In increasingly urban Texas, bicyclists and pedestrians are increasingly endangered. Yet Gov. Rick Perry last year vetoed a bill — passed overwhelmingly by the Senate and House — which would have offered  more protection to cyclists and walkers on or near our roads.

Now some cities, such as Austin, are enacting the same law on a municipal basis. And San Antonio may get one, too. A city council committee voted unanimously this week to send a “safe passing” ordinance for “vulnerable road uses” to the full council for approval next month.

Why is this vital? Because Texans are dying, and every bit helps. In 2008 alone, 50 Texans on bicycles were killed and 274 suffered incapacitating injuries in car-bicycle accidents. And every year, about 400 Texas pedestrians are killed by vehicles in car-pedestrian accidents.

(more…)

Share on Facebook

An item in today’s San Antonio Express-News shows how far Texas has to go to treat pedestrians and cyclists with respect on our roads. It pertains to a horrible accident last week in which a San Antonio-area couple riding a tandem bicycle on a road’s shoulder were hit and killed by a pickup truck traveling 70 mph in a 65 mph zone.

The driver “lost control” — a common excuse for bad driving — and veered onto the shoulder, killing the two people.

No charges have been filed in the tragedy. Nor have charges been filed in the case of David Mollenauer, a San Antonio Symphony musician who was hit by a car while on his bike and left for dead earlier this year.

Mollenauer survived, and witnesses even got the car’s license number. Yet again, no charges have been filed, even though the driver’s identity is known.

Some say that’s because Texas treats cyclists and pedestrians as second-class citizens. If a car strikes property and damages it, then its driver is legally liable for negligence. If a car strikes a person in a motorcycle accident, bicycle accident or pedestrian accident, the car’s driver may face no penalty at all — even in a hit and run!

(more…)

Share on Facebook

As gas prices have gone up, traffic fatalities have gone down — at least when it comes to cars. But while fewer folks are pounding pavements in four-wheelers, more are riding on motorcycles, scooters and bicycles to save gas money. And the added traffic on vulnerable vehicles means more people are dying.

The Texas Department of Transportation reports that motorcycle use is up on the state’s roads and highways, with sales of cycles rocketing. And already, correspondingly, motorcycle deaths are ahead of last year’s pace in Houston alone.

The motorcycle’s allure is a no-brainer, at least as far as fuel costs are concerned. While many cars do well to get 15 miles per gallon, most motorcycles get between 40 and 80 miles per gallon, depending on the cycle and the driving habits of their drivers. In short, if you accelerate slowly and obey speed limits, you’ll save gas. If you tromp it and roar off, you don’t save as much. (more…)

Share on Facebook

Sky-high gas prices were bound to make one change in this “green” era of ecological emphases: Americans aren’t just recycling, but cycling.

That’s right, we’re locking up our gas-guzzlers and picking up bicycles as a means of transportation, and not just for recreation. Those $4.50 gallons of gas have fueled a new bike binge and a retro go at traveling to-and-fro on two self-powered wheels.

That’s a good thing, and it’s a bad thing. It’s good because it saves people gas money, contributes to their physical fitness and reduces the amount of gunk which cars spew into the atmosphere. It’s bad because bicyclists, like motorcycle riders, are extremely vulnerable in traffic, and many people in cars fail to see them or yield to them. (more…)

Share on Facebook