Month: September 2011

from TheWashCycle by washcycle

Hot off the presses

Maryland State Police said a 24-year-old Bowie woman who was riding her bicycle in Bowie on Friday night was not at fault in the crash that led to her death, contrary to previous reports.

Cpl. James Brazill, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police College Park Barrack, said a 2011 Chevy Malibu traveling southbound on U.S. 301/MD Route 3 near Sylvan Drive at about 9:20 p.m. left the righthand lane of the road and struck Danielle Marie Cooper of Bowie, who was riding her bike in the road shoulder.

“Initially we thought the bicyclist was on the roadway, but (reconstruction) evidence showed that she was on the shoulder,” he said.

Brazill said the shoulder where Cooper was riding is a marked bike path and she was wearing her helmet that night.

“She rode that trail over and over and over for the last couple years,” he said. “I used to holler at her about it, but she was always very cautious.”

No charges have been filed against the driver of the Chevy Malibu, a 19-year-old Virginia woman who remained on the scene that night, according to Maryland State Police.

Brazill said he did not know how fast the car was traveling, citing an ongoing investigation.

I suspect that what they mean is no charges have been filed YET. I said in the comments of the last post on this that the story of a cyclist swerving into traffic sounded fishy. Good job by the state police of investigating the physical evidence. 

Continue reading “Police determine that Cooper was not at fault”

Plan Objectives
• Identify best practices for bicycle transportation and their possible use in Cecil County.
• Evaluate existing bicycle conditions and identifying gaps in the network.
• Identify potential bike routes that include links to other modes of transportation, including bus and rail service, pedestrian connections and park and ride lots.
• Propose policies, programs and projects for achieving the plan goals.
• Develop an implementation plan, including funding sources and partnerships.
• Identify action steps for the County to continue integrating bicycle planning into community and transportation planning processes, and to complete identified projects
https://wilmapco.org/BikeCecil/CCBP_Scope_of_Work.pdf

By The Kaiser Law Firm PLLC

As we recently reported on our Maryland Car Accident Lawyer Blog, drivers in Washington D.C. have been ranked the worst in the nation for the second year in a row. Drivers aren’t only putting other motorists at risk, but increasing the likelihood of a bicycle or a pedestrian accident in Washington D.C. as well. While many drivers are quick to judge the skills of other drivers, motorists are neglecting to focus inward to correct their own driving poor driving habits.

Our Maryland car accident attorneys recently told you about our area’s ranking in the Allstate’s America’s Best Drivers Report; Washington D.C came in last place for the second year in a row. We’re not only seeing more frequent car accidents per resident than the rest of the nation, but we’re witnessing more accidents that involve a pedestrian or a bicyclist as well.

“Everybody is rude and in a hurry,” said John B. Townsend II, a spokesman for auto advocacy group AAA-Mid-Atlantic.

Pedestrians and bicyclists are oftentimes overlooked in traffic on our roadways. As a matter of fact, a 75-year-old Washington resident was recently hit and killed by a county bus in an intersection accident. After the collision, the elderly man was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead just one day later, according to Addison Independent.

The problems that many bicyclists and on-foot travelers face are that the roadways weren’t designed with the idea of their safety in mind. Many of our local roadways were constructed to accommodate fast-moving and congested traffic. Without proper recognition from these drivers, pedestrians will continue to be the victims of serious motor-vehicle accident.

The five most dangerous places to driver in the United States:

189. Providence, Rhode Island

190. Newark, New Jersey

191. Glendale, California

192. Baltimore, Maryland

193. Washington D.C.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 30 deaths on District roadways, including nine pedestrian deaths in the last year for which statistics are available. Bicyclist and pedestrian deaths accounted for approximately 25 percent of all traffic fatalities that occurred from 2006 to 2010 in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and northern Virginia.

…
Continue reading “Bad Drivers a Common Cause of Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents in Washington D.C.”