Arizona Bike Law

Driving School

[ some of this information was moved from bicyclist-diversion-programs-around-arizona ]

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”

Celebrity DUIs and other car criminals

There are tens of thousands of DUI arrests per year in AZ (39,746 in 2013 to be more precise). And that’s not counting the many of the over ten thousand hit-and-run drivers reported each year in AZ (11,402 in 2010 to be more precise), all of whom are criminals, thousands of them serious felons, few of whom are ever caught or charged. (hit-and-run from a collision with any injury is a felony, if the injury is serious or fatal the felony is likewise serious). Continue reading “Celebrity DUIs and other car criminals”

Mesa PD: Bicyclist struck, killed after riding through red light

April 11, 2015, morning. Cyclist 40’s/M was killed after riding into the intersection of Alma School Road and Southern Ave, Mesa on a red. Continue reading “Mesa PD: Bicyclist struck, killed after riding through red light”

Bicyclist dies after being struck by car near Apache Junction

Photo: Pinal County Sheriff's Office — Photo: Pinal County Sheriff’s Office

Friday April 10, 2015, early afternoon. Victim: Jameson Kennedy, 51/M. The driver told police “an animal ran out in front of him and the bicyclist on westbound McKellips Boulevard, causing the cyclist to swerve to the left. The driver swerved to the right, striking the cyclist from behind.” Continue reading “Bicyclist dies after being struck by car near Apache Junction”

Narrow Lane / Wide Lane

Knox Road, between Mill and Rural Road, City of Tempe. Example "choker". — Knox Road, between Mill and Rural Road, City of Tempe. Example “choker”.

Although you won’t find many arterial roads with wide lanes (where bicyclists generally must ride as far to the right as practicable), many collector roads around the Phoenix area have them.

Check out one-road-4-treatments for the full story, this addition pictured at right , Knox Road in the City of Tempe has both narrow and wide lanes.

Police: DUI suspect left Mesa wreck with victim on hood

oh my. Alledged drinking / Percoset / aggravated DUI / child abuse, fleeing the scene, resisting…

That was the scene in Mesa on Tuesday 4/7/2015 afternoon.

Should this woman be driving? — I mean should she have a drivers license? Continue reading “Police: DUI suspect left Mesa wreck with victim on hood”

6 y.o. killed in parking lot backing crash w/UPS truck

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”

The REAL ID kerfluffle

In 2007 (or was it 2008; it was the 48th 2nd regular session) the state of Arizona inserted a new law into the transportation code that specifcally prevents ADOT (“the department”) from issuing DLs or IDs (i.e. motor vehicle drivers licenses, or in the case of non-drivers, state issued identification cards) that complied with federal REAL ID requirements. HB2677

The bill created statute 28-336. Continue reading “The REAL ID kerfluffle”

Bicyclist killed at driveway 43rd Ave and Bell

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.

Continue reading “Bicyclist killed at driveway 43rd Ave and Bell”

A couple of Scottsdale incidents involving bicyclist injuries

There have been a couple of serious injury collisions recently in Scottsdale this Spring… both say/hint the collisions were caused by (unspecified) driver distraction. Continue reading “A couple of Scottsdale incidents involving bicyclist injuries”

Legislation to ban Photo Enforcement

In what has become an annual ritual, a certain cadre of Republican state legislators bring forth numerous bills designed to limit / curtail / eliminate photo enforcement. This posting covers the 52nd Legislature, 1st Regular session’s activities, that is the Spring of 2015. Continue reading “Legislation to ban Photo Enforcement”

Alternative Transportation advocate Steve Schmitt passes away

This is mainly of interest to me as the organization Steve was director of since 1994, the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, is my hometown of Bethlehem, PA. Although I never met Steve, his work at improving transit, walking, and bicycling are significant. I had moved away from Bethlehem for work once I graduated from college in 1983, so we didn’t really overlap in time. I had tried to meet up with him a few years ago during a visit but we weren’t able to sync up schedules. Continue reading “Alternative Transportation advocate Steve Schmitt passes away”

Bicyclist killed at Casa Grande intersection

3/15/2015 ~ 11am. 51y.o. male killed at 4th and Pichacho St, Casa Grand.

I had initially missed this one, i found it only when it appeared in asdm data for 2015, then googling did turn up a media report.

Continue reading “Bicyclist killed at Casa Grande intersection”

Adot Bicycle Facility Design Workshop

IMG_20141120_155140430_01 Attended an all-day Bicycle Facility Design Workshop on Nov 20, 2014. Thanks to Mike Sanders and ADOT for putting this on.

The class was very well attended, with perhaps 40 students from all around the state; mostly either various adot personnel, or planner-types working for cities. (and the class was offered twice, and the other session was filled to capacity also).

The instructors, Mike Colety and Steward Robertson, both of Kimberly Horn Assoc, were very knowledgeable with the subject matter, and cycling in general — if i recall correctly, it was mentioned they were both LCI’s.

The material hews very closely (or possibly, completely) to the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities.

MMUCC C9 Manner of Crash

Executive Summary: You may have never heard of the MMUCC (Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria; a set of federal guidelines), it trickles down into every state’s motor vehicle crash reporting system. It’s somewhat analogous to the relationship between the UVC and state’s vehicle codes. The problem, I should say one problem, is non-motorists tend to get overlooked. One obvious example is delved into here — the “Manner of Crash”, e.g. angle, rear-end, sideswipe, etc. is ONLY defined when it involves two motor vehicles, leaving that data-field undefined when a crash is between a MV and bicyclist. Since bicyclists are vehicle drivers, the MMUCC should reflect that. Read on for a proposed change that’s on the table, and how you can vote/comment officially: Continue reading “MMUCC C9 Manner of Crash”