http://www.enidnews.com/localnews/local_story_121003400.html

Bicyclist is critical

Staff reports

An Enid man was hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday after he was hit while riding his bicycle on Oakwood Road.

David Lee Harrison, 46, was taken to St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report, and admitted in critical condition with head and trunk injuries.

The accident happened at 5:40 p.m. on Oakwood, three-tenths of a mile south of Wheat Capital.

Harrison was riding his Allez Elite Vittoria bicycle south on Oakwood when he was hit by a 2008 Toyota Avalon driven by Duard Spleth, 84, of Waukomis, according to the report.

Spleth told officials he was driving south on Oakwood when looked down to adjust the air conditioning controls on the steering wheel and hit Harrison’s bicycle from behind. Harri-son was thrown an unknown distance in the collision, according to the report.

Trooper Jeff Jech, who investigated the accident, said a witness told him she passed both the bicyclist and Spleth’s vehicle then looked in her rearview mirror and saw the bicycle fly into the air.

Spleth was not injured, according to the report.

The cause of the accident is listed on the report as distraction inside vehicle.
———————————-

Your solution — Let cyclists ride against traffic — would not necessarily have prevented this collision and surely causes many more.

Other responses —
is it okay to be looking at the air conditioning controls instead of the road? Is that just how people drive or is that negligence?

Is the motorists physical or mental condition (at age 84) a factor? Should this person be driving?

A dangerous motorist (either incapacitated or negligent) can kill bicyclists — or just as easily pedestrians or other motorists or his or her self or passengers.

How much longer is that old traffic law on bicycles riding with the flow of traffic going to be kept in force?

Laws requiring a bicycle to be ridden WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC were enacted in the horse & buggy days – when bicycles were considered a menace to horses!

A bicycle being foot-pedaled with the flow of traffic moving at 30, 40, 45 or 50 MPH or better is in grave danger of being run-down! If I were to ride a bicycle it would be facing the flow traffic so I can see what is coming at me. How can you see what is moving BEHIND YOU? When you’re walking or jogging – you speed is slower than motorized vehicles – so you proceed facing the trafficde! Why don’t bicycle riders ride facing the traffic?

I know there are two theroies on this – one being that if you’re hit by an oncoming car – the impact is harder – according to a police segeant I just spoke with. But, I would rather take my chances with the on-coming traffic. !

How about it out there bicycle riders? Wouldn’t you feel safer riding so you can see the traffic coming at you?

I urge you to contact your State Representative to get this law changed – either do away with it or amend it to allow the bicycle rider a choice of which side of the road to ride on!

Proposal is for 6ft shoulder bikeway on each side.

14 ft lanes + 3 ft shoulder would suit everyone. I doubt it really needed, signs and lower speed limit would help a little, very little. Creating a “pedestrian space for bikes” is unneeded and wasteful.

Local MPO consultant, a nationally recognized bike planner notes under potential issues: The project would need to address numerous physical constraints, including drainage issues, abrupt cross-slopes, narrow bridge and presence of light poles and area targeted for shoulder widening.

Still in shock a “recognized bike planner” consultant would recommend “shoulder bikeway”. This is a Midwest county road not in the middle of the desert where the Interstate Freeway is the only road for dozens and dozens of miles between towns.

County is proposing adding 6ft shoulder intended as bikeway. Seems like a tremendous waste, since 2ft shoulder is sufficient to support the road. I don’t ride on “shoulder”, option road space with lot of debris, road grit, etc …