riders were steamrolled by a roachcoach going 20mph over the limit. They said they were going to crack down on cyclists riding two abreast, as if that's why BOTH cyclists were nailed by the flying food truck.

As far as I'm concerned, they're using bicyclists' safety as an excuse to go after them, kind of like using potential voter fraud as an excuse to disenfranchise half the population.

Walrus: over here on the westside, the Latino service workers are definitely the more frequent sidewalk surfers. But I only see "Anglos" running red lights.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Frankly, many cyclists around here ride in a very hazardous manner. They blow through red lights from sidewalks, dart unpredictably into traffic, riding against traffic, etc. For the most part these are tweakers on Magnas or teenagers on BMX bikes. I am surprised there aren't more accidents. 

I would certainly hope that motorists are held accountable for speeding, failing to signal, and yacking on the cell phone. But there are a lot of problematic bicyclists out there too.


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

undies said:


> But there are a lot of problematic bicyclists out there too.



Rather, there are a lot of problimatic people on bicycles. I doubt most of them are bicyclists, at least in the way I define the term.

Also, why blame the SUV? It was either the driver, a "motorist" or the rider, a "cyclist" that was at fault.


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## enki42ea (Apr 11, 2005)

As long as there is no double standards then I'd agree cracking down on bikes is fine as I've seen plenty of cyclists who have no clue how to ride corrrectly. 

But then hopefully in dealing out the infractions they look into safty first more then the law. For example there were times I had to go on the sidewalk before which is illegal but the sidewalk was empty and there was no curb to avoid getting hit by a car.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Unfortunately, the purpose of traffic enforcement is typically as much revenue generation as it is safety. So if you ride a nice bike and look like you can afford to pay a fine, you may get a ticket for riding on the sidewalk over that narrow bridge with no bike lane or shoulder. Meanwhile the penniless tweaker running red lights is not worth their trouble.


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## Mr. Peabody (Dec 8, 2005)

*wow...*

I'm all for education across the board: cyclist and driver alike. 

But as a cyclist and commuter, I have to admit I've witnessed more drivers breaking the rules of the road than cyclists, and I live in a city with a hell of alot of cyclists. On my commute home today, I realized (for the umpteenth time) that no driver pays any attention what-so-ever to the delineating lines of the bike lane. A teenager opened her car door into the bike lane I was riding in, and when her door was opened it was inches away from the bus next to her car; of course this made me come to a complete stop while she lifted her significant bulk from the driver's seat. I was polite and asked her to please look for cyclists in the bike lane before she opened her door next time. Naturally, she started cursing me out. For what reason? I have no idea. Jump forward 2 minutes, and a driver cuts me off (I'm in the bike lane) to make a right turn from the far left lane (across two lanes of traffic). A little further down the road, a girl is parked in a legal space and is unloading her trunk; her driver's side door is wide open, not impeding car traffic, but it was taking up the entire bike lane. I asked her to please close her door, which she kindly proceeded to do (she was nice about it). 

All this is not to be surpassed by the cyclist I saw get hit by a Honda a few weeks ago. The driver was trying to make a quick left turn to beat the oncoming cars and didn't see the cyclist who was legally riding with the flow of traffic. After the sickening crunch, I watched the guy (literally) fly up onto the roof of the car, and his bike roll under the rear tires of the car.The cyclist hobbles over to the curb; the driver leans out the window and asks "hey, you need me to stop or something or you okay?" I was shocked. 

I don't mean to rant, but having been the victim of bad drivers bad driving habits, I have very little sympathy for drivers of large (and small) vehicles acting recklessly. I drive a car, and there is no good reason I can think of to endanger a fellow cyclist by failing to follow the laws of the road. Don't people realize that 2 - 3 tons of steel is no contest when up against 20 lbs. of aluminum/steel, flesh and bone? If everyone thought of this fact, they might be better and safer users of the road.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

I can't disagree with anything you said, I just think it comes down to geography. I live in Albany, Oregon and frankly the drivers here aren't bad. There was an article floating around the Internet last week that said Oregon drivers are the most knowledgeable about the rules of the road of any state in the US, and maybe this is reflected in what I see. 

And then OTOH, this is pretty much ground zero for the national meth epidemic. We also have a lot of cyclists around here and I'd say 90% of them are tweakers. Stolen Magnas from the Salvation Army are all the transportation they can afford. They ride like they are on crank most of the time, which they probably are.


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## Mr. Peabody (Dec 8, 2005)

True. I agree that geography has a part to play in the matter.

The state I live in has some of the highest auto insurance premiums in the country. I can with all honesty, and great sadness, attest that drivers here are particularly bad, and perhaps this is why I notice bad drivers so often.

I too have witnessed the flip side of the issue: I once encountered a college-aged girl on an old mountain bike who was riding in the wrong direction in a bike lane I was travelling down. She wasn't wearing a helmet, she had one hand on the handlebars and the other on her cellphone, and she was animatedly talking to someone. So, naturally she didn't notice me ringing my bike bell, yelling, and waving to try and get her attention until she was so close that she got startled when she saw me pass her. I had a few, umm, select words for her. I've certainly encountered bad cyclists as well as bad drivers. And I admit, there have been times where I've thought it might be productive to license cyclists just like drivers, but then again it doesn't work with drivers, so...

Ah, it's a vicious cycle (no pun intended)...


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## shokhead (Dec 17, 2002)

Over in another non-cycling forum they started talking about cycling and like i've said a million times,when one cyclist screws up,we all do it. They were saying that cyclist are always running red lights and stop signs,riding the wrong way and all the other stuff most of us hate but as far as they were concerned,it was all cyclist doing it and all should be banned from roads.


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## Seamus (May 23, 2005)

fbagatelleblack said:


> For years, cyclists had complained about unsafe riding conditions. Last
> year, Phil Hernandez, 39, of Simi Valley was struck and killed by an SUV
> while riding on Long Canyon Road.
> 
> ...


I live in Simi Valley and ride Long Canyon Road often. I rode it a few days before Hernandez' death, and a day after, wondered what the memorial on the sidewalk was as I passed. Gave me a chill when I read the article in the paper the next day. 

This was before they re-striped that road into one traffic lane and a bike lane. It had been two traffic lanes and nearly no shoulder, and drivers regularly exceed the posted 50mph limit. I still get nervous riding that road at times, but at least the chances are less that a BDC will be driving 'in a marked bike lane' and take me out.

I do find it curious that along with the new bike lanes and Share the Road signs, the PD has decided to crack down on cyclists. Maybe I'll stick to the MTB that week... 

Jim


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## Mr. Peabody (Dec 8, 2005)

shokhead said:


> Over in another non-cycling forum they started talking about cycling and like i've said a million times,when one cyclist screws up,we all do it. They were saying that cyclist are always running red lights and stop signs,riding the wrong way and all the other stuff most of us hate but as far as they were concerned,it was all cyclist doing it and all should be banned from roads.


Wow, good timing for your commentary :

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=63172 

I live in the city, and I don't have any choice but to cycle with a large number of cars on the road. I recognize that every user of the roadway has a right to be there, and I don't ride as though I'm the only one there. I try to recognize that some drivers (the psychology of the situation notwithstanding) see cyclists as an impediment to their travel. I've been honked at many times with out reason, and I get the sense that some drivers forget that cyclists are legally considered vehicles on the road. 

On another note, when I briefly stop in stores for example and I momentarily bring my bike in with me, I try and make a conscious effort to thank the folks behind the counter for being bike friendly. They usually smile and say no problem. If they weren't thinking about cyclists before I came in, maybe they are when I leave with a nice word or two of thanks for their consideration (I always ask politely if I can bring my bike in first...). 

I couldn't agree with you more when you point out that a cyclist's actions have an impact beyond the immediate situation. I figure a good rule of thumb is to be polite and curtious, since when some yokel driver yells out of his window at me, it certainly doesn't endear me to other drivers.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

Ummm, the group ride I goto generally never stops for stop signs.. If its car left, I'll hug the line of the road and keep right unless it is a small road.

And I never stop if I'm alone - and the 4 way stop is CLEAR and no cars are coming.  

If I'm forced to stop - I am usually over geared and it takes me a LONG time to get through. :blush2: 



biknben said:


> I've got no problem with law enforcement cracking down on cyclist who do not follow the rules of the road. If cyclists aren't riding with traffic, blowing lights and stop signs, they need to be educated.


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## shokhead (Dec 17, 2002)

Mr. Peabody said:


> Wow, good timing for your commentary :
> 
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=63172
> 
> ...



Sat morning coming home from my ride i was following a guy on a mtb bike,high end bike and helmet and he went right through a fourway stop,a single stop and a redlight and i mean blew through them, then i turned and he went straight xing over and going against traffic. To myself i said,hotshot a$$hole.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

The Walrus said:


> I'm a Simi Valley resident (sometimes), and if there's serious intent behind enforcement of cycling-related traffic infractions, the police need to invite the Border Patrol along on these sweeps--it's rare that I see Anglos riding on sidewalks or committing other noteworthy offenses.
> 
> ...and we're off to Politics Only in 5...4...3...2...1...


In my part of town it is mainly the Anglos who ride every which way with their I-pods blaring. The Latino riders here have enough experience it seems to know the rules of the road. Heck I've had some of these busboys beat me up the Sepulveda pass on their junker bikes!


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Seamus said:


> I do find it curious that along with the new bike lanes and Share the Road signs, the PD has decided to crack down on cyclists. Maybe I'll stick to the MTB that week...
> 
> Jim


I just posted a thread in the SoCal section about riding across Simi Valley. I think I'll take your tack on this and wait a couple of weeks.


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## The Walrus (Apr 2, 2000)

Yeah, I'm thinking the Orange Line bikeway could use some enforcement--I'm probably the only Anglo who pays attention to the traffic lights, etc. along there. I especially love the racer types who just gotta keep that heart rate up and blow the light at Sepulveda, darting across and dodging cars, creating boundless goodwill on the part of the motorists.


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## Mr Wood (Feb 23, 2006)

bas said:


> Ummm, the group ride I goto generally never stops for stop signs..


If your group rode off a cliff, would you do that too? Think for yourself.



bas said:


> And I never stop if I'm alone - and the 4 way stop is CLEAR and no cars are coming.


Ok, If there are CLEARLY no cars around. Any kind of traffic warrants a slow down and prepare to stop.



bas said:


> If I'm forced to stop - I am usually over geared and it takes me a LONG time to get through. :blush2:


How many stop signs are a surprise? Learn to anticipate the stop and gear down, it doesn't take that long. Even at 25 mph you can see a stop sign in time to prepare for it.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Mr. Peabody said:


> I too have witnessed the flip side of the issue: I once encountered a college-aged girl on an old mountain bike who was riding in the wrong direction in a bike lane I was travelling down. She wasn't wearing a helmet, she had one hand on the handlebars and the other on her cellphone, and she was animatedly talking to someone.


Except for the cell phone I encounter this almost daily. Usually instead of a cell phone they are hauling either a giant bag of cans to the dari-mart, or a smaller brown bag with a 40 of Icehouse home from the dari-mart. Dari-mart is on the north side of the street so they all use the north bike lane regardless of which way they're going. :mad2:


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

The Walrus said:


> Yeah, I'm thinking the Orange Line bikeway could use some enforcement--I'm probably the only Anglo who pays attention to the traffic lights, etc. along there. I especially love the racer types who just gotta keep that heart rate up and *blow the light at Sepulveda*, darting across and dodging cars, creating boundless goodwill on the part of the motorists.


Yeah that's crazy. I don't ride the Orange line bike route anymore because of all the stops. I just take Burbank.


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## haiku d'etat (Apr 28, 2001)

exceptionally well-written. kudos!

-J's


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