The following an article written to discuss the importance of differentiating between the terms "accident" and "crash." Please Be Kind To Cyclists strongly supports a change in terminology to aid in the progression of consequences for those who cause what could have easily been avoided. The article focuses on DUI cases, but exact same concepts can be applied to crashes involving motorists and cyclists. Cycling in itself is not a dangerous activity; after mastering the skills in our neighborhood, we could ride our bikes around the block til the sun went down. What makes the activity potentially dangerous is when you ride on busy streets side by side with fast moving motor vehicle traffic. Even if you are familiar with the law and your rights as a cyclist, implementing them can be frightening and overwhelming. Below is a video that can help you be confident when riding and shows how you can be what we at Please Be Kind call a "VIP Cyclist." Being a VIP cyclists means that you are Visible, In the moment, and Predictable. Remember that both motorists AND cyclists have a responsibly to operate as safe as possible on the road. The vehicles in the video only travel about 20 mph but the techniques employed are still beneficial. The audio in the video isn't necessary as it is only sound captured by the camera (mostly wind); the text boxes that pop up provide the valuable tips so feel free to go back and pause the video if you miss any. Enjoy! Video by Frederick Chim
This Saturday, April 19th at 10am, Please BE KIND to Cyclists will be removing the ghost bike placed in honor of Gay Simmons who was struck and killed by a motorist in a tragic hit-and-run accident on April 17, 2006. It was this incident that pushed Al Bastidas to the edge and to plead to drivers to BE KIND. The placement of the ghost bike began a grass roots campaign to increase harmony between drivers and cyclists. "The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has asked the group, Please Be Kind to Cyclists, to take down ghost bikes that pose as safety hazards to drivers on the road." We will be removing the ghost bike and replacing it with an approved sculpture to honor the incident and continue to remind drivers to share the road.
You can RSVP to the event on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1426875144236993/?context=create&source=49 Additional information about the removal of ghost bikes can be found here: http://www.kvue.com/news/TxDOT-orders-removal-of-some-area-Ghost-Bikes-for-safety-255584941.html It is an unfortunate reality that there are so many cycling related injuries that take place each year. This map created by Bikko.net makes it easy to search through the years and severity to see a history of cycling injuries in Austin. Our mission is to keep this map blank going forward. How do we propose to do this?
RAISE AWARENESS, and encourage harmony and tolerance between drivers and cyclists. PROMOTE EDUCATION teaching safe road use. OFFER AID to cyclists injured in crashes with motor vehicles. Your support makes this possible. For as little as $10 you can help support social change that aims to create more respect for all road users and create safer communities for all of us. Please consider becoming a member today! Sometimes it takes a different perspective for us to take notice of what we're doing and whether or not it makes sense. For most of us, having bike lanes and sharrows is a huge improvement over bike infrastructure of even five years ago but the commentary by this visitor helps us to realize how far we still have to go to make cycling safe AND enjoyable. On March 16th, 2014, a memorial bike ride will be held for the victims who were killed on March 13, 2014, when a car hit a crowd of people attending the South by Southwest Festival. The incident took place near The Mohawk. More than 20 people were taken to the hospital, some with severe injuries, and at least two were killed including Jamie West and cyclist Steven Craenmehr of the Netherlands. Our hearts go out to all of those affected by the tragic events on March 13th, we will be riding to honor all who lost their lives and were injured and placing a ghost bike in memory of Steven Craenmehr.
Steven Craenmehr, 35, was the creative director for Massive Music, a music agency network with offices in Amsterdam, London, New York City, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. Please show your support and come out tomorrow for the memorial bike ride. You can join the Facebook event by clicking here. Memorial Ride Details: Date: Saturday, March 16, 2014 Time: 4:30 PM Location: 912 Red River St. Austin. TX 78701 (read the KVUE coverage here) With only a single month having passed since its debut, the Austin B-Cycle bike share program has exceeded projections. Nearly 4,000 trips have been made with the most popular stations being at the Capitol and Jo's Coffee on South Congress. The program started with eleven stations but expects to have forty by the time SXSW hits. To read more about this exciting addition to Austin's transportation offerings, click here.
Riding your bike with traffic requires you to learn some techniques. While automobile drivers are required to take and pass a test on how to use the roads properly, cyclists are not; we are not required to take any tests. You would not know how to properly and respectfully share the roads with traffic unless you make a personal effort to learn the proper techniques and etiquette. We found this video to be very simple, short, and effective. It doesn't cover everything you should know before you decide to ride with traffic, but what you will learn in this video and the tips on the Cyclists VIP program, could save you from getting hurt or killed. On December 28th, 2013, a memorial bike ride will be held for Joseph “Joe” Eugene Holan of Georgetown, who was killed in a tragic car and cyclist crash on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, as he traveled to work on his bicycle. Joe wrote about his life experiences on his bike in his blog Advantage Bike; and how his two wheels had helped him through many different stages of his life. Joe lived his life with the humor and attitude that “you can never give up and always know the sun will come up in the morning.” Attending the memorial bike ride and assisting in the placement of the Ghost Bike will be his loving wife of over 21 years, and his four children. Memorial Ride Details: Date: Saturday, December 28 2013 Meet at 9:00AM, wheels down by 9:30AM Meeting location: REI Round Rock - (click for a map) Join the Facebook event. Ghost Bike Memorial location: Southbound IH 35 frontage road, 1/8 of a mile south of 1431. The police escorted bike group will ride together for two miles from the REI parking lot to the memorial location where the Ghost Bike will be placed, and return back to REI as a group. Please BE KIND to Cyclists visited Lake Charles this week to give a presentation on safety for all road users. In attendance were city, state, business and citizen activist representatives who are all focused on changing the culture of cycling in the Lake area. The meeting was a success and has helped to get the ball rolling on real world solutions for making cycling a safe option for all residents. Click here to read more. |