jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

A few weeks ago, I posted about a crash that killed several high school students, with an investigation following. In addition, students walking at night and bicycle riders have been hit and killed recently.

In the news today, the county executive announced the need for "enhanced traffic enforcement." Law enforcement had nothing to do with these accidents. Each of these deaths was caused by careless human beings, not by people breaking the law and the police ignoring the situation. I'm sure the executive got a big round of applause after making that speech. In each of these deadly collisions, it was human carelessness that caused the deaths, and no legislation can prevent that.

On the plus side, the executive will, "... “launch a public awareness campaign to tackle aggressive and distracted driving, and make sure everyone knows pedestrian and cyclist safety is a responsibility we all share...”

BebuLamar

You should have run for public office Jerry.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Never, ever, never.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

[quote=jerryc41]A few weeks ago, I posted about a crash that killed several high school students, with an investigation following. In addition, students walking at night and bicycle riders have been hit and killed recently.

Too right! I was in an unfamiliar office building's parking lot, and I had stopped my car to check out where I needed to go. I was about to turn left, when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. A woman, (Gray hair, old enough to know better) sitting on something Electric, had ridden it between my car and the parked ones. Another few seconds, and she would have run into the side of my car as I turned!

Not to mention those disturbed individuals who attempt to injure others with their vehicles.
My daughter came home one day, with a smudge of tire rubber and dirt on her leg, with a tale of "Nearly being hit" by a car. I investigated, and indeed it was a deliberate "near miss". She was walking safely and legally.

But too many pedestrians and runners behave unsafely, or lack situational awareness...and some bicyclists, who have the same privileges as automobiles, ride irresponsibly, flaunting the law on a regular basis. Now we have to deal with Electric...boards, scooters, tricycles with the same privileges, unlicensed, ridden by some who are immature and seem to consider themselves entitled and immortal.
The sad fact is, Insurance companies, being some of the most cowardly entities in existence, would rather settle a claim rather than spend the $$ to properly investigate and/or litigate a liability claim.

But, that's the world we live in, so be careful out there.

JFCoupe Loc: Kent, Washington

Calling the incidents 'accidents,' may be the first thing that should be changed.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Beats working on a real problem.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

[quote=flyboy61]

I have always considered a % of drivers, pedestrians, bike riders etc. to be careless idiots.
But now that I have a street legal 3 wheel electric mobility scooter* I have decided I have been too generous in my opinion of a lot of them.
One incident** caused me to remember my motorcycle riding days when once on a freeway in full daylight as I passed a car in the lane to the right of me I actually had a driver look at me, smile and then hit her left turn signal and change lanes into me. It was just luck there was a hole in the lane to my left. Thank the Lord, my bike had tons of acceleration. As I went into that hole, her front bumper missed my rear wheel by less than a foot.
That may be why my local PD traffic department told me that even though the state says it is illegal, they want me and others with street legal mobility scooters to ride on the sidewalks(giving pedestrians the right of way) if there isn't a bike lane on the street.

One other complaint, even though it is a mobility scooter and by both state and federal law allowed to go anywhere pedestrians go (if wide enough) a lot of stores with the electric shopping carts (wider and about 6 inches shorter than my scooter) have their greeters refuse to let me in. They tell me to park at the bike racks and use one of their carts or walk.

*CA street legal involves a full light package and enough power to do at least 15mph, mine can do 50kph (31.9mph)

**Actually it happened several times. I am in a bike lane and a car turns right less than one car length in front of me into a driveway/parking lot or at an intersection. Now, if there is a strip mall etc. on the corner, I turn into the parking lot and go through it to the cross street instead of using the intersection. If I am going left or straight, I get on the sidewalk and use the pedestrian cross walks at low speed to get through the intersection.

NDMarks Loc: Dublin, Ca

Just always remember the old saying - "You can't cure STUPID".

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

I think more and more people are forgetting what they learned in driver’s ed.

I think that every 5 years Driver Licenses must be renewed. The driver must take an exam and pass before the renewed license is issued.

As a pharmacist, every year, we must take specific educational courses. Every three years we must renew our pharmacist license.

NDMarks Loc: Dublin, Ca

I think not only driving skills need to be tested periodically, but also medical especially vision should be checked. As a truck driver we had to renew our medical cert. every 2 years or under certain conditions, every year. Mine was every year because I had a heart condition (irregular heart beat called AFIB) that although being treated I still had to renew every year and this was a full physical that included vision. Blood pressure was definitely tested and if your upper number is beyond a certain point, you had to corrected within 90 days.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

There seems to be an apparent lack of concern for others. I have seen people blow through stop signs and traffic lights. Many have developed the mind set “You First After Me!”

NDMarks Loc: Dublin, Ca

Robertjerl talked about a car changing lanes right into him/her. I had the same experience on a two-lane freeway here in the Bay Area in fairly slow traffic only it was a marked Union City police car. Luckily I was on a Suzuki 750 with plenty of power. I saw the front wheels of the car start to turn, accelerated and remained in front of the cruiser while shaking my head. When I mentioned this to my CHP motorcop neighbor he told me a CHP unit did the same thing to him while he was on his police bike and in uniform. His words were "They don't look!!!"

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Didn't their carelessness result in breaking some law?

NDMarks Loc: Dublin, Ca

One problem with the breaking the law argument is that certain vehicles (police, fire etc) have a special license plate that makes the driver immune from many ordinary laws.