News from the Bicyclists, Motorcyclists and Pedestrians Front

[XLFD]

A mixed bag of tricks in the Bicyclists United with Motorcyclists and Pedestrians for Safety (BUMPS) newsfront:

Bicycles:

Starting today, the three-foot safe-passing zone for bicycles becomes law in Michigan-- right at the end of the 'comfortable' bicycling season.  Drivers of all vehicles need to give a minimal of three feet when passing a bicycle, which is a good intent.  But as I have noted before, a bicyclist while riding lawfully can still be hit from behind and killed by a negligent driver and the driver won't likely see consequences.  This is due to the lack of a clause in the law that says in such accidents "The collision of a motor vehicle [while passing] with a person operating a bicycle is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section." 

Without this clause which many states have adopted, the law really has no teeth.  Hopefully, the law will be taught in driver's training and becomes ingrained in established drivers already on the road.  It won't be learned when these accidents actually happen and the drivers still get off with the usual excuses. 

   "I didn't see them."

   "They were riding too far into the road."

   "They swerved at the last minute."

Motorcycles:

Two visiting VIPs were tooling down US 2 in the Upper Peninsula when an SUV pulled out in front of them.  Indiana House Ways and Means Chairman Tim Brown (pictured above with his bike), R-Crawfordsville could not avoid the SUV, his traveling companion Rep. Mike Speedy, R-Indianapolis was able to.  Brown is in a medically induced coma in an Ann Arbor, Mich. hospital following the crash.  A large variety of news organizations in Michigan and Indiana reported on this incident.  Every one of the dozens of reports I've looked at says one of the following:

"Brown struck an SUV that pulled out in front of them."

"An SUV pulled into their path and struck Brown's motorcycle."

"Brown was thrown from his motorcycle when it struck an SUV that pulled out in front of him."

However, in exactly none of these articles is there any talk of any repercussion for the SUV driver being considered for committing a moving violation that led to Representative Brown's serious impairment.  This week, Mason County's sheriff did this for a similar accident that happened in May.  There seems to be little doubt that this happened in this instance, but two weeks later, we know neither the driver's name, nor whether there are any charges pending. 

Pedestrians:

Road construction worker Andre Alvesteffer, 20, from Pentwater died and his co-worker, Damon Williamson, 23, of Ludington was seriously injured after a 2013 Ford Taurus driven by a 66-year-old Bear Lake woman struck them while they were working on US 31 near Russell Street in Bear Lake.  Both men were graduates from Mason County Central.

Manistee County Sheriff John O’Hagan said the crash occurred about 3:28 p.m. on September 25th when the Taurus  crossed the road’s centerline, left the roadway and struck the two workers, who were standing in a construction zone; speed appears to have been a factor.  

The Taurus' crash data will ultimately determine whether speed was a factor, but when a car crosses the center line, goes through construction zone territory and strikes road workers, that could be a very serious offense even without speeding.  It's unfortunate our officials freely give the public the names of the blameless victims after notifying their family, but we rarely see the names of the careless, reckless and/or negligent drivers that ruin the lives of others and rarely get charged with anything.