Sunday, August 12, 2012
Lots of people getting hurt by bicyclists
From the Daily News:
As the number of commuter bike riders has quadrupled in the last decade, so have the number of bike-vs.-pedestrian accidents, city officials and emergency room doctors told The News.
Emergency room doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital say they’re constantly seeing patients hit by bikes — many of them from Central Park accidents.
“We are in the highest risk zip code,” said Dr. Adam Vella, director of Mount Sinai’s pediatric emergency room — just across the street from the park on Fifth Ave. at 99th St.
“If the bike goes over the toddler, we can see liver and spleen lacerations,” said Vella, who said that head and neck injuries are common among kids hit by bikes.
Dr. Lewis Goldfrank, chairman of emergency medicine at Bellevue Hospital and NYU Medical Center said the danger is real.
“Anything can happen to a pedestrian — from being killed to being maimed, to having fractures, head trauma, and chest trauma,” Goldfrank said. “We see it all the time.”
A recent Hunter College study found that at least 500 New Yorkers are treated in hospitals annually after getting hit by bicyclists. NYPD statistics show 292 biking accidents occurred in the city in the first seven months of this year — 65 in Central Park alone. But the danger isn’t confined to that park.
Last year, two women were nearly killed in collisions with bicyclists in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park — leaving one in a coma for days and the other with severe brain damage.
20 comments:
Anywhere in this city bicyclists think they have the right of way above pedestrians, the city has given the bicyclists too many rights, even in Manhattan they should be banned and keep those bike paths for pedestrian use only.
Anyway, when you walk you burn more calories and fell more relaxed than when riding a bike plus is safer for everybody.
When riding their bikes they thing that by ringing the little bell people will acknowledge them and step aside, some people are hard of hearing, some others don’t related a ringing bell to incoming vehicles plus these bikers ride at higher speeds than normally allowed.
If you ever cross the Cross Island Parkway pedestrian bridge from the foot of 28th Avenue towards the pedestrian path leading to the Bayside Marina beware when you come out of the stairs, you can get run down by a speeding biker, they forget that elderly people and children travel that path as well, unless someone gets badly hurt or killed something will get done.
Don’t even dare to cross paths with them in the West End Avenue in West side Manhattan because you will suffer the consequences, also be careful when strolling in Central Park.
Flushing has become plagued by Asian bicyclists who think they are riding the streets in their respective countries where rules don’t apply.
Something has to be done and fast.
You can't blame only the bikers. People walk around without paying any attention any to their surroundings. You can't walk around with your head up your ass in a park anymore than you can on the street.
Submitted for your consideration:
"...I treat red lights and stop signs as if they were yield signs...I think all cyclists could - and should - ride like me." - Randy Cohen, the original Ethicist of the NY Times Magazine
Entire August 4, NY Times piece, "If Kant Were a New York Cyclist", can be read here.
To those desperately trying to post stats about bad drivers, yes, we all know about them. But this post is about cyclists. You know, the ones that claim they are saving the planet by riding around and who mayor Bloomberg wants to increase exponentially. That's probably a bad idea.
never judge our liberal politicians on the consequences of their policies only on their good intentions
doomsberg is insane and so is SADIE....
I'm a driver, biker and pedestrian, and I agree a handful of commercial and sport riders are rude, aggressive, and dangerous.
But the data on bike/pedestrians accidents doesn't really bear out the dangers posed by bikes to walkers:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/08/09/the-bike-and-pedestrian-safety-stats-the-daily-news-wont-cover/
http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/08/09/the-bike-and-pedestrian-safety-stats-the-daily-news-wont-cover/
"While cycling rates in the Central Business District nearly doubled in three years, the number of pedestrian injuries sustained in collisions with cyclists citywide declined, according to emergency data compiled by Hunter College profs "
yeah, and they're gonna put bike stations all over the city, so you're gonna have to now watch out for dumb ass bikers who don't know how to ride, who don't look out for pedestrians and who will blow through red lights because they see others doing it.
Were 500 people a year getting treated at hospitals after being hit by bikes 10 years ago? No? Ok then.
The sport riders are no doubt the worst, they like to fight.
I got into it with one of them who kept grabbing on to the back of mt truck my for free power.
We both ended up in a street brawl and getting arrested.
Sport rider junkies build up excessive hormone in the blood. It makes them agressive like pit-bulls
I don't know the answer to that, Crapper.
As a driver, cyclist and pedestrian I do know this: some commercial and 'sport' bicyclists ride in an aggressive, careless, dangerous fashion. It is scary, and rude.
Likewise, there is a group of pedestrians that are oblivious to other road users and the rules pertaining to them.
And many (most?) drivers commit violations on a daily basis. Speeding, double parking, not stopping at signs, uturns and the like.
My point is that our streets are too dangerous, and all road users are contributing, and all users need to be more thoughtful.
And I agree those who continue to be reckless should face stiffer enforcement. I would support NYPD actually enforcing the 30 MPH speed limit for example.
One more thought: James Vacca, an outspoken bike critic, acknowledges:
He speculated that a large number of the accidents involve rogue delivery cyclists.
“Almost all of the complaints I get [on cyclists] are on them,” he said.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/cycles_of_violence_PR50vHM5nMp3RtbBV34pFI#ixzz23QMGzxZt
I don't think the problem is bikes per se, but how some are used.
I would also encourage a meaningful crackdown on illegal electric bikes.
How about licensing? Raise some money off these folks since they are not using public transportation and take up space on the roads.
Then you could at least make sure they take a course on bike safety. I like it.
Get rid of those f-----g bike lanes already!
They're costing taxpayers millions !
Somebody in the bike lobby must have sure given Bloomberg some super blow job!
Try some vaseline on your truck bumper Joe.
Maybe that'll work with those hitchers.
Or weld some vertically placed one inch spikes on!
These kind of bikers are worse than roller derby dykes taking testosterone shots.
ABSOLUTELY...license ALL bikes!
That way if you should get hit...
at least you've got the plate number.
Regarding Central Park accidents...
the ghetto folk use the park as a speedway.
They have to adide by the NYS VTL and NYC Traffic Regs.....They must stop at RED lights.........even in a park.......easy way to get some needed revenue.............
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