Just look at the speed that the RV was going! The driver was given a $500 ticket for almost killing 30 cyclists. Insane that they’re even allowed to drive after that.
Just look at the speed that the RV was going! The driver was given a $500 ticket for almost killing 30 cyclists. Insane that they’re even allowed to drive after that.
That depends on the severity of the negligence in the accident. But when there’s a huge power imbalance like a car and a bicycle or a pedestrian, I absolutely think the penalties should be more severe than between two vehicles.
If you cause an accident, you should absolutely go to traffic school. Full stop. If you exceed some level of negligence, you should have your license suspended. And I think driving an RV at 45mph into a bunch of cyclists qualifies for license suspension, at least for a few months to really drive home the gravity of the mistake.
I have never been in an accident in >15 years of driving, so I’m obviously a bit biased here. But my opinion is that if you cannot drive safely, your driving privileges should be revoked until you prove you can drive safely.
Why isn’t the bike the one who caused the accident? He was in the roadway, wasn’t to the side at all. They weren’t riding in single file, they were riding across each other.
Take some responsibility for your own safety too. You know there are cars using the road, you shouldn’t assume that they will see you. Stay safe
Because that’s Arizona State law, and similar laws exist in other states. Here’s some exerpts from the legal statute after a quick search:
§28-101 Definitions
So bicycles are not vehicles, according to Arizona State law.
§28-701 Reasonable and prudent speed; prima facie evidence; exceptions:
Note that bicycles are not motor vehicles as noted above in the definitions and thus exempt from this statute.
§28-735 Overtaking bicycles; civil penalties:
Bicycles must be given at least three feet of space when overtaking.
§28-812. Applicability of traffic laws to bicycle riders:
Bicycles have all the rights of a vehicle on a roadway or shoulder. So they absolutely belong there.
§28-815 Riding on roadway and bicycle path; bicycle path usage:
Quick note, the shoulder does not count as part of the roadway (see below).
The cyclists were riding two abreast.
§28-601. Definitions:
So bicycles are allowed on the roadway, the roadway does not include the shoulder, and they are legally entitled to 3 feet of space from other traffic. I see no violations of the law in the video on the part of the cyclists, and I do see a violation from the RV here. The RV is 100% to blame here, the cyclists were actually probably too far to the right and should have occupied more of the roadway to push vehicles to change lanes to pass.
So the bicyclists were acting safely and were well within the law. I think they could’ve been more safe if they took up more of the roadway, not less.