Please help Tempe police locate hit-and-run driver
From the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists:
The vehicle is described as a gold or ash colored Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable, and has damage to the front and passenger side. The collision occured Saturday night at the intersection of Southern and Rural Road in Tempe.
AZCentral story here
Our heartfelt condolences to Jason Scott’s family in the wake of this tragedy.
Do you know whether the bicycle was equipped with lights? (I saw the video of the collision and it appeared to me the cyclist wasn’t using lights.).
I’m wondering if this could be an opportunity to educate riders about their own responsibilities rather than advocate for them. I see a lot of riders without lights, riding against traffic (although this victim wasn’t).
Also, I wonder if motorized bikes should be regulated differently. I can understand how drivers see a bicycle (assuming this driver saw this bicycle which appeared to be unlighted) and make assumptions about speed. When someone’s doing 30-35, that could be a problem. Maybe that’s more a problem when they ride on sidewalks (which I’ve seen) and dart into crosswalks at speeds that a driver wouldn’t expect based upon experience.
On the other hand, I crossed that same intersection last night and two vehicles turned left without any regard for me, even though I was 6′ into the crosswalk (and had a bright flashing headlight). They didn’t care. And didn’t care if I would stop to let them through.
I do not know whether the bike had lights. I run lights day & night, and very bright ones at that. I believe there is a law that limits motorized bicycles to 49cc engine size (if gas) and a maximum speed of 25mph. Folks that travel on motorized bikes rarely obey this limit as everyone I’ve talked to boasts the top speed of their motorized bicycle or they’re running a bored out 49cc engine which is actually larger & more powerful than 49cc. There are sellers on craisglist that advertise 80cc engines.
The bigger problem is our car-centric culture and simply lack of education and awareness, both for cyclists (human or otherwise powered) as well as motorists. If you want to be safer on a bicycle you have to think like a vehicle and bike like a vehicle, a concept called vehicular cycling. 99% of the cyclists I see on the roads (either while biking or driving) are simply clueless. Another huge problem I see is lack of spatial awareness on the part of bicyclists, they get into the zone or space out and they’re not paying attention to their surroundings. I devote more attention to piloting my vehicle when bicycling than when I do driving a motor vehicle.
They caught the driver:
http://www.azfamily.com/outbound-feeds/yahoo-news/Man-arrested-in-fatal-hit-and-run–in-Tempe-98680449.html
Tom wrote: “Another huge problem I see is lack of spatial awareness on the part of bicyclists, they get into the zone or space out and they’re not paying attention to their surroundings.”
I agree. I’ve caught myself rolling into an intersection with a red light because my mind is elsewhere.
However, your comment about spatial awareness caused me to think about how drivers often can’t judge how fast an oncoming bicycle is traveling. I’ve had cars wait to make a left a ridiculous amount of time. To the point that I speed up because I feel guilty. Which they may not recognize — and then they decide to turn not realizing I’ll be in their path sooner than they thought.
I can see how it could be difficult for drivers to judge the speed of a motorized bike coming off the sidewalk into a crosswalk at 25-30mph when they’re more accustomed to bikes doing 8-12mph.
Another strange problem I’ve encountered (similar to the mixup of a car waiting, me speeding up, and the spatial misunderstanding), acknowledging a waiting driver is often confused as an admission that I’m subordinate to them, and will avoid their actions. I’ve found that I have to be discretely aware of traffic without overtly looking around, being obvious that I’m aware of anything. If I make eye contact, give a nod or wave, it seems like it reduces my standing with the driver. The driver is more likely to take liberties knowing that I’ll avoid them.
I hate being that calculated. I’d like to be more friendly and engaging. But, that often doesn’t work out well. Remaining aloof helps drivers do what they’re supposed to do. I can only nod or wave when I’m past the point that a driver could take a liberty.
Left crosses are a hazard for all vehicles drivers. But particularly motorcyclists and bicyclists due to narrow profile causing more difficulty in speed and distance perception as well as simply easier to overlook. Lane position and a powerful front headlight day (flashing) and night helps improve visibility. Driver situational awareness is always important, but especially so at intersections as is having a defensive response to developing situations. If there is no other vehicles behind you, the left turning driver is only going to respond to you so you need to ensure they are before crossing in front of them. Having another vehicle turn left across your path so closely in front of you can also result in the 2nd driver in line to have sight lines blocked and turn with less attentiveness than if they had been first in line to turn left.
http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2010/06/13/animation-preventing-the-left-cross/
Alex wrote: “Having another vehicle turn left across your path so closely in front of you can also result in the 2nd driver in line to have sight lines blocked and turn with less attentiveness than if they had been first in line to turn left.”
That’s what happened to me described in my July 16th comment in the same intersection as the hit-and-run under discussion. I think I made the mistake of acknowledging (a nod) the first left-turn driver because he was obviously waiting for me. He turned left in front of me. The driver behind him followed him through, not even seeing me until he was halfway through the turn (and too late to stop due to oncoming traffic).
I wasn’t too mad because I knew I’d made the mistake of being too noticeably aware of my surroundings, giving the first left-turn driver the “notice” he needed to make the turn, knowing I wouldn’t deliberately ride into him. And, I know what it’s like for the 2nd turner to be past the “point of no return” and needing to get out of the way of oncoming traffic.
It was just strange the way it happened at the same intersection just 2 days after the hit and run.
Alex wrote: “Left crosses are a hazard for all vehicles drivers.”
This sounds like another example of a left cross.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/08/06/20100806phoenix-girl-pinned-under-van-abrk.html
An 11-year-old crossing in an intersection, killed in North Phoenix by a left-turning vehicle.