Throughout the winter, I had the pleasure of riding in pre-work group bike rides. This entails many layers of clothing, thick gloves, and lights on both the front and back of our bicycles. One cold morning, while riding up a hill, we passed a car in the dark. The driver was sitting at a green light looking at her phone. As the five of us rode past on our bicycles, we gave her quite a startle.
I will acknowledge that motorists on dark winter mornings do not expect cyclists. As she drove past us further up the hill two things were obvious. First, she was upset and unhappy with our presence and second, she was still busy on her cell phone.
As we crested the hill and rounded the corner, we were pulled over by several local police officers. They immediately began telling us that they had had numerous complaints about us driving in a dangerous fashion. At 47 years old and with almost a decade of serious biking experience, I am both the youngest and least experienced of my group. These are seasoned and enthusiastic cyclists.
We quickly and calmly explained to the police officers that we are allowed to be riding on the roads. The officers countered that it is dangerous for us to be riding in the dark. We again calmly explained that we have lights both on the front and the back and we are allowed to be on the road. The officers seemed to reluctantly acknowledge this. (more…)
An accident with a large transport truck is always extremely dangerous and often results in serious injury or death. Merely being on the road in between two trucks is enough to convince some to stay off the highways. A recent article in the Huffington Post illustrates the growing problem with truck accidents. Titled, “Trucks are Getting More Dangerous and Drivers Are Falling Asleep at the Wheel. Thank Congress: The inside story of how the trucking industry and politicians conspire to make our highways less safe.” The authors demonstrate how Congress has conspired with large shipping companies such as Walmart and Federal Express to lower the safety standards and increase profits at the public’s expense.
The article discusses many fatal trucking accidents where truck drivers were criminally negligent—from the accident that nearly killed actor Tracy Morgan, to one in July 2015 that killed a mother and two small children. And the horror is increasing. Drivers are pushed too hard, driving too long of hours, using stimulants, and exceeding the safety limitations. One cause of these accidents were less checks on drivers and companies to make sure that they followed the rules. There is a trend in the United States Congress that has deregulated the trucking industry, making it easier for drivers to drive for days on time without sufficient breaks. (more…)
