Not So Side-View Mirrors

On Monday, the 25th of October, I was riding down Venice Blvd for my normal commute. The ride was going well, no real problems on the way, just typical things - cars veering into the bike lane, dealing with Metro buses that can't always see me, awful road conditions in some parts. But then it finally happened - I rode into someone's side-view mirror. Although its not at all the worst thing that can happen on my bike ride, its definitely not a good thing.

As I was approaching Western Avenue, there was  a 550 line bus turning right onto Western Avenue ahead of me with its signal for the right. Because its illegal and clearly safer to pass the bus on the left, I signaled to veer to the left, and as the light turned greened, I thought I was going to easily make it through the bus on the right line and the car on the left lane. But the closer I got, and as the bus was going to make the right, it had begun to creep to the left just to make the wide right. In reaction, the car in the left lane that was supposed to have just gone on her green light, decided to suddenly brake, thinking the bus was cutting into her lane. But thats when it happened.

I realized in that instant that there was no way I was going to make that tight space, and pressed on my brakes as hard as I could, but it was too late. Luckily, my handlebars had first contact and I was holding on tight enough that even when my arm hit the mirror, I was completely stable and unhurt. I was noticeably angry, and yelled on over to the driver to stop up ahead.

I was glad that she was initially worried about me, although she blamed me for the incident. Her point was that she had no idea I was coming because she could not hear or see me because I'm a biker -- whats new. Anyways, the moral of the story is the same as its always been - never trust anyone else on the road. 

Annotated Bibliography for Article on Safer Road Conditions

“Cyclists and pedestrians are sacrificed for the greater safety of motorists, says campaigner.”

In this British Medical Journal article, Joseph S. argues that the government in the UK has done very little in helping victims of road accidents. Using several data from sources ranging from the Red Cross and official UK figures as evidence for his arguments, Joseph’s main point is that governments should not only continue to enforce more stringent laws on drivers but should also increase funds to organizations that promote alternative transportation. For Joseph, the fact that cyclist and pedestrian casualties have increased as a result of measures put in place that have made road conditions safer for only drivers is proof that the government has neglected other means of transportation.

With a succinct article that quickly states the facts and offers solutions to the problem presented, Joseph’s article provides the general discontent of those who prefer alternative transportation to driving. In his final paragraph, Joseph even states that more people have died on the road in the UK than have died in most wars in the 20^th century. Although the evidence is not provided, Joseph’s article, although almost a decade old, presents the current and ongoing discussion still active in the cycling community.

For those who are writing for the advocacy of safer road conditions for cyclists and pedestrians, this article provides the viewpoint of a medical doctor in the UK who believes that it is the responsibility of the government and the motor industry to initiate policies for safer roads for all.

Joseph S. “Cyclists and pedestrians are sacrificed for the greater safety of motorists, says campaigner.” British Medical Journal 324.7346 (2002): 1117. Print.  

Comments

Check out my comment on Biking in LA's post entitled "Riding in the gray area of the law":
In response to whether or not bikers should be able to bike through cars to get in front of them in an intersection, I shared an experience I had on one of my commutes:


"Just the other day, as I was biking down Venice Blvd. on my daily commute, there was literally a police officer yelling at a cyclist who had biked up to the left of a Metro Bus because I assume he knew that the bus was going to be stopping at the other side of the intersection and just wanted to get a head-start in front of the bus. The officer, however, was threatening to ticket the cyclist if he literally did not turn his bike around and get behind the bus. The ludicrousness of this situation blew me away, and reading your post here reminded me of this story. I feel that sometimes cyclists are treated under the same law that has no rationality or explanation but is simply categorized as such based off of the already present automobile laws."