Category: Biking Elsewhere

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One Really Good, Really Simple Idea

It only took one person in Kansas to make a difference in cycling laws.
By Christine Mattheis
In Kansas, drivers must pass a 20-question, multiple-choice, take-home exam as part of the license-renewal process. Craig Weinaug, a member of the Lawrence Bicycle Club and a county administrator, says, "I could answer most of the questions without looking in the drivers’ manual, but there are always a few things you have to look up.
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Is It Getting Worse?

Apparently, no. But actually, yes – for a surprising reason.
…
Do the math, and in 2005, one American cyclist died for every 7,100 who could be considered the sport’s core-us.
In 1995, according to NSGA, there were more participants: 56 million total, with 9 million frequent riders-and it turns out that one out of every 10,800 core cyclists was killed, a significantly safer percentage than today. The biggest year of serious participation-1991, with 11.5 million frequent cyclists-was the safest single-year percentage on record: 834 fatalities, or one for every 13,641 core cyclists.
…
[For comparison: one motorized vehicle occupant died for every 5,400 licensed drivers in 2005]
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Smaller sites for schools

From the school siting list –

Two noteworthy excerpts from this piece include:

“More than 5,500 students attend Cypress Bay, which was built in 2002
for 3,400.”

And this:

“The district typically needs at least 40 acres for high schools, a
problem in a county where large tracts of land are scarce and price tags
are sky-high for any available large parcels. And the district is under
the gun to find a spot.”

Note: I wonder if they have thought about using smaller sites. I have
yet to see a study that correlates academic outcomes with large school
sites.
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"Metro Kills:" Ghastly Sight, No Solution

"Pedestrian death, like drug addiction and teenage pregnancy, is one of those issues that everyone agrees is a blight upon the land, a serious yet seemingly eternal problem that eludes practical solutions and frustrates the governed and the elected alike."
This is the intro to the Washington Post article which talks about a DC Metro bus that ran over and killed two women that was caught on security cameras. Some of the comments to the article are truly sad "Jesus, this was an accident…." that happened because it was more important to bully your way through on coming traffic then to look for pedestrians. It comes down to traffic fatalities, the LEADING cause of death for kids and the bicycle and (mostly) pedestrian traffic fatalities that occur in urban areas is simply alarming. For Baltimore 36% of our traffic fatalities involve a pedestrian (5.4% travel mode share) and 2% involve a cyclist (0.4% travel mode share.) There is something terribly, terribly wrong of calling this just an accident.
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DON’T BECOME A DISTRACTED DRIVER

Have pet peeves about other drivers? You know them … the drivers on the phone, text messaging, reaching for food, a CD or the radio?

Distracted driving occurs whenever a driver is slow to recognize a potential hazard because something inside or outside the vehicle draws the driver’s attention away from the driving task.

Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.*

Keep from becoming a statistic by being alert and following these few tips:

  • Give yourself more space, stay away from distracted drivers.
  • Remain calm behind the wheel. Avoid emotional conversations with passengers.
  • Devote your full attention to driving.
  • Put away anything that is potentially distracting: mail, magazines, books etc.
  • Keep alert and protect yourself by wearing your safety belt. It
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