Thanks Robbie! I had meant to write something very similar to your comment and now just replied to yours on the blog. This victim-blaming crap from the Bike Fed has to stop.
Harald. On Fri, Sep 18, 2015 at 2:09 PM Matthew Logan <[email protected]> wrote: > I have come to realize that most law enforcement accounts of crashes > basically come right off the MV4000 form: > http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/dmv/shared/manual-mv4000.pdf > > My understanding is that this form’s purpose is not to inform the general > public, but to be used as a tool by transportation officials to help > improve the safety of the transportation system. So knowing that few > bicyclists wear reflective clothing in an area is a useful clue for traffic > engineers who are evaluating different improvements in a corridor, but it > often reads to the general public as if bicyclists are being blamed. > > I have tried to clue in local news organizations to this issue, but they > really don’t have the staff to write real stories any more – they basically > take whatever an official gives them and that is what gets published. > > As far as a solution: it sure would be nice if there was some guidance > for law enforcement on how to craft a news release, since that release has > become the defacto story text in so many crashes. > > =Matt > > > > *From:* Bikies [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Robbie > Webber > *Sent:* Friday, September 18, 2015 1:57 PM > *To:* Bikies > *Subject:* [Bikies] 13th person in Wisconsin killed on a bike this year > > > > OK, I admit that I just unloaded on the Bike Fed blog > <http://www.bfw.org/2015/09/17/crash-in-vilas-county-raises-bike-fatalities-to-13-for-the-year/> > about this most recent death. I will own that. But I am very frustrated by > seeing so many news reports about pedestrians and bicyclists being killed > on the roads this year. > > > > And the news reports -- even by Bike Fed, of all sources -- always seem to > focus on what the victim did wrong. In this case, no lights and no > reflective clothing. > > > > I just finished reading a blog post about "walk-shaming > <http://streets.mn/2015/09/16/walk-shaming-in-the-media/>," and it > resonated with me. > > > > Since my comments are "awaiting moderation," and I'm impatient (some might > say hot-tempered), here are my comments: > > > > If you go to streetview, you can see that the road has shoulders in the > location. Assuming that the bicyclist was riding on the shoulder — and I > have to assume that any bicyclist out in the evening on a rural road would > be on the shoulder — why are we focusing so much on the fact that he didn’t > have lights or reflective clothing? Isn’t that a bit of blaming the victim? > > Of course, both legally and practically, one should use lights, > reflectors/flashers, and/or reflective clothing at night. But there is > always another party involved. What about the driver? Geez, I’m worried > about hitting a DEER at night. Shouldn’t the driver be aware of what’s > around him? > > If indeed the bicyclist was on the shoulder, the driver would have to have > left the travel lane to hit the guy. I realize that Share and Be Aware is > focused on keeping bicyclists safe, but where is the outrage that drivers > are not paying attention? > > And maybe we should also be looking at why people have no choice but to > travel on these roads. What about infrastructure? Isn’t it a great thing > that people are using their bikes to get around? Do they have a safe route > when they chose a bike? > > Unfortunately, we do not have the victim’s side of the story, so we will > maybe never know why he was out there and whether he was on the shoulder. > I’m sure the driver will never even get a ticket because the bicyclist > didn’t have lights. Leave your lane = oopsie. No lights = death penalty. > > - See more at: > http://www.bfw.org/2015/09/17/crash-in-vilas-county-raises-bike-fatalities-to-13-for-the-year/#sthash.AaJWCTH4.dpuf > > > > > Robbie Webber > Transportation Policy Analyst > 608-263-9984 (o) > > 608-225-0002 (c) > > [email protected] > > All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of > my employer or any other group with which I am affiliated. > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >
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