Number one Bike Car Crash In Texas
You may remember when I wrote about the guys back in Austin ragging on me, of course with good humor, how I like to admonish people for when they do something wrong or dangerous on the road. I gotta say that during the year I’ve been here in El Paso, the traffic is very tolerable and safe. I actually think it safer to ride here than in Austin, even though there are a lot more cyclists in Austin. I think I spent a good bit of time looking up the registered owners to vehicles so I could send them a no no letter about their misdoings on the road. In the past year I’ve only done two lookups. A great rate in my opinion, however those two don’t get off so lightly as not to hear from me with a nice packet inside a legal envelope. Yep, I feel it my duty to let them know that in this world we live in today, random acts can be traced to the person doing them.
The picture you see here is registered to a gentleman named Daniel J Portugal, a supervisor working for the USPS. A female was driving the car that caused a close encounter and got me into a stir, and caused me to write a letter and supplement it with extra information like a clipping from the Texas Driver’s Handbook, and a copy of the newly enacted State House Bill 488 which is directed to protect vulnerable cyclists. (There is a link to this bill in a previous post). The silver/grey car raced to turn left in front of me at an intersection, the number one cause of car bike accidents in the state. I just could not let myself let this one go.
I waited about a week to make this post so I could take some time to think about it. Yep, it belongs in here. If you want to, send a post card to the Portugal family at 10545 Darin, El Paso, TX 79925.
I wouldn’t be so hacked about this incident, except for the moment of eye contact with the driver, I detected a true disdain for me to have the audacity to be on the street in the first place.
The following portion is copied from the Texas Driver's Handbook, which you can get at any Texas DPS station, or download a PDF from their website.
Common Motorists Mistakes
1. The most common motorist caused car-bicycle collision is a motorist
turning left in the front of oncoming bicycle traffic. Oncoming bicycle traffic is
often overlooked or its speed misjudged.
2. The second most common motorist caused car-bicycle collision is a
motorist turning right across the path of the bicycle traffic. The motorist
should slow and merge with the bicycle traffic for a safe right-hand turn.
3. The third most common motorist caused car-bicycle collision is a
motorist pulling away from a stop sign and failing to yield right-of-way to bicycle
cross traffic. At intersections, right-of-way rules apply equally to motor
vehicles and bicycles
The picture you see here is registered to a gentleman named Daniel J Portugal, a supervisor working for the USPS. A female was driving the car that caused a close encounter and got me into a stir, and caused me to write a letter and supplement it with extra information like a clipping from the Texas Driver’s Handbook, and a copy of the newly enacted State House Bill 488 which is directed to protect vulnerable cyclists. (There is a link to this bill in a previous post). The silver/grey car raced to turn left in front of me at an intersection, the number one cause of car bike accidents in the state. I just could not let myself let this one go.
I waited about a week to make this post so I could take some time to think about it. Yep, it belongs in here. If you want to, send a post card to the Portugal family at 10545 Darin, El Paso, TX 79925.
I wouldn’t be so hacked about this incident, except for the moment of eye contact with the driver, I detected a true disdain for me to have the audacity to be on the street in the first place.
The following portion is copied from the Texas Driver's Handbook, which you can get at any Texas DPS station, or download a PDF from their website.
Common Motorists Mistakes
1. The most common motorist caused car-bicycle collision is a motorist
turning left in the front of oncoming bicycle traffic. Oncoming bicycle traffic is
often overlooked or its speed misjudged.
2. The second most common motorist caused car-bicycle collision is a
motorist turning right across the path of the bicycle traffic. The motorist
should slow and merge with the bicycle traffic for a safe right-hand turn.
3. The third most common motorist caused car-bicycle collision is a
motorist pulling away from a stop sign and failing to yield right-of-way to bicycle
cross traffic. At intersections, right-of-way rules apply equally to motor
vehicles and bicycles
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