Bike Lobby and Dishonesty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cyclist was at fault here:

O'Donnell was hit near 21st and I Streets in Northwest when a Mack Truck attempted to make a right turn.

O'Donnell tried to ride her bike ahead of the Mack Truck but was struck by the front passenger side of the truck

Applicable law:

Title 18 (2203.3) requires that both the approach
for a right turn and the turn itself shall be made as
close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge
of the roadway.

That law doesn't prove that the truck was as close as practicable to the right-hand curb, it just says the truck SHOULD have been there. And it doesn't make it illegal for the bike to be further to the right than the truck was, anyway.

[Anonymous]

I don't know the area where the accident happened and cannot comment on the situation with regards to bike lanes or traffic flow.

However, DC has a number of "contra-flow" bike lanes where there is a designated bike lane on a one way street that flows in the opposite direction of motor vehicle traffic. The two I know best are G Street and I Street NE. These streets (bordering H Street, a major commercial corridor that also contains the streetcar) are one way traveling in opposite directions from each other, and each has a contra-flow bike lane. So I Street is one-way moving east between 4th and Florida Avenue, but has a bike lane that goes west. And G Street is one-way moving west but has a bike lane that goes east. The goal is to move both local neighborhood traffic and bike traffic off of H Street, in large part to accommodate both the streetcar and major bus lines (X2/X9). The contra-flow lanes are actually considered safer because drivers encounter bikers as oncoming traffic and thus are more likely to see them, and less likely to cut them off while turning or parking. These streets tend to have slow moving traffic anyway, and are less likely to have trucks, which primarily use H Street or K Street.

So if you hear of a cyclist moving against traffic on a one-way street, you can't assume they are violating the law and may actually be using a bike lane as designed. Again, I don't know the street where this accident happened so I don't know if it has a contra-flow lane (or any bike lane at all, for that matter), but I would not jump to the conclusion that the cyclist was int the wrong if I learned she was moving against motor vehicle traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't comment on this incident, but generally, as a cyclists I have to anticipate that the truck might be making that right turn.
And I've seen personal instances where the auto drive really makes the mistake and almost runs me over.
I agree with the above statement: The cyclist is dead and she is unable to tell her side of the story.
Luckily, there are probably many cameras in the area that most likely caught the incident in really time but not sure that will be shown to the public.

I always assume cars and trucks will do the most dangerous/least predictable thing when I'm around them, but you still can't be sure what will actually happen. Just yesterday, a car zoomed into the lane I was riding in, changing lanes with no turn signal and nearly hitting me; I had to brake hard to slow down enough to avoid a collision. At the next red light, the driver was busy texting, so maybe that's also what he was doing at the time -- I guess I'd rather believe he was distracted than that he did it deliberately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she was riding on the right of the truck and the truck started to turn right, then it makes sense that she tried to ride ahead of it — she would have been trying to avoid being hit, just the same as if she'd stopped suddenly instead.

The bicycle has the right of way in this kind of crash, according to DDOT: https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ddot-bicycle-and-pedestrian-safety

"One of the most common bicycle crashes is known as the right hook, when a right-turning motorist hits a bicyclist traveling straight through the intersection. In this case, the bicyclist has the right of way. Motorists should let bicyclists clear the intersection before beginning their turn. As a precaution, bicyclists can look over their left shoulder to check for cars before traveling through an intersection."

The turn is legal, in the abstract, yes, but the turning vehicle has to yield to a bike continuing straight.

THANK YOU, this is helpful and I wish the WaPo story on this crash had included this information. It's obvious that you know the law better than the cops. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

She was clearly in the right here. The only witness was the truck driver himself who is trying to avoid a manslaughter charge. So yeah, let us believe him!

Drivers these days are horrific. Even I have started turning into a terrible person when I drive. We need more enforcement, laws, and concrete bollards to prevent us from killing pedestrians and bikers. Honestly we have too many traffic lanes in the city, use them to make bigger sidewalks and bike lanes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she was riding on the right of the truck and the truck started to turn right, then it makes sense that she tried to ride ahead of it — she would have been trying to avoid being hit, just the same as if she'd stopped suddenly instead.

The bicycle has the right of way in this kind of crash, according to DDOT: https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ddot-bicycle-and-pedestrian-safety

"One of the most common bicycle crashes is known as the right hook, when a right-turning motorist hits a bicyclist traveling straight through the intersection. In this case, the bicyclist has the right of way. Motorists should let bicyclists clear the intersection before beginning their turn. As a precaution, bicyclists can look over their left shoulder to check for cars before traveling through an intersection."

The turn is legal, in the abstract, yes, but the turning vehicle has to yield to a bike continuing straight.

Basically we need to right turns on green unless there is a right turn arrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she was riding on the right of the truck and the truck started to turn right, then it makes sense that she tried to ride ahead of it — she would have been trying to avoid being hit, just the same as if she'd stopped suddenly instead.

The bicycle has the right of way in this kind of crash, according to DDOT: https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ddot-bicycle-and-pedestrian-safety

"One of the most common bicycle crashes is known as the right hook, when a right-turning motorist hits a bicyclist traveling straight through the intersection. In this case, the bicyclist has the right of way. Motorists should let bicyclists clear the intersection before beginning their turn. As a precaution, bicyclists can look over their left shoulder to check for cars before traveling through an intersection."

The turn is legal, in the abstract, yes, but the turning vehicle has to yield to a bike continuing straight.

DP. You can say that, that the truck should yield to... But in reality, cars, pedestrians, bicycles, all yield to trucks and buses. Otherwise the car, pedestrian, bicyclist pays the price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she was riding on the right of the truck and the truck started to turn right, then it makes sense that she tried to ride ahead of it — she would have been trying to avoid being hit, just the same as if she'd stopped suddenly instead.

The bicycle has the right of way in this kind of crash, according to DDOT: https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ddot-bicycle-and-pedestrian-safety

"One of the most common bicycle crashes is known as the right hook, when a right-turning motorist hits a bicyclist traveling straight through the intersection. In this case, the bicyclist has the right of way. Motorists should let bicyclists clear the intersection before beginning their turn. As a precaution, bicyclists can look over their left shoulder to check for cars before traveling through an intersection."

The turn is legal, in the abstract, yes, but the turning vehicle has to yield to a bike continuing straight.

DP. You can say that, that the truck should yield to... But in reality, cars, pedestrians, bicycles, all yield to trucks and buses. Otherwise the car, pedestrian, bicyclist pays the price.

Yup, and that is why we need to put in concrete barriers and bollards to protect pedestrians and bicyclists.

[Anonymous]

Wow, so the Death Lobby once again resorts to blatant lies to push their agenda. Always disappointed but never surprised.

I look forward to increasingly tight restrictions on driving, mainly because of people like the OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bicyclist was riding in the correct direction for the street.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/07/21/cyclist-dies-crash-northwest-dc/

"The driver of a Mack truck was traveling southbound in the 900 block of 21st Street NW, a one-way travel lane, and Shawn O’Donnell was traveling southbound on the right side of the truck, according to police."

She was undertaking the truck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The cyclist was at fault here:

O'Donnell was hit near 21st and I Streets in Northwest when a Mack Truck attempted to make a right turn.

O'Donnell tried to ride her bike ahead of the Mack Truck but was struck by the front passenger side of the truck

Applicable law:

Title 18 (2203.3) requires that both the approach
for a right turn and the turn itself shall be made as
close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge
of the roadway.

How does that law mean she was at fault? How do you know the truck was "close as practicable to the right-hand curb"? I could have been in the middle of the lane with her next to him ready to go froward when he decided to try to turn from the lane that he should have been going straight in.

It doesn’t. The truck made a right turn from the center lane without bothering to check whether there was anyone in the right lane. This unfortunately happens all the time with trucks and bicyclists, because larger trucks can’t make tight turns from the right lane so they do it from the center lane (even though it’s illegal) and if they bother checking the right lane at all before turning, it’s usually not until right before they turn when the bicyclist may be In their blindspot. This is why it’s important to monitor what’s happened around you, not just in front or you, while you’re driving.

I am really sorry that this person died and for their family, but the facts are pretty clear.

The cyclist was attempting to lane split with a Mack truck and then perform an undertaking pass ahead and of the truck as it attempted a legal right turn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she was riding on the right of the truck and the truck started to turn right, then it makes sense that she tried to ride ahead of it — she would have been trying to avoid being hit, just the same as if she'd stopped suddenly instead.

The bicycle has the right of way in this kind of crash, according to DDOT: https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ddot-bicycle-and-pedestrian-safety

"One of the most common bicycle crashes is known as the right hook, when a right-turning motorist hits a bicyclist traveling straight through the intersection. In this case, the bicyclist has the right of way. Motorists should let bicyclists clear the intersection before beginning their turn. As a precaution, bicyclists can look over their left shoulder to check for cars before traveling through an intersection."

The turn is legal, in the abstract, yes, but the turning vehicle has to yield to a bike continuing straight.

This is not true and poor legal advice. That section of the DDOT brochure is not an explication of the law but recommendations on how to avoid crashes and it notably does not but should urge cyclists to ride with caution. Law in DC is silent about lane splitting. It is hard to conceive that a lane splitting cyclists attempting an undertaking pass of a massive truck would have the legal right of way in that case applying basic reasonable person doctrine.

[Anonymous]

It seems likely she was in the blind spot of the truck.

DC law requires an underguard for trucks, this truck did not have one, which is how she ended up underneath it. If the truck has not been registered or inspected since the law went into effect in 2021, there is no violation. That has yet to be determined.

https://dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/RuleDetail.aspx?RuleId=R0036825

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she was riding on the right of the truck and the truck started to turn right, then it makes sense that she tried to ride ahead of it — she would have been trying to avoid being hit, just the same as if she'd stopped suddenly instead.

The bicycle has the right of way in this kind of crash, according to DDOT: https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ddot-bicycle-and-pedestrian-safety

"One of the most common bicycle crashes is known as the right hook, when a right-turning motorist hits a bicyclist traveling straight through the intersection. In this case, the bicyclist has the right of way. Motorists should let bicyclists clear the intersection before beginning their turn. As a precaution, bicyclists can look over their left shoulder to check for cars before traveling through an intersection."

The turn is legal, in the abstract, yes, but the turning vehicle has to yield to a bike continuing straight.

This is not true and poor legal advice. That section of the DDOT brochure is not an explication of the law but recommendations on how to avoid crashes and it notably does not but should urge cyclists to ride with caution. Law in DC is silent about lane splitting. It is hard to conceive that a lane splitting cyclists attempting an undertaking pass of a massive truck would have the legal right of way in that case applying basic reasonable person doctrine.

I'm not a lawyer, so it isn't legal advice, but unfortunately, the cyclist is no longer in need of legal advice anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems likely she was in the blind spot of the truck.

DC law requires an underguard for trucks, this truck did not have one, which is how she ended up underneath it. If the truck has not been registered or inspected since the law went into effect in 2021, there is no violation. That has yet to be determined.

https://dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/RuleDetail.aspx?RuleId=R0036825

That regulation (not law) only applies to vehicles registered in DC. If the truck was not registered in DC then it does not apply.