Month: April 2010

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Maryland Fatality Trends or How to Misrepresent with Statistics

from Stop the Maryland Unsafe Driver by Doug

The State of Maryland is apparently optimistic of what they call a general 7% downward trend in traffic fatalities with their 2010 objective of 550 deaths.  The state’s graph certainly has lots of visible ups and downs.

However, when you look at the graph with zero fatalities as the  preferred objective you see very little change in the fatality trend.

Traffic statistics can be anything you want them to be. In the case of deaths  and injuries – ZERO is better. STOP the MUD believes our state should align traffic fatality metrics using ZERO. There is nothing exciting or encouraging about five hundred fifty deaths in 2010.

Maryland Driving Fatality Trend Chart

Maryland Fatality Trend Chart

The state may like us to think there is steady improvement by showing the fatality trend in this fashion. They explain away the 2006 blip and stick to their guns that the mathematical trend shows progress.

STOP the MUD Death Trend Chart

STOP the MUD Death Trend Chart

When you actually see the yearly totals in terms of zero fatal accidents being the desired result (the desired metric,) the slight change from year to year and the 2006 blip is really explained. That explanation is that driving in Maryland is as dangerous as it seems from year to year with tens of thousands of accidents and hundreds of fatal crashes. Setting the objective at 550 does not sit well.

It boils down to this. Citizens of Maryland that WANT safer highways and safer local roads must change their driving behaviors. Once the majority obey the traffic laws the police will have an easier time dealing with scofflaws. How can we expect law enforcement to make a dent in a problem that is so widespread.

ZERO is our baseline. Zero is our expectation. Zero is what we will have. !00% of us must be example setters and especially those driving with organizational vanity plates. You are either a safe driver or not a safe driver.

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2 Easy to Get, 2 Hard to Lose

from How We Drive, the Blog of Tom Vanderbilt’s Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt
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I noticed a few people responded to an offhand comment I made in the Streetfilms interview: “It’s too easy to get a license in this country, too hard to lose one.”
By this I mean our driver’s education and licensing system is in need of a number of reforms — we treat driving like a right, as in voting — and the newspapers (and courts) are filled with recidivist drivers. Read a random article about a fatal crash, and I’ll be you, that by about the sixth or seventh paragraph, you’ll begin to see examples of previous incidents or some underlying pattern of behavior that seriously undermines the “accidental” nature of any crash (e.g., the driver in the Taconic minivan crash). And yes, I am aware that many people with suspended licenses simply drive without a license, and yes, we need to look in many cases at the behavioral questions, yadda, yadda, yadda, but why we should continue to legally pander to people with a reckless disregard for human life is beyond me.
I was thinking of this again while watching, in Edmonton, a poignant talk by Melissa Wandall, whose husband was killed by a (repeat) red-light runner (the red-light law she’s worked for has just cleared the Florida senate; and despite what you often hear from the fringes of the right, most people, when polled, actually support such devices, when used judiciously). The offending driver already had 10 points on her license, a number of which kept getting bumped down by visits to traffic schools (the efficacy of which has been seriously called into question by several studies). Shockingly, she’s back on the road today.
Let’s go back to John Stuart Mill: “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.”
It’s that ‘civilized’ bit I sometimes wonder about these days.
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Clarification of article on rumple strips

In the article in question as originally published I added “[This is just sad that I get to hear about this from Delaware cyclists. Way to go MDOT on involving MD key stakeholders, not!] ” I hoped that the change in font and square brackets made it clear that the comment came from the editor (me) and not from the original author. So let me take this opportunity to clarify that I am the author of that comment and I sincerely apologize to the author of the article I quoted for the confusion it caused, I will take steps in the future to try and insure this kind of confusion does not happen again.

With that said, what was my point with that comment? So let me be clear… I believe in a Government where it and its citizens work together. To this end communication is essential and is one of the goals behind Baltimore Spokes is to improve that communication and create a communality of cyclists involved and informed about issues that affect them.

While this particular issue is not purely black and white (which I will discuss later on) and the State did reach out to more then Bike Delaware but let me put my main objectives up front, and stated as assertively as I can.

The State MUST do outreach to ALL its (interested/affected) citizens about its decisions on issues that might effect them. Toward that end the State MUST improve its communications to cyclists!
The State has failed to create an email distribution list (or newsletter) that all interested parties can sign up for.
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Cars are not ATMs

At least that seems to be the sentiment when talking about automated traffic law enforcement, toll roads, increasing the gas tax and any other measure that might make driving a bit more expensive (including items like remove contributory negligence that might make car insurance more expensive as we would rather see victims pay for some car driver’s carelessness and unlawful behavior then actually make people responsible for their actions.)
Exactly how does this "I am not an ATM" excuse supposed to work anyway? Can I go into a store can I say "I am not an ATM" and walk out without paying? Can businesses illegally dump toxic waste and avoid any financial responsibility by saying "I am not an ATM"? Can people do some criminal mischief and refuse to pay the fine by saying "I am not an ATM"? If these are not valid excuses then why are we letting motoring get away with this?
People started to drive less and now there is a huge crisis about now how are we going to pay for roads because cars are not contributing? I know lets treat the general fund as an ATM and make everyone pay for car centric roads. Let’s turn a blind eye on motorists who drive recklessly and speed and not overly burden them with small automated fines, let’s instead let the victims of speeding pay the price. Let’s cut corners to save a few pennies on the dollar and make more roads dangerous by design so cars can have more roads then what they pay for and all we have to do is pay with our and our children lives who are way over represented in crashes and fatalities. That’s a small price to pay for more roads for cars right?
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Biking int Baltimore History: Part 1

In anticipation of Saturday’s May Day Roll, co-sponsored by The Baltimore Brew and Baltimore Bicycle Works, here’s the history behind what you’ll see on the first leg of our journey – the old mill towns of Woodberry and Lower Hampden. (Information on the Roll)

 

Druid Mill, built in 1866, is unique for its Italianate style. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

Druid Mill, built in 1866, unique for its Italianate style. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

by MARK REUTTER

Nestled below the bridge pylons and roaring traffic of the Jones Falls Expressway lies the cradle of Baltimore industry.

The mill towns of Woodberry and Lower Hampden once produced 80 percent of all cotton duck used throughout the world, to say nothing of twine, yarn, lamp wick, twill, shirting and calico prints. The Poole & Hunt Foundry, at the foot of Union Ave., cast the three-foot-wide columns supporting the U.S. Capitol dome.

These stone-faced factories remain remarkably intact, finding new uses today as artists’ studios, offices, restaurants and small manufacturing units, while the miniature houses built for mill workers shelter a new generation of Baltimoreans.

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Biden Kicks off Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2010 – "Riders ready?" Vice President Joe Biden asked wounded warriors this morning before sounding the air horn that kicked off the fourth annual "White House to Light House" Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride.
Twenty-eight wounded warriors got a vice presidential sendoff at the White House south lawn today as they launched a three-day bicycle and wheelchair ride to show the world and themselves what they’re still capable of accomplishing.
Joined by his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, along with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki and National Security Advisor James L. Jones Jr., the vice president told the participants they define what America represents.
“Your losses to most Americans are incomprehensible, but what’s even more, more unfathomable to Americans, is your courage,” he said. “You have no idea, I expect, what an inspiration you are to all Americans.”
Calling the wounded warriors “the heart and the soul and the spine” of the United States, he said they set an example for others to emulate.
“You not only let us know what we should be, you’re showing us that we can be anything we want to be,” Biden said. “And for that, I thank you on behalf of my children and my grandchildren and all Americans.”
Almost 600 active-duty servicemembers, along with the wounded warriors’ families and caregivers, crowded the White House lawn to cheer on the participants as they set out on their ride. They erupted in cheers after the vice president sounded the air horn to kick off the ride, the cyclists whizzed by him, waving as they made a loop around the asphalt trail that rings the south lawn.
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Harford Community Services Corrals Safety with Bike Rodeos

From Harford County government:

(Bel Air, MD) – – Each year when May, designated as Clean Commute Month, rolls around and when Bike to Work Day occurs, Harford County encourages people to explore riding a bicycle as a fun, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective way to get around. This year, as in the past, the Harford County Department of Community Services’ Commuter Assistance Program, in collaboration with the Harford County Public Library and the Sherriff’s Office, offer free Bike Safety Rodeos to promote bicycling safety among children.

There are two Bike Safety Rodeos scheduled for Friday, May 7 beginning at 5:30 pm at the Abingdon Library, 2510 Tollgate Road.

In the springtime, concerns turn toward the hordes of child-cyclists turned loose upon the streets of cities and towns across the country. Bike Safety Rodeo events are, in many cases, the only opportunity to educate parents and children about the safety aspects of riding a bicycle on public roads. The goal is to empower young cyclists with a skill set for on-the-road riding.

What is a Bike Safety Rodeo? Harford County’s Bike Safety Rodeo is formatted as a bicycle clinic featuring safety inspections, optional quick tune-ups, and a safety lecture on the rules of the road from Sgt. Kevin Thomas of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. This is followed by a ride on a miniature “chalk street” course on the Abingdon Library parking lot where young cyclists are shown where and how to apply the rules. Other activities include helmet fittings, prizes and drawings.

Participants are escorted through the course by Sgt. Thomas’ knowledgeable assistants who point out hazards, provide safety tips and explain how to apply the rules of the road that were mentioned in the lecture. This year, Sheriff Bane will be on hand to provide guidance and encouragement for the participants. The main focus of a Bike Safety Rodeo is cycling safety for young cyclists, from kindergarten through middle school.

There will be two safety sessions, one at 5:30 pm and one at 6:30 pm on Friday, May 7. Children must have a helmet and be able to ride without training wheels. To register your child for this Bike Safety Rodeo experience, visit the Abingdon Library or call 410-638-3990 for details. Register soon; space is limited.

For more information on Clean Commute Month and its signature event, Bike to Work Day, visit https://www.harfordcountymd.gov/commuter.
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Quotes for the day

“There are two types of road bikers: Bikers who are faster than me, and me.” – Bruce Cameron
“[A bicycle is] an unparalleled merger of a toy, a utilitarian vehicle, and sporting equipment. The bicycle can be used in so many ways, and approaches perfection in each use. For instance, the bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting calories into gas, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles per gallon. A person pedaling a bike uses energy more efficiently than a gazelle or an eagle. And a triangle-framed bicycle can easily carry ten times its own weight – a capacity no automobile, airplane, or bridge can match.” – Bill Strickland
“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit however, it lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong
“Let’s have a moment of silence for all those Americans who are stuck in traffic on their way to the gym to ride the stationary bicycle.” – Earl Blumenauer
“A bike is the world’s most used form of transportation” – David Byrne
“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.” – H.G. Wells
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The Mayor of London urges tougher driving test after death of 7th London cyclist this year

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has written to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to urge the government to alter driving tests to ensure that drivers are compelled to take more notice of cyclists.

According to the Evening Standard, Mr Johnson wrote his letter after a 31-year-old woman on Monday became the seventh cyclist to be killed on London’s roads this year.

The victim, Zoe Sheldrake, from Borehamwood, was killed after being struck by a black Audi on the A41 Edgware Way, near junction 4 of the M1, at 7.30am on Monday morning.

The newspaper reported that the car’s driver, a 49-year-old male, had been arrested and taken to a police station in North London, where he was bailed to return on 28 June while the police make further enquiries.

In his letter, Mr Johnson told Lord Adonis: “We feel that there is merit in examining whether the standard driving test for car drivers should be tightened further to ensure the needs of vulnerable road users are fully understood by new drivers.”
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