My experience differs (regarding whether the police care or do not care). The ticket to the cyclist in the case you mentioned was dismissed, and the reason it made the news was precisely because it was unusual. If the police were out every day ticketing cyclists for getting sideswiped, that case would not have made the news.
-- Kathryn Kingsbury Director of Communication, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin www.bfw.org 608-251-4456 <http://www.bfw.org/> <http://bikefed.blogspot.com/> <http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/bike.fed.wi?ref=ts> <http://twitter.com/search?q=BikeFed> <http://delicious.com/network/BikeFed> On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 12:19 PM, burleigh chorus.net <[email protected]>wrote: > My understanding is that the police just don't care. At best, they will > ignore you. > And in one recent case, where the motorist did hit the cyclist, they > ticketed the cyclist. > > > > On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 9:51 AM, Kathryn Kingsbury < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> I am surprised they sent you a self report form; those are generally not >> used for traffic violations (see >> https://www.cityofmadison.com/police/selfreport/selfReport.cfm). Maybe we >> just have a difference in terminology, though. >> >> Online, traffic complaints within the city of Madison should be reported >> via https://www.cityofmadison.com/reportaproblem/traffic_enforcement.cfm. >> MPD doesn't usually follow up with the reporter for traffic violations, but >> they are required to keep a record of them and they report that their policy >> is to send a letter to the owner of the motor vehicle involved in the >> violation. I would encourage people to use the online self-report form. >> Sometimes I've been contacted for follow-up and sometimes I haven't; they >> generally to contact for follow-up only if there's something unclear about >> the report or they want the reporter to take some action (maybe if they need >> you as a witness?). >> >> You can also call 911 if it's an emergency - for example, the driver >> actually grazes you or you have reason to believe that they're on a rampage >> and pose an immediate danger to other road users. I called 911 once when >> there was a motorist speeding down the Missing Link path. MPD can dispatch >> officers to track down the offender or send out a bulletin with the license >> plate number so officers can keep a lookout. >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> >>
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