What is Iowa Lacking?
- Cyclist Education?
- Motorist Education?
- Trooper and Officer Education?
- Outdated laws?
It's time we make a difference.
The photo to the right shows the vehicle who hit Collier and Sergey sending them both to the hospital in critical condition. A fractured back and neck, broken pelvis, hip and arm, crushed vertebrae and blood on the brain are just some of the injuries. Collier is still in critical condition while Sergey was upgraded to fair condition. Both will not be back on a bicycle for over a year.
How big does this
LIST need to get before changes are made?
WHY ?!?
The Iowa Department of Transportation map says we have more than 112,000 miles of highways and streets available for bicyclists to use for both transportation and recreational purposes.
"The Iowa State Police have a responsibility to protect all of Iowa's citizens, not just those driving cars."
Take a Stand - Make a difference by making other's aware and start by emailing the Iowa State Patrol regarding Bicycle Safety.
Please take a few moments and collect your thoughts. Every email helps. In fact, send the same email to your state representative, your city council persons, your mayor, your city police, etc. Make phone calls, visit them in person!
Think Big - Statewide Public Service Announcements and Eduction programs, higher penalties, No-Buzz law, crackdowns, etc. Let's change the LAW folks!
Example: There is a zero tolerance law for speeding in a construction or school zone. You'll get OWI if you are .09 when the legal limit is .08. Heck - you'll get in more trouble for going 10 mph over the the posted speed limit than you will if you rear-end a cyclist in broad daylight on a county highway.
If a cyclist is injured or killed pretty much nothing happens 90%+ of time (I have no facts to back this up other than all the past news items over the last few years).
Here is the email to the Iowa State Patrol: ispinfo@dps.state.ia.us. I've included a couple of examples below.
Remember: CYCLISTS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!
Example 1
Quote from ISP officer: "They were side by side, could have been single-file, which could have helped a little bit, maybe one of them could get away. They have
a right to be on the road like everybody else. When you've got 4,000 or 6,000 pounds (of a vehicle), the odds are against you. This isn't the first time
this has happened. I hope it's the last time, but I know it won't be."
I hope he was mis-quoted or that the quote was taken out of context, because such a quote indicates severe ignorance of the rights of cyclists and the responsibilities of motorists. It is if you are declaring open season on cyclists. Almost as if you are implying that SUVs can not help or be held responsible for hitting a cyclist that is legally riding on the road. Driving an SUV, or any vehicle, is not an excuse for hitting a cyclist. Such a quote promotes the attitude that cyclists don't mater. It seems that you are classifying cyclists the same as you would a deer or possum. Nowhere did you mention how the drive failed in his/her responsibilities to safely control a motor vehicle. Are you trying to shift the blame to the cyclists for simply being on the road?
If the SUV driver rear ended a school bus because of the same inattentiveness and failure to safely control his/her vehicle, would the State Police be taking such a stance? I don't think so.
I do understand that accidents do and will happen. However, when cyclist is hit, I think the State Police, or local law enforcement agency, should use that as an opportunity to educate and inform motorists and cyclists alike on how to coexist on Iowa's roadways. You have a responsibility to protect all of Iowa's citizens, not just those driving cars.
[Name and Address omitted from this posting]
Example 2
"They were side by side, could have been single-file, which
could have helped a little bit, maybe one of them could get away. They have
a right to be on the road like everybody else. When you've got 4,000 or
6,000
pounds (of a vehicle), the odds are against you. This isn't the first time
this has happened. I hope it's the last time, but I know it won't be."
To Whom it May Concern:
I too am concerned about this attitude because it assumes that cyclists must
always expect driver inattention.
I don't think this would have been said if a car driver had been rear-ended
at a stop sign or an intersection. Drivers must be held accountable for
their actions and inattentiveness. Bicyclists seem to be held to some
separate standard. As the price of fuel goes up, concerns for the effects
of automobile travel on the environment increase, there will be more people
turning to bicycles as transportation. These cyclists must receive equal
protection from law enforcement agencies.
We need to get over the attitude that driving is a right. It is a
privilege that is exercised in far too cavalier a manner by too many
drivers. Drivers who talk on cellphones, who eat, who apply makeup, some
even reading. Driving is perhaps the most dangerous thing most of us do on a
daily basis and yet it is thought of this way by too few people.
Thank you,
[Name and Address omitted from this posting]
THANKS for Taking a Stand!