Share the road – http://www.argusleader.com/article/20091114/NEWS/911140302/1001/news

—

An effort to improve bicycle safety in South Dakota probably will land in Pierre for lawmakers to decide during the 2010 Legislative session.

The effort began after a Harrisburg man’s father was killed in a collision with a van while he was bicycling in Iowa in August.

State Sen. Sandy Jerstad, D-Sioux Falls, a dedicated cyclist herself, agreed to introduce a bill in the Legislature after meeting with Tony Anderson.

“When Tony brought me his story, it was heartwrenching. I thought this was the right thing to do,” Jerstad said.

She has forwarded to the Legislative Research Council her suggestions for a bill that would require motorists to give cyclists and pedestrians a 3-foot cushion when passing them.

The proposal is similar to laws in about 14 other states, Anderson and Jerstad said.

“Hopefully, this will be well received. It’s not a difficult bill,” Jerstad said.

She favors provisions she has seen in other states’ laws that would make a first offense a misdemeanor and a repeat offense a felony. She anticipates there would be relatively few citations.

“I see it almost as more of an education bill,” Jerstad said.

Anderson and Jerstad are asking people who have been involved in accidents where vehicles came too close to cyclists or pedestrians and struck them to come forward with their stories. They also are looking for people who have lost friends or family members in such accidents, and people who have had near misses.

“Sandy and I are inviting them to come to Pierre in January to help drive this bill home,” Anderson said.

Before the legislative session opens in January, Jerstad also hopes to find a Republican co-sponsor to carry the bill in the House.

Anderson’s father was killed on a rural highway. Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead said he thinks that because many of those roads don’t have wide shoulders, the potential for bicycles and pedestrians to be struck by vehicles is high.

Milstead also said the number of riders using such roads seems to be growing.

“They’re becoming a more common sight on the rural roads,” he said. “As such, drivers are becoming more accustomed to them and routinely give them safe passage.”

At the same time, the sheriff applauds the proposed 3-foot passing bill.

Like Jerstad, he thinks much of the value of such a law would be the increased attention it draws to the issue.

“A law alone would do little to improve safety without a good educational and awareness campaign,” he said.

Anderson and Jerstad have another ally in the Falls Area Bicyclists. Nick Anderson, incoming president of the cycling club of about 100 members, said those members are ready to take on an activist role in promoting a safe cushion law for cyclists and pedestrians.

He also has recent personal experience with the issue after a vehicle nearly clipped riders on a FAB- sponsored ride this summer.

From: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/20091115_As_bicycle_ridership_grows__Phila__tells_scofflaws__Stop_.html

Kirsten Gwynn has no memory of the moment she was hit by a bicyclist while jogging last month along Boathouse Row. When she tries to picture it, all she sees is a bike tire. The bystanders calling 911, the ambulance rushing her to intensive care, the doctor telling her she had a skull fracture? All a blank.

Gwynn was in Hahnemann University Hospital for three days and bedridden for weeks after she returned to her Center City apartment.

Gwynn, 25, a nursing student at the University of Pennsylvania, who expects to graduate next month, struggles with dizzy spells, hearing loss, and, if she moves too quickly, a sensation that her brain is “jumbled.”

But she feels lucky things weren’t worse. At least two Philadelphia residents died last month after cyclists hit them: Tom Archie, 78, who was struck by a bicyclist going the wrong way down a street in South Philadelphia, and Andre Steed, a 40-year-old paralegal, whom police found bleeding on the ground at 16th and Locust Streets after an apparent collision with a bike.

“I still can’t believe this happened to me,” Gwynn said. “This was something I never even thought of as a possibility. But no matter how bad it gets for me and how frustrated I am, I’m back to normal life for the most part.”

More people are biking in Philadelphia than ever, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. More than 11,000 people pedal to work on a typical day, and an estimated 36,000 make that trip by bike at least once a month, the coalition’s bike counts of 2008 showed.

But the growing biking population has also brought more rogue cyclists who don’t follow traffic laws and can cause accidents.

And unlike reckless drivers, bike scofflaws typically get off free. They often flee accidents, and though police can issue tickets for violations, they almost never do. Philadelphia police wrote just 14 tickets to bicyclists last year, compared with more than 200,000 to drivers.

“Are we as diligent about it as we should be? Probably not,” Philadelphia Sgt. Ray Evers said. “But we have to prioritize. We can’t even stop every car violation we see.”

Police are hoping to change that, at least for a few hours, when they launch an effort to inform cyclists of the laws of the road. In the next few weeks, officers from the Ninth Police District, which includes Rittenhouse Square and much of Center City, will flood the area to write tickets. Members of the Bicycle Coalition are expected to be there to hand out information about responsible biking.

“I’ve always received complaints,” said Philadelphia Capt. Dennis Wilson of the Ninth District. “People get so fed up that I’ve had patrolmen get yelled at for biking on the sidewalk.”

Bicyclists are bound by the same laws as drivers. They are supposed to stop at lights and stop signs and to signal before turning. On roads that don’t have a bike lane, cyclists are supposed to keep to the right when possible. Drivers are supposed to treat bicycles as cars and to stay out of bike lanes, except when making a turn. And in Philadelphia, only children 12 and younger may legally ride on sidewalks.

In reality, cyclists often zip along sidewalks, weave between cars, and speed the wrong way on busy streets. Some bike messengers and others ride bikes with fixed gears and no brakes.

Some cyclists consciously flout the rules, but many are unaware of them, said Breen Goodwin, educational director for the Bicycle Coalition.

“A lot of people don’t understand that a bike is a legal motor vehicle, whether you’re a motorist who’s annoyed that you’re stuck behind a bike or whether you’re a cyclist who’s riding on the sidewalk because you feel safer there,” Goodwin said.

The city has worked in recent years to accommodate the growing number of bicyclists. The addition of bike lanes on Pine and Spruce Streets has more than doubled the bicycles there, according to the coalition, and many bikers say the corridors have been made safer for cyclists and motorists alike.

Goodwin said she believed stronger enforcement of traffic laws would have an impact on irresponsible bikers.

“If a cyclist runs a red light, they should be stopped,” she said. “A huge part of this is just educating people and teaching everyone that if you give respect, you’ll get respect.”

Police don’t keep data on how many people are hit by bicyclists, largely because combing through the city’s thousands of injury reports would be extremely difficult, they said. But anecdotal evidence from people who have reported a wide variety of injuries suggests the accidents are relatively common.

Gwynn doesn’t know what caused the cyclist to strike her from behind Oct. 14. By the time passersby called 911, the cyclist was long gone.

Always wear your helmet! – http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010227052_helmet08m.html

—

A bicycle helmet helped a young Oregon woman escape serious injury when her head was run over by a car after a collision.

Marion County sheriff’s deputies said 18-year-old Heather Wolff, of Scotts Mills, was trying to avoid hitting a car driven by 30-year-old Brandon Steinke, of Salem, when she was thrown over the handlebars of her bicycle. Her head was run over by a rear wheel of the car.

Deputies said the bike helmet was crushed but Wolff was released from Salem Hospital shortly after the Wednesday night accident.

Neat new bike simulator – http://www.auto123.com/en/news/car-news/honda-bicycle-simulator-developed-for-the-purpose-of-traffic-safety-education?artid=112403

—

TOKYO, Japan, – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced plans to begin Japan-wide sales starting February 2010, of the Honda Bicycle Simulator developed for the purpose of traffic safety education. By safely experiencing the possible risks bicycle riders may face, users will improve their ability to predict risks and increase safety awareness. In addition, rider evaluation session which will follow the riding simulation will help users learn traffic rules and manners in an enjoyable way. Honda will aim for widespread use of this simulator by a range of customers including public offices, law-enforcement organizations, driving schools and educational institutions which conduct bicycle safety education programs primarily for school children and senior citizens. Honda will begin accepting pre-sale orders in November of this year.

In recent years, the total number of fatalities from traffic accidents has declined in Japan. However, the ratio of fatalities in accidents involving bicycles has increased. Bicycle riders aged 10 – 19 in and above the age of 50 have the highest chance to get involved in an accident, and approximately 70 percent of bicycle accidents are caused by violation of traffic rules.

Leveraging the know-how accumulated through its activities to promote traffic safety since 1964, Honda has been developing and selling motorcycle and automobile simulators since 1996 and 2001, respectively, as traffic safety educational devices which enable users to safely experience the risks based on real-world traffic situations. By offering these simulators, Honda’s goal is to improve people’s ability to predict risks and increase safety awareness. Striving to realize a richer mobility society in the future, Honda developed the Honda Bicycle Simulator as an educational tool for a wider range of people

Injuries on the rise http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/10/bicycle-riding-is-on-the-rise-thanks-to-more-environmentally-conscious-people-a-desire-to-be-fit-and-wanting-to-save-money.html

—

Bicycle riding is increasingly popular, thanks to more environmentally conscious people, a desire to be fit, and wanting to save money on gas. The downside, however, is that cyclists may be suffering more injuries.

That’s the conclusion of researchers who looked at accident rates and severity from 1996 to 2006. Among 329 bicycle accident cases admitted to the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center at Denver Health Medical Center, the length of stay increased substantially over those years. In addition, an increase was seen in chest injuries (up 15%), and abdominal injuries tripled over the last five years of the study. About one-third of 118 patients had head injuries.

In a Reuters story, lead researcher Dr. Jeffry Kashuk from the University of Colorado, Denver, said, “Although the public is very enthusiastic about bicycle use as a means of transportation, we think that infrastructure has lagged behind in the U.S. The government is pushing bike days, and rebates for bike use. Communities are putting in bicycle kiosks.” He added that only limited data exist showing there are bikeways to support an increase in bike use.

The findings from the study were presented at the American College of Surgeons’ 95th annual Clinical Congress being held this week in Chicago.

– Jeannine Stein

Up and coming cyclist — http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2009/10/09/20091009cr-cyclist1010.html

—

Heidi Melendez came by the nickname “Crash” honestly, but it’s one she’s trying to live down.

Melendez was given that moniker in April during El Tour de Phoenix when she was clipped from behind by another bicyclist. She took a nasty spill, but despite chipped teeth, cuts, bruises and a damaged rear wheel, she finished the 74-mile ride in the impressive time of 3 hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds, for ninth place among women.

That race, by the way, was Melendez’s first ever.

“Yeah, Crash is my nickname, if you want to call it that,” Melendez said with a chuckle. “We’re working on modifying that.”

Melendez, who lives in west Chandler, has an extensive background in athletics but she only took up road cycling about a year ago. In that short period of time she has made tremendous progress.

In last weekend’s Tour de Scottsdale (her third race) she placed second among women and 36th overall out of more than 1,350 riders. She finished that 70-mile ride through the McDowell Mountains in 2:55:19, 18 seconds behind the women’s winner, Tracey Perez of Ahwatukee.

Melendez’s background in sports began on the ice, where she competed in figure skating until she was 18. She stayed involved in the sport by coaching for several years after that, however.

It was making contact with a former student that led her to try triathlons and road cycling.

“I found out one of my past skating students was doing triathlons and it piqued my interest,” Melendez said. “I started doing research on my own and just happened to meet Steve (Elwell) at the gym and the rest is history.”

Elwell, who is well known in the local cycling community, met Melendez while teaching a spinning class at Lifetime Fitness in Tempe. He was impressed by her focus and dedication and helped her get started in the sport.

“This girl, she doesn’t call it quits,” Elwell said. “She’s just tenacious as hell, which blew me away.”

The mental aspects of cycling appeal to Melendez almost as much as the physical challenges.

By profession, she is a counselor, working with children and adults to help overcome eating disorders and other issues. She is looking to move her practice more into the area of sports psychology, becoming something of a “mind-set” coach.

Keeping the right mind-set is important for her when she’s riding. For example, in the Tour de Scottsdale, she was trying to keep sharp mentally, while expending every bit of energy she had in finishing the race.

“One of the guys who rides with us on Tuesday mornings in Ahwatukee finished with us,” Melendez said. “The other day he was saying to me, ‘I heard you, you were like, don’t quit, don’t quit, don’t quit!’ I didn’t realize I was saying it out loud.”

That mind-set was what kept Melendez going after her spill at the Tour de Phoenix.

“I heard the cyclist crashing behind me,” Melendez said. “The next thing I knew, my rear tire got taken out from underneath me. I was down and felt my teeth scrape across the pavement. But I had actually had an accident in college where I had chipped my teeth so I wasn’t really worried about that. The only thing I could think about was getting back on my bike and getting out there. I knew I was kind of cut up. I had a hematoma on my hip the size of a grapefruit I didn’t realize until later. There was never a thought in my head of stopping.”

After having spent years competing in an individual sport, she likes the team aspects of cycling. She enjoys being part of a close-knit community of riders and talks glowingly of mentors in the sport like Elwell and Bill Maxwell and training partners such as Perez and the other riders in the area.

Melendez said she’s thinking about competing in an Ironman Triathlon. Doing that would depend on the support of her family, however.

“If I were to do Ironman, it would be next year,” Melendez said. “I have a loving family, a wonderful husband and two boys, they sacrifice a lot for me to do this. Training for Ironman would take a lot from them, too.”

But her passion lies in road racing. She plans to pursue the sport as far as she can.

“I love it,” Melendez said. “I would love to see how far I could go with that as well. It’s just unfortunate they don’t have the women’s Tour de France anymore. I’ve got that kind of mentality where I want to see what’s the limit. It would take a lot of hard work and coaching, but I’m ready for it. I want to be the one on top of that podium someday.”

Ghost bike? – http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/brookline/2009/10/ghost_bike_appears_at_fatality.html

–

While Brookline Police continue to investigate the cause of a fatal bicycle accident that killed a 22-year-old Emmanuel College graduate last month, a “ghost bike” has mysteriously been placed at the scene of crash.
The all-white bicycle, adorned with flowers and a memorial placard for Holbrook, NY, native Tracy Milillo is latched to a street sign near 29 Longwood Avenue—where Milillo crashed her bicycle on Sept. 9.

Brookline Police Captain Michael Gropman said this week that police are not filing charges against a Brookline motorist who had apparently thought he hit Milillo on the night of the crash.

Forensic tests have shown that the man’s vehicle did not collide with Milillo’s bicycle, Gropman said.

“We know it did not,” Gropman said. “We’re not sure why the bike fell.”

Milillo was found unconscious at the scene of the crash about 7 p.m. that night along with the motorist, who had stopped, Gropman said. Milillo was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where she died from her injuries within 48 hours.

She suffered blunt trauma to her head, and police are awaiting the results of a toxicology exam on Milillo to help determine the cause of the crash. Gropman said Milillo was wearing a heavy backpack and he speculated that she may have lost her balance, or she may have had a mechanical problem.

He said the day Milillo was struck was supposed to be her last in Boston. Her parents were coming up to take her back to her home in Holbrook, NY.

David Watson, executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, said the bicycle placed at the scene of the crash on Longwood Avenue is known as a “ghost bike” and similar memorials have been placed at the sites of fatal bicycle accidents around the country.

Traditionally, Watson said ghost bikes “mysteriously appear” at crash scenes, and the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition had nothing to do with putting up the bike for Milillo. But Watson said the memorials are effective tools to bringing attention to fatal bicycle accidents.

“They definitely get everyone’s attention,” Watson said.

Gropman said Brookline Police have seen flowers at fatal crashes and homicides before, but this is the first time he’s seen a ghost bike.

Milillo’s death comes as Brookline is considering multiple changes for bicyclists in the town.

In September, Brookline’s Transportation Board approved a network of bicycle lanes and facilities that are designed to help bicyclists maneuver from Longwood Avenue to the BU Bridge. The route follows portions of Chapel, Carlton, Ivy, Essex and Montford streets , and Brookline Transportation Administrator Todd Kirrane said it was designed to help make Brookline more bicycle friendly.

Brookline’s Town Meeting will also be considering an article in November that would require all bicycles to be registered with the town. Kirrane said similar proposals have been presented to Town Meeting before, in an effort help recover stolen bicycles and to hold bicyclists more accountable on the roads.

Kirrane said the idea has been referred to Brookline’s Transportation Board before, and it was determined that the program would be too costly.

Watson said the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition is opposed to rules requiring bicycle registration.

“We see it as an obstacle to get more people to ride bikes,” Watson said.