Fairfax Promotes Bike Safety

Fairfax — — This year’s Bike to Work Day was hung on Might 19, providing various rest stop to cyclists spread out throughout Northern Virginia. Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William all participated, designating a minimum of 2 or more areas for the yearly occasion’s rest stop. Within Fairfax County, pit stops such as Fair Lakes, …

We all know bicycles benefit our cities. They reduced traffic, minimize carbon emissions, and they can make you healthier. Plus they’re just plain fun. Nothing beats the wind in your hair, viewing the world slide backwards below your wheels. Particularly in thick city environments with great deals of cars and trucks. According to the CDC, “In 2013 in the U.S., over 900 bicyclists were killed and there were an estimated 494,000 emergency department sees due to bicycle-related injuries.” Why is cycling so unsafe? You might do some high school physics to figure it out– momentum equals mass times velocity– but the majority of us know the response intuitively: when a bike strikes a car, the car wins. Every time. In an evident hit-and-run in Winnetka– an LA neighborhood simply north of Topanga State Park– two bicyclists were struck by a motorist, who then scampered. The most chilling element of the story, however, was that– according to the one and just witness– the crash appeared to be deliberate on the part of the motorist. Police are still aiming to figure out exactly what took place, but if the chauffeur did intentionally struck the cyclists, that would constitute homicide. Instead of reminding chauffeurs to view for cyclists, follow the speed limitation, or not drive away when they hit someone, the LAPD took the opportunity to remind cyclists to use helmets and utilize bike lights. If these cyclists were killed, then bike lights probably wouldn’t have actually done them much great. Many rushed to point this out. Unfortunately another bicyclist lost their live on our streets after being struck by a veh early today. Pls use helmets & lights #VisionZeroLA pic.twitter.com/MJJVxbAJmB Pointing out the obvious victim-blaming in the tweet, users responded– both seriously and sardonically– to the LAPD’s assertion that it’s a cyclist’s task to avoid being deliberately run over. @LAPDHQ @LAPDChiefBeck @michelrmoore @LAPDSherman @LAPDOVB @MayorOfLA @LAPDOutreach @LAPDTopanga @VisionZeroLA @PDPIOJosh @psandovallapd Please consider eliminating this tweet and sending out a message rather focused on safe driving & road rage. Thank you, #BikeLA @LAPDHQ @LAPDChiefBeck @michelrmoore @LAPDSherman @LAPDOVB @MayorOfLA @LAPDOutreach @LAPDTopanga @VisionZeroLA @PDPIOJosh @psandovallapd This is a hit and run … Helmets and lights would have altered nothing. Please modify your interaction and focus on the killer here @LAPDHQ @LAPDChiefBeck “Sadly another chauffeur murdered someone today. Cyclists make sure to eat pizza on tuesdays.” Exact same (non-)logic as this notification. It seems a lack of light wasn’t the concern at all, however the instinct was to blame the bicyclists, despite the truths. Accomplishing @VisionZeroLA objective of zero traffic deaths is everyone’s obligation. Please share the roadway and beware of cyclists/pedestrians pic.twitter.com/Kpv1YHAfqV #LAPD joined families of deadly Hit & Run victims to request the general public’s assistance in resolving these crimes. Click 4 information https://t.co/AI7Lbvhqsu pic.twitter.com/vhICkhf8q1 “We can definitely understand why cyclists would feel that the tweet was blaming the victims, rather of the motorist. When it concerns biking security, we would hope that everybody uses the safety equipment available to them– which consists of chauffeurs knowing crosswalks and bike lanes.” While nations like Denmark and the Netherlands have actually made excellent strides in assisting motorists and bicyclists co-exist on hectic city streets, the United States has not had the exact same success. But if bikes are a method to help save the world, lower traffic, and provide able-bodied people some much-needed workout, it’s imperative that we make cycling less fatal. That will never occur if we position the blame for crashes on cyclists alone. In the United States, it’s extremely rare for drivers to get pointed out for careless driving. Take New York, for instance, a city that has actually revealed a big commitment to developing bike facilities over the last years. Inning accordance with NextCity, “there were 14,327 pedestrian and cyclist injuries in 2012 as a result of lorry crashes, but police cited only 101 vehicle drivers with negligent driving, a rate of less than 1 percent.” Undoubtedly, the NYPD frequently responds to cycling deaths by ticketing bicyclists. Using helmets and utilizing bike lights is all well and good, but drivers have to try to find cyclists. As cycling becomes more and more popular in the United States, this will just end up being more evident. After all, chauffeurs– not bicyclists– are the ones driving inside a 2,500 pound box– and with that power comes a lot of responsibility.

this topic Bike to Work Grows in Herndon A-1 Cycling’s bicycle mechanic, Brendan Eyerman of Herndon made a minor adjustment to a rider’s bike at the Herndon rest stop for Bike to Work Day held Friday, Might 19. Fellow A-1 bike mechanics, Josh Taft of Manassas and Jake Bentley of Herndon, took a moment off for a bit of fun in the sun while Eyerman worked. Herndon Town Councilmember Gr …