[Update: this article was written way back in 2011; since then i continued to update links to the yearly Publication; the 2020 data is currently most recent as of June 2023]
Each year, the USDOT, NHTSA (United States Dept of Transportation / National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) issues a report called Traffic Safety Facts: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists xxxx. The report comes out about 18 months after the close of the calendar year under review. Continue reading “Traffic Safety Facts: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists”
4/20/2015 Lawrence Lacroix, 76 died of injuries (complications?) sustained in a collision with a right turning motorist. Both the cyclist and motorist were EB on Silverlake Rd when the motorist turned right at Cottonwood Lane, Tucson, colliding with the cyclist. Continue reading “Tucson cyclist dies two days after right-hook crash”
There are two distinct types of “Driving School” in Arizona; the first one Defensive Driving is generally attended after receiving a traffic ticket but before any trial in order to have the violation automatically dismissed; and the second Traffic Safety School is generally where drivers who have been found guilty/responsible for more serious infractions are ordered to attend.
Traffic Survival School
cover of workbook used at all TSS classes (circa 2014): Attitudinal Dynamics of Driving and Young Adult Course Guide
None of the above is to be confused with Traffic Survival School (TSS); which is ordered or required when found responsible/guilty of certain infractions or any condition when a driver accumulates 8 points or more within 12 months on their driver’s license. Notably red light violations (see SB1118 46th/1st 2003 Chapter 236), Flashing red violation, causing any death/serious injury w/moving violation, agressive driving, and DUI (because of points; dui is 8 points). There are some extra provisions for drivers under 18 years old. Continue reading “Driving School”
April 4(?), 2015 ~4pm. Daylin Garcia Enos, 6/M killed after crashing with a backing UPS truck in a large apt complex in Tucson.
This is presumably a non-traffic incident, because of where it occurred, on private property; it won’t be reflecting in official traffic statistics… as a result it’s hard to know how common non-traffic MV fatalities/injuries are. They seems to be more common than I would have thought. Bicyclist Richard Leon was killed on a private street just this past November. Follow the non-traffic tag for a collection of these. Continue reading “6 y.o. killed in parking lot backing crash w/UPS truck”
Think about where each of these motorists is looking before crossing the sidewalk. graphic: cyclingsavvy.org
[UPDATE: crash report, below. This was a counter-flow direction SIDEWALK rider, killed at a driveway by a right-turning driver. JUST like in the diagram at right]
Tuesday March 31, 2015 time appox early afternoon: the bicyclist was a 20 y.o. female, Jamie Lynn Cody. Police say she was riding SB in a NB lane on 43rd Ave near Bell when an exiting vehicle (possibly the Schwann’s truck seen in the video) turned right and struck her. I.e. the rider was counter-flow in the roadway. This appears to be the NE corner; there is a designated bike lane there, looks to be the driveway nearest Whataburger / Hobby Bench.
The illustration at right is meant to highlight the dangers of sidewalk riding, however the same advice applies to counter-flow street riding, possibly moreso… The driver of a vehicle exiting the driveway when turning right is going to be looking to the left; and especially isn’t expecting any traffic (in the roadway) to approach from his right). Besides the 2013 Scottsdale incident, mentioned below, there have been at least two more recent fatalities, both in Tempe involving wrong-way bicyclists killed in collisions with right-turning drivers (6/12/2014 at Elliot and Harl; and 10/3/2013 at Univerity and Smith). These are, by the way, the only known bicyclist fatalities in Tempe for those two years.
The driver was taken to the hospital and no pedestrians were injured. (Photo: Jameson and Associates)
Tuesday March 3, 2015 ~ 1230pm. Oh my. The story is conspicuously silent on what might have caused a driver to end up in such a situation; an apparent “single vehicle” collision. Tag this one as yet another Seriously, how often does this kind of stuff happen?
Victim: 22 yo male, name not yet released (Donnell Kiwone Eason); incident 3/6/2015 ~ 1:30pm. Driver: 20 yo male; white Ford Mustang. The picture of the vehicle shows the impact area; left front corner whereupon the cyclist was apparently thrown over the hood and crushed the right-corner of the windshield and roof. Seems like a fairly high-speed impact.
The bicyclist, an unidentified 22-year-old man, was struck while traveling westbound on Thomas Road, Phoenix Police spokesman Sgt. Johnathan Howard said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Howard said. (Photo: Jerod MacDonald-Evoy/The Republic)
Here is what Central and Thomas looks like from a southbound driver’s viewpoint. According to the news report the bicyclist was “…riding westbound on the north side of Thomas Road at Central Avenue when he was struck by a southbound vehicle” — that would be with the direction of traffic; i.e. from left to right in this streetview.
Pinal County investigators said a 21-year-old man was driving this car when it wrecked and killed a 27-year-old woman who was trapped inside. (Photo: Pinal County Sheriff’s Office)
That looks like it used to be a very fast car…. Pinal County investigators think alcohol might have been involved (incident Sunday? 3/1/2015 11:26p):
Oops, more driving on the sidewalk. This happened sometime before Sunday morning, 3/1/2015 when I passed by. It seems like it was just a few days ago that someone drove up on the sidewalk and killed a bus stop; or just a few weeks ago that someone drove up on the sidewalk and killed a wall. What leads to this sort of behavior — I suspect it has something to do with dangerous drivers. Like I said before, it’s all fun-and-games until someone drives up on the sidewalk and kills a jogger.
Oops, more driving on the sidewalk. This happened sometime before Sunday morning, 3/1/2015 when I passed by. It seems like it was just a few days ago that someone drove up on the sidewalk and