Altona woman dead after electric bicycle collides with truck

[Xanda2260]

Other routes or just waiting a bit longer to enter a street can make all the difference. Hurry can get you killed in any vehicle. Road rights are a great thing, but I don't bet my life on cars giving me them.

That's why in my CrazyBike2 ride videos, you'll see me ignore what might seem like a long enough gap in traffic to get out on teh street, because unless it is longer than I know I need, I won't take the chance; if just a little something happens to slow my startup, I mihgt take half a second longer to get out there and get going, and that might be long enough for me to be in someone's way. Or, I don't go becuase someone coming up seems slightly unpredictable.

Unfortunately, outright hatred is par for the course these days in comment sections of news reports of bicyclist deaths and injuries.

And it is often enough from officials, too. There is an attorney for the state (that used to be a police officer) here that expresses some very awful attitudes towards these things, usually in newspapers. He's been brought up on Azbikelaw.org at least once or twice as one of the problematic people around here, because he deliberately stirs up anti-bike people and sentiments. I spent a while trying to find the article I recall, but couldn't.

I just don't understand why it is active hatred from these people. I can see that they have the attitude that the roads are theirs, and antyhing on the road that "impedes their enjoyment" is automatically a problem to be removed with whatever force is necessary. I just don't understand it.

The reason is fairly simple AW we make them feel guilty for hauling their fat arses 2miles in a car/truck/SUV when they no perfectly well they could cycle or walk, but can't be arsed. The fact that I do exactly the same thing fairly often (I cant always be bothered to cycle) doesnt occur to them.
On a side note, Im lucky enough to live in a small town on the East of England that has something like 8 times the average number of cyclists. It means that the drivers round here are fairly used to us and are very good at giving you the room you need.
In fact, in 6 years of near daily commuting (normal bike, not electric), I have had just one incident with a driver (drifted over in front of me when entering a roundabout. I slapped her rear quarter window and she freaked out. She caught me at the lights and demanded to know why I did it, as she hadn't been that close. I replied that she was close enough for me to touch her car. That took the wind out of her sails and she apologised.
I tend to have more issues with pedestrians! Walking in cycle lanes, stepping in to the road without looking... I could kill them! One day I might (accidently of course )

 

[nuevomexicano]

...On a side note, Im lucky enough to live in a small town on the East of England that has something like 8 times the average number of cyclists. It means that the drivers round here are fairly used to us and are very good at giving you the room you need...

That seems to be a key, though it seems paradoxical to some, part of the safety equation. More bikes apparently correlates with less car-bike accidents.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903112034.htm

 

[Beavinator]

Poor girl, I really felt horrible when I read this story. She must have had an ipod or something else distracting her at the time. People need to stay 100% focused on whats happening on the road when riding their bikes! Man that is just way way way too young to die!