Biker's death: City driver cleared in fatal accident
Matt King, right, was an avid athlete working on his Ph.D. in mathematics.PHOTO COURTESY CROSSFIT CHARLOTTESVILLE
The driver of a Charlottesville City waste water truck will not be charged in the Monday, April 19, accident in which 23-year-old UVA grad student and bicyclist Matthew King was killed as he rode west on West Main Street.
The investigation, conducted by City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County police, Virginia State Police, and the Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney's office, concluded that King struck the truck as it turned right from West Main onto Fourth Street, according to a press release.
According to a City report, multiple witnesses testified that the truck driver, Ronnie Lorenzo Douglas, had activated the truck's right turn signal and wasn't speeding. King, witnesses said, was passing cars on the right before and during Douglas' attempted turn.
Douglas tested negative for drugs or alcohol, and although he lacked the specialized endorsement required to operate trucks carrying large amounts of liquid, the Commonwealth's Attorney ruled that the lack of that endorsement played no role in the accident. Douglas, who holds a valid commercial driver's license, has since received the state-required endorsement.
This Saturday, May 22, three days after a planned "Ride of Silence" through the streets of Charlottesville to honor King and others killed while riding, area advocacy groups are hosting a "Bike Summit" to discuss ways to make biking safer.
King, an avid athlete working on his PhD in math, spent his last morning volunteering at the Haven, the new resource center for the homeless on Market Street. That, says Kyle Redinger, owner of a fitness club King actively attended, offers insight into King's character.
"He gave everything he had," says Redinger, who operates Crossfit Charlottesville. "Anyone who knew him knew he lived life to the fullest."
60 comments
"Having lived here all of my life, I can not recall a motorist ever being charged in the death or injury of a cyclist, simply because of the cavalier (no pun intended) fashion that most cyclists behave."
--> How does the behavior of ââ?¬Å?most” cyclists affect the specific circumstances of an isolated accident? George Huguely must be innocent because ââ?¬Å?most” of his teammates didn’t kill their ex-girlfriend.
"They never come to a complete stop as required by law."
False statement, ââ?¬Å?never” should read ââ?¬Å?sometimes.”
"If you do not have to put your foot down on the ground to maintain being upright, YOU HAVE NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP!!!"
False. Some cyclist can perform a ââ?¬Å?track stand” meaning that you can balance while remaining still with feet on pedals. Not to mention cars rolling through stop signs”Š
"Cyclists in this town are disrespectful of motorized drivers, and this is the reason for the apparent anger between the two."
Motorized drivers are disrespectful of cyclists. (This statement has as much evidence as your statement). The apparent anger between the two is not caused ONLY by cyclists. It’s a 2 way street.
"I suggest that all bicycles be required an annual inspection fee, like automobiles, and they be required to have insurance, etc"
Cars are required to have insurance because cars can and do cause damage to other parties. The aggregate risk of the whole pool of cyclists damaging other’s property (i.e. cars) is probably so small it’s immeasurable.
"You want to share the road, then pay for the privilege."
Many cyclists also drive cars and therefore pay for the privelage. Gasoline taxes, car registration fees, etc. all contribute to the maintenance of roads because cars depreciate the infrastructure. Bikes have no measurable effect on the soundness of pavement. Not to mention that pedestrians don’t have to pay for the "privilege" of walking on sidewalks”Š
Spending a tremendous amount of time on the streets of C-Ville, I KNEW that this would be the result. Approximately 12 years ago, almost the exact same accident happened on the corner of Arlington Blvd and Emmett Street. A school bus was making a right turn, had its signal on, waiting for the light to turn green. The light turned green, and a cyclist, attempting to be coy and cool, and beat the bus, plowed into the back and slid under the bus. The driver, thinking he had simply clipped the curb, continued on his way. He never knew what had happened.
Having lived here all of my life, I can not recall a motorist ever being charged in the death or injury of a cyclist, simply because of the cavalier (no pun intended) fashion that most cyclists behave. They do not obey the traffic signals or signage. They never come to a complete stop as required by law. Before any of you attempt a limp pantywaisted defense of this, its simple. If you do not have to put your foot down on the ground to maintain being upright, YOU HAVE NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP!!! Cyclists in this town are disrespectful of motorized drivers, and this is the reason for the apparent anger between the two. When one comes around a country road and finds cyclists three abreast and 15 - 20 long, actig as if they were in a cycle race in Europe, come on, what do you expect? Cyclists want to share the road, fine. Act worthy and show some sense. I suggest that all bicycles be required an annual inspection fee, like automobiles, and they be required to have insurance, etc. You want to share the road, then pay for the privilege. Perhaps if there were more financial investments involved, cyclists whould display more common sense.
Unfortunately, the driver of the city truck will have to face the phantoms in the twilight each night, for something he could not help. Where is the concern for him and the impact this will have upon his family? No doubt, the cyclists family will explore the civile financial opportunity this eposide provides. Heanven knows there are enough attorneys in this town to try.
TheNative, yours is one of the best replies I have ever seen posted in any thread here on The Hook. Every resident I have had the occasion to speak to shares your exact thoughts. Thank You!
Never Been to a Game, are you kidding me?
You really believe in the concept of a license to ride a bike, increased ticketing of bike riders and mandatory safety classes? Move back up north, there are plenty of high taxed freedom-less corrupt states to choose from.
Charlottesville is beginning to make me sick. If if wasn't for the University, this entire town would be a complete dump.
"right, because charlottesville has ample parking and needs more cyclists on the roads."
yes and yes
@local girl
On that stretch of that road, the description you offer with sarcasm is indeed accurate.
The key to not getting hit in traffic is to watch the heads of drivers to see where they are looking and the front tires of cars to see which direction the car will move.
Windpedaler and Mojo- Cyclists can pass cars, and do it all the time, but the driver of the turning truck truck is not required to look between his truck and the curb for the biker that is not riding with the flow of traffic, particularly at an intersection. While a cyclist can pass a vehicle in the same lane, he does not have the right to pass a turning vehicle or jockey his way around traffic stopped or slowed at intersections. The law clearly states that a cyclist has all the duties and responsibilities of his fellow riders and drivers on the road, and also that cyclists are required to avoid passing along the right hand side of a lane (§ 46.2-905) in unsafe situations, as this was.
I rode for years, and considering all the crazy things that most cyclist do, myself included, it is a wonder that I never tangled with a car.
I have a son who attends UVA and I read this paper to gauge the news and crime rate in C'Ville. We live 20 miles from downtown NYC and in a metropolitan area that has over 10 million people.
It seems that we in the New York City area are able to control our aggression a lot better than the folks who have attacked the bike rider for his missteps which ended his life instead of looking to the truck driver who didn't bother to be more careful while driving an oversized vehicle. It would be best for both drivers and cyclist to obey the rules and defer to the other for life's sake. I'll return to this page tomorrow to read all the immature attacks on my opinion.
Today I was going west on Rt 240 and a bicyclist was riding east near Highlands. It was raining, the visibility was very low and the speed on that part of road ranges anywhere from 45 to 55 mph. There are some serious blind curves between Highlands and the intersection of 240 and 250. The guy could get seriously hurt. I don't understand why biking on a 55 mph stretch in rain and low visibility would be a good idea. Worse yet, I have seen people jogging in this stretch.
or you could just make streets like west main off limits to cyclists. We certainly wouldn't allow pedestrians, roller bladers or skateboarders in all that traffic...
"A handicapped person in his wheelchair is hit by a city police car..." No, it was a county car.
Who is cat?
DID- motorist and motor vehicles are here to stay too- cyclists need to educate themselves as well as the motoring public, or "face" the consequences.
You must admit, cyclist can survive the motoring world- NYC and Saigon being prime examples of that fact.
We should eliminate parallel parking on the southern side of Main Main and use that 8 feet or so for two 4-foot wide bike lanes, one on either side of the street.
We already reserve the 4" dotted line on 64 and 81 for the avid cyclist
Did anybody see this link?
http://www.vwc.state.va.us/listdecisions_all/REV2005/2187894-06-76.rev.doc
The driver, Ronnie Lorenzo Douglas, was in a work related dispute a couple of years ago. He was found to be the aggressor in a work related assault.
Did, this most certainly is an "us vs them" issue. IMHO, the majority of pedestrians and cyclists in this city think their God given rights of unmolested passage far exceed any rights the driver of a motor vehicle might possess.
I am quite surprised more cyclists and pedestrians don't get run over in this city.
Actually the same Virginia laws states that "Motorists must approach and pass a bicyclist at a reasonable speed at least two feet to the left of the bicyclist."
Nicknamesocar is exactly the problem. A vigilante attitude and 2000 lbs of steel are a dangerous combination. One of these days your clever little strategy is going to run someone who is LEGALLY passing you off the road, and you are going to be responsible.
"They do not obey the traffic signals or signage. They never come to a complete stop as required by law." -- TheNative.
Sadly this applies not only to bicyclists but to motorists as well.
Quit trying to demonize ALL bicyclists because some do not obey the laws.
Bicyclists are here to stay, and nothing that anti-bicyclists have to say will ever change that.
So, everybody should take a pledge to be good citizens on the road, no matter what form of transportation being used, and we'll all be safer. Thank you very much.
Every time a person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle or mounts their bike they HAVE to make certain assumptions about the capabilities of other drivers. There is NO WAY a person can drive defensively enough to counter EVERY mistake that can be made by EVERY other driver/biker. Based on what I have read here the police conducted an investigation and decided, based on evidence and EYEWITNESSES, that the driver was not to be charged. Maybe I am naive but I just cannot imagine that if there was any doubt as to the carelessness of the driver then he would have been charged.
Gasbag, your opinions are based on what? One person's experience? May I humbly suggest one person's experiences are not comprehensive enough to make sweeping generalization like the ones you have made.
What is a "vast majority?" Have you done scientifically-sound sampling to arrive at your opinions. How often do you discard experiences that run counter to your opinions? How extensive have been your travels across this country? How many places have you lived? Work? Have you ever ridden a bicycle? If so, when, where, how far?
P.S. Let's say I have come to appreciate your moniker. I'm sure you come to it lightly.
quote: "The real complaint with cyclists is that they (occasionally) delay traffic, and thus p!ss car drivers off."
The real complaint is cyclists do not think the same traffic laws apply to them, unless of course said law and their movement benefits them. Yesterday morning I was watching out my office window as a bicycle ran a red light in a major intersection and almost caused a rear end collision. Had any of the cars not been able to stop and run over and killed the cyclist, I would have been standing in line to give an eyewitness statement to exonerate the drivers.
There's plenty of evidence that licenses do not a safe driver make, regardless of the mode of transportation. Maybe cyclists aren't ticketed aggressively because, regardless of who is at fault, they pose little threat to anyone but themselves. The real complaint with cyclists is that they (occasionally) delay traffic, and thus p!ss car drivers off. There are plenty of car drivers out there that pose a significant threat to you, no matter your mode of transportation. That's where the focus belongs.
Did, I am saying the vast majority of pedestrians and cyclists have no regard whatsoever for their surroundings or the laws governing their movement as written.
I am also therefore going to say that the majority of drivers do not act in this same manner.
Gasbag, I would venture to say your opinion does cover the entire spectrum of the driving public nor the riding or walking public. Do you not concede that some drivers have committed traffic infractions against other motorists as well as bicyclists and pedestrians?
In the end, you paint with too big of a brush on both sides, which undercuts your argument immensely.
Let's see if I get this right:
A cyclist is killed, the city employee is exonerated, and "Never Been to a Game" suggests the cyclist got what he deserved.
A handicapped person in his wheelchair is hit by a city police car and the city's attorney argues that police are shielded from charges of wrongdoing.
A wonderful lacrosse player is murdered by a man with a history of violence whose coach, after an internal investigation, is cleared of negligence.
Morgan Harrington's conduct, not the policies of the John Paul Jones arena, are ultimately blamed for her abduction and murder.
City/UVA employees 4 -- Underdogs 0
And Gasbag, your opinion on drivers is?
Thanks for asking. I actually have a permit to carry a concealed vehicle so I think that the second amendment guarantees, no, demands that I whip out said vehicle whenever I feel threatened by weirdos who don't drive. Why back in '47 I was the victim of an horrible walkover by a gang of wannabe thugs who refused to walk around me as I took an innocent nap in the road. The Nerve! and then... Oh, I thought you said "gaslog". nevermind...
My opinion on drivers is they exercise a lot of restraint in yeilding the right of way to pedestrians and cyclists who are in the wrong. I see pedestrians and cyclists doing the dumbest things every day. They think they will be shielded by "the law" if they get hit by a motorist. I think this story proves them wrong. There is a lesson to be learned here if pedestrians and cyclists want to pop their earbuds out, turn the cell phones off and look around long enough to take notice.
The city is right in this case. Cyclist passing on the right with no regard to anything else around him. Had it been a pedestrian totally disregarding a "Don't Walk" signal, I would hope the commonwealth attorney would have ruled in the same manner.
That guy looks like carrot top to me.
Gasbag, please read Windpedlar's link from VDOTs bicycle laws. Passing on the right is legal. More so when done in a bike lane but in all instances the cyclist must always obey the signs, lights and rules of the roads. Please stop prejudging all cyclists. I find most motorist to be careful around bikes but the few bad drivers don't make me throw all motorist in the same basket. Make sure you scroll down to the section on passing. Certainly you can find the time to read it online since you seem to incessantly roam the communities websites to rant on every topic written. Please step away from the computer one day, ride a bike around town to understand how it feels.
I ran a cyclist down, or should I say a cyclist ran into me, while making a right turn in a local govt. owned truck. The incident happened circa 1978 and I was turning right on East High Street by the Juvenile Court. At that time the county kept its gas pumps behind the Juvenile Court Building in an alley and it was there I made the turn and did have the turn signal on. The cyclist was passing me on the right and I never saw him until he did a swan dive across the hood and into the street. Fortunately, beyond a bloody mouth and some scrapes, the guy was OK. OK, but angry at ME for his imprudence.
Fact is motorists turning right are looking at other things, not looking in their right rear view mirror (Assuming they have one since the right outside mirror is not required equipment for cars and light trucks) for the surprise appearance of a cyclist threading the narrow gap between traffic and parked cars or the curb.
That Virginia law allows cyclists to pass on the right is an unfortunate lapse. That it's legal doesn't mean it's a good idea and the fact remains it's a dangerous thing to do, especially at intersections or wherever the motor vehicle may be able to make a right turn. This last incident is not the first bicycle fatality in Charlottesville resulting from passing a vehicle turning right. Another student was killed in the nineties passing traffic on the right on Emmet St. He was crushed by the rear wheel of a bus turning right onto Preston Ave.
Virginia law should be changed to categorically disallow passing on the right under all circumstances, maybe even on freeways as is the case in other countries. Don't try doing that in Germany.
In this case, the driver's past altercation with another person in the workplace is an irrelevant red herring which had no bearing whatsoever on the recent tragedy. The driver could not have anticipated someone would come hopping off the sidewalk on a bicycle in an effort to cut around traffic. This is not about someone cut down in the prime of life by heartless car-centric drivers. It's just another sad case of a young person's impetuosity and poor judgment resulting in his premature demise, not really all that different than if he'd been killed in an auto accident for the same reasons, or been killed in a rock climbing accident or some such thing.
I commute to and from work by bike everyday & I follow all the rules of the road. In my experience, all users-of-the-road break the law in one way or another at some point whether they mean to or not. Sometimes these infractions are dangerous and sometimes they're not but, whether or not they put anyone in danger or not, they tend to irritate someone. I know that I get very annoyed by other cyclists that blatantly break the law just as I get very annoyed by motorists who honk at me because I'm taking the lane even though I'm going the same speed as the car right in front of me.
Generally, and unfortunately, I find that all kinds of users-of-the-road will obey only those laws that they are forced to obey, either because they're afraid they'll get hit by another traveler or because they think they'll get a ticket.
What we need is more enforcement of the current rules of the road. I'd love to see more cyclists get ticketed for breaking the law just as I'd love to see motorists ticketed for something other than speeding.
Additionally, we need more education for users-of-the-road so that everyone knows their rights & responsibilities - both within the letter of the law and within the confines of general common courtesy and commonsense.
Without the combination of increased enforcement and education, nothing will change.
Angel eyes, it is still the fault of the cyclist and not the law. In many ways I think bicycle education should begin early in life and just like with automobile driving, defensive cycling may be a good thing to learn. How to avoid these situations ant a safe way to get out of a dangerous road situation.
Oh look, somehow the thread gets polluted with an unrelated item, and vavoom, cat is there to get attention from it.
"A cyclist is killed, the city employee is exonerated, and ââ?¬Å?Never Been to a Game” suggests the cyclist got what he deserved."
Re-read the comment. There was no such suggestion.
"You can’t have it both ways: ride a bike and try to go faster than automobiles."
Where did you get that idea? Riding a bicycle is almost always faster than driving in congested areas, especially when the need for parking is considered. In less congested areas, driving a car is faster. Different tools for different uses.
The town where I moved from in Montana hosts annual races between a driver and a cyclist through the city (the people were chosen beforehand, and acted cautiously). The cyclist always won, which was the point. It was really a publicity stunt to promote cycling in the community. Yes, there are communities out there who want more people to ride bicycles, strange as that may be.
I am a car driver and bike rider. From a cyclist-safety POV, the worst idea is to require cyclists to follow ALL the same laws as cars must. Why? It's been my experience that about 1 in 20 cars just flat do not see me on a bike (or don't care). If I am expected to follow ALL laws of the road and I have a 5% of not being seen, that suggests a bad system. Bikes are small, go anywhere from 1 MPH to 40 MPH, sometimes act like a pedestrian, sometimes like a car, sometimes like something else. They are just different vehicles. Just as pedestrian have different rules to follow, there should be different rules for bikes. E.g. bikes should be able to legally ride on a sidewalk when it doesn't pose a danger to a ped. Bikes should do most things they want to stay safe, which means breaking laws sometimes. Bikers, though, should expect to nearly get killed everytime they use the road. Keep your brakes tuned and be VERY careful at intersections!
People need to understand that THE primary goal of a cyclist is to not get killed by a car. I could care less about a car-inspired law (really, the laws of the road are designed for cars, nothing else) if it endangers my life. And I could care less about blowing a stop when there is no other traffic. (On a bike with an unrestricted view, you can do this very safely and you don't have to break your stride. If you can't do this safely, don't do it). Most traffic signals and rules are designed to help motorists NOT plow into each other. This incentive to not hit stuff is (or should be) self-evident when you ride a bike.
And some red lights in town are just ridiculous and some red lights are important. A cyclist, I think, becomes in tune to the subtleties of red lights and the road in a way cars don't. It's a Zen thing. Our Western legal system just doesn't get it!
See, nicknameoscar's behavior could have endangered that cyclist's life. And suggests that he is willing to "fight" with a cyclist. The cyclist should have every right to do whatever to get far far away from nicknameoscar, including run a red light if safe to do so and will provide some breathing space. I sense these kind of drivers and I get the heck away, tout de suite.
Is nicknameoscar doing anything illegal? No. And this is case where the accepted rules of the road might get you killed.
There are many times I don't agree with what GBSOE has to say but my experiences with cyclists are the same as GBSOE. So now we have 2 people with the same experiences. I have gotten so fed up with having to pass the same cyclist multiple times (because of traffic lights) that now I put my vehicle right against the sidewalk to (attempt to) prevent them passing me at the light (and, in many cases running the light). There are still times they find a way to get around.
I never said the guy was making a safe judgment in passing on the right that day. Just what the law allows is what I am saying. First I heard he was on the sidewalk anyhow but with no follow up to whether that was the case or not either. I believe bikes should always share the road and leave the side walks for pedestrians anyhow. Gasbag, most cyclist are not so ignorant to think of passing into the path of any vehicle and obviously this guy made a fatal mistake. Sometimes I feel that some people have no compassion for anyone and too busy always trying to vindicate their point of view.
"I've gotten so fed up with having to pass the same cyclist multiple times (because of traffic lights) that now I put my vehicle right against the sidewalk to (attempt to) prevent them passing me at the light (and, in many cases running the light). There are still times they find a way to get around."
So nicknameoscar, you think being "fed up" is a legitimate reason to endanger someone else's life? Sorry to burst your bubble, but the cyclist's right not to die trumps your right not to be inconvenienced. Sharing space and being annoyed by others is part of living in a civilization. If you don't like it, might I suggest a yurt?
The basic problem for road safety is not cyclists, but people like you, who fundamentally think cyclists have no business being on the road in the first place, and are out to teach them some kind of (very dangerous) lesson.
I've lived in the South nearly my whole life, and the prevailing attitude here is that cyclists are a nuisance and that they're basically insane; they have a death wish or wouldn't be biking around in the first place. Given that assumption, motorists generally don't feel too bad when something terrible like this happens. The cyclist had it coming.
As another poster pointed out, blaming the victim is a popular pastime around here.
We should eliminate parallel parking on the southern side of Main Main and use that 8 feet or so for two 4-foot wide bike lanes, one on either side of the street.
Southside:sidewalk/bikes/vehicles/vehicles/parking/bikes/sidewalk:Northside
Gasbag,
As one who has had both the testicular fortitude and the intellectual capacity to adequately defend your positions on all things Charlottesville, I am both complimented and appreciative of your comment.
Regardless of what runs into what, the larger, heavier object always prevails!
Perhaps this will give pause to all the C'villians who complain about "the streets are not safe for bike riders and pedestrians." This guy--obviously brilliant at math--did not use common sense on the busy streets of a city. Feelgood rituals like "Rides of Silence" show a lack of worldliness, not the sophistication that university towns love to trumpet. They do no practical good
How about this practical suggestion: let's ticket careless bike riders more aggressively and make all city bicyclists obtain a license to ride on city streets. Then use the revenue from licensing them to mandate safety classes for them to attend.
You can't have it both ways: ride a bike and try to go faster than automobiles. If you want to commute by bike on city streets, then get a license.
Sympathies to both the truck driver and the family of Mr. King.
This is not an us vs. them issue. It is a "we" issue: How do WE make it possible for motorists, bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians to use our streets and be safe? The formula is simple: Education, encouragement, engineering and enforcement.
I wish it were as easy as requiring bicyclists to obtain a license to ensure their safety. It just doesn't work that way and never will no matter how much we wish it were so.
As a native and lifelong cyclist in this community I feel it is important to share this link before anyone gets their bike shorts in a knot or motorists join the bandwagon of pointing fingers every time a cyclist passes them on the right when stopped at a light. Once again I emphasize to read carefully the section on passing. http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/programs/bk-laws.asp True compassion, awareness and patience on the behalf of all is the way to increase the safety of the road.
quote: "Gasbag, please read Windpedlar’s link from VDOTs bicycle laws. Passing on the right is legal."
State laws says:
" § 46.2-907. Overtaking and passing vehicles.
A person riding a bicycle.....
....may overtake and pass another vehicle only under conditions that permit the movement to be made with safety."
Obviously, landing under a truck making a right turn means something wasn't done safely.
"Morgan Harrington’s conduct, not the policies of the John Paul Jones arena, are ultimately blamed for her abduction and murder."
Gahhhh! It is neither Morgan's nor JPJ's fault that Morgan was murdered.
Somewhere her murderer is sitting around reading about where the blame is being shifted, feeling exonerated.
Mzfitz You and BIGDOG are BOTH correct. Someone IS trying to shift blame for Morgan's death from her murderer, the policies at JPJ, and the general policies at the University to Morgan--the classic blame the girl that has been used in so many violence against women cases at the University. We will see if it works. Remember, that Gil had said earlier this year that there is a murderer loose in Charlottesville. She was certainly right, now let's see if there is more than one murderer loose there.
tomr, it's refreshing to see an honest person.
Thank You!
lets face it; some hate cyclists because they attach a certain social status or religious view or political philosophy to a cyclist. Certain groups of people think if you ride a bike; you are some type of liberal, fag, athiest, granola eating, obama supporter and global warming freak.
Some will run you over just for that.
I do feel badly for the truck driver and the victim, of course. But the issue is not people taking aim at cyclists. The issue is this guy was riding his bike in an extremely dangerous manner on a busy street with heavy traffic (and parallel parking on both sides of the street, cutting down further on manuverability).
Sports fans, you don't have to be enrolled at UVA to perceive Darwinism at work in this situation.
right, because charlottesville has ample parking and needs more cyclists on the roads.
JerseyJoe, I'm with you completely. I hope these anonymous comments of displaced road rage don't give too bad of an impression of Cville in general. Really, we're trying to be a bicycle-friendly community one step at a time.
and your little dog, too.
Deleted by moderator.
The first Ride of Silence was organized in Dallas, Tx in 2003 to honor a fallen cyclist. The ride expanded around the country and around the world. It is not just a Charlottesville thing. It is a 'WE' things. Cyclists need to properly learn how to share the road and motorists need to be aware that cyclists are around.
The Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (www.transportationchoice.org)--ACCT--and BikeCharlottesville (www.bikecharlottesville.org) are organizing ââ?¬Å?Pit Stops” for cycling commuters on Friday May 21st for National Bike to Work Day. There will be reflective leg bands and other accessories to help keep the ride safe and commuters looking good when they arrive at work.ACCT will also be handing out information on safe routes and safety tips for cyclists and for drivers sharing the road with cycles. The PitStops welcome drivers who would like to learn more, too.
Education goes a long way for both motorists and cyclist.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Cyclists%20motorists%20must%20lear...