Reflecting upon the tragic loss of Kate Tamayo, and her friends placing a bike painted white near where she was killed, these articles on Ghost Bikes prove very timely.
Quote: "......The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Ghost Bike Campaign is meant, not to frighten people away from riding bicycles, but to draw attention to the simple fact that, if motorists and bicyclists both pay closer attention to what they are doing...and follow the rules of the road...no one has to die on a bicycle......"
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'Ghost Bike' drive seeks to prevent further crashes
http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/index.php?ntid=89334&ntpid=1
The "Ghost Bikes" signs that can be seen along curbs in Madison and other parts of Dane County come one year after bicyclist Jessica Bullen was killed by a driver whose homicidal negligence case is today bring tried in court.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, which launched the Ghost Bike campaign, is to hold a press conference Friday morning near the rural site east of Madison where Bullen was struck by the driver, 30-year-old Tracy J. Sorum. As part of its campaign, the federation argues that "crashes are not accidents - they can be prevented."
Responding to remarks that Sorum's attorney, Stephen Eisenberg, made, calling what happened "an accident," the federation wrote: "No, Mr. Eisenberg, it is NOT an accident. It is a crash."
"A crash is totally and completely preventable," the federation continued. "No one has to die when riding their bicycle on the road. The reason that people die in this manner is that someone, either the driver of the motor vehicle or the driver of the bicycle, has done something careless or illegal."
Eisenberg was in court today, and an attempt to get comment from his law firm was unsuccessful.
Bicycle Federation Executive Director Dar Ward said that her organization "applauded" the prosecution of Sorum, but said that the intent of the Ghost Bikes campaign was not to push criminal charges after a collision, but rather to raise awareness of bicyclists and remind more people, motorists and bicyclists alike, to follow traffic laws.
"Our main point is that these crashes are preventable," Ward said.
Citing a preliminary report from the state Department of Transportation, she said that the most crashes between an adult cyclist and a motorist happen at intersections when the motorist is turning. The most fatalities happen on roads where the motorist is traveling at more than 35 mph. For children on bikes, the cause for crashes is most often the child bicycling into traffic.
While the lawn signs and Web sites are a unique approach, "Ghost Bike" campaigns have cropped up in other cities, usually with bicycles painted white marking the location of where a cyclist was killed.
[email protected]
Published: June 28, 2006
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Ghost Bikes.net
http://ghostbikes.net/projects/ghostbikes.php
When you see this sign, remember to look for bicyclists on the road...to follow the rules of the road...and to be ready to react to the mistakes of other road users. Crashes are not accidents...they can be prevented. No one else has to die.
No one has to die on a bicycle. But they do.
Contrary to popular belief, bicycling is not inherently dangerous, especially when everyone follows the rules of the road. What’s dangerous are the often-illegal interactions that occur between bicyclists and motorists every day, increasing the danger for everyone. If everyone followed existing laws more carefully, we would all be able to share the road safely.
Unfortunately, when car meets bike in a collison, it is almost always the bicycle that loses. At motor vehicle speeds above 35 mph, the result is often a bicyclist fatality. Even if the bicyclist does not die, they may suffer life-altering injuries.
We are all responsible for traffic fatalities when we drive a car or bicycle carelessly or lawlessly. Don't think it could happen to you? How often do you "zone out" while driving? How often does a motorist who has just hit a bicyclist say "I didn't see the bicycle"? Did they not see? Or were they not looking...not paying attention.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Ghost Bike Campaign is meant, not to frighten people away from riding bicycles, but to draw attention to the simple fact that, if motorists and bicyclists both pay closer attention to what they are doing...and follow the rules of the road...no one has to die on a bicycle.
A crash is not an accident...a crash can be prevented.
When you see these signs, remember to look for bicyclists. Remember to follow the rules of the road (on bicycle OR in a car). Remember to be prepared to react to the mistakes of other road users.
And remember...no one else has to die.
*********************************
Jessica Bullen Memorial Fund
http://ghostbikes.net/about/jessicabullen.php
Crashes are not accidents. No one else has to die. Click here to contribute to the Jessica Bullen Memorial Fund. Funds that the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin collects in memory of Jessica Bullen, a bicycle advocate who was killed in a crash with a motor vehicle, will be applied towards a motorist education program. Thank you to everyone who has generously donated in Jessica's memory so that we can work to prevent other needless deaths. Also visit StreetShare.org for similiar programs throughout the state.
Update 6/15/06:
The June16th issue of Madison's Isthmus paper featured an article titled "Killers on the Road: Is Dane County too quick to prosecute inattentive driving?" in which Stephen Eisenberg, Tracy Sorum's attorney, is quoted as saying, "It's called an accident the last time I checked. The law says you have to apply ordinary care, not absolute care. So what? We're going to charge crimininally each time there's a death?" Sorum is the driver who struck and killed Jessica Bullen on June 30, 2005. His trial in the case is scheduled to begin on June 26, 2006.
The Bicycle Federation is outraged that, one year after losing one of our finest bicycle advocates as a result of Mr. Sorum's inattentive driving, inattentive driving resulting in death could possibly be considered a trivial matter.
No, Mr. Eisenberg, it is NOT an accident. It is a crash.
Quote: "......The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Ghost Bike Campaign is meant, not to frighten people away from riding bicycles, but to draw attention to the simple fact that, if motorists and bicyclists both pay closer attention to what they are doing...and follow the rules of the road...no one has to die on a bicycle......"
*********************************
'Ghost Bike' drive seeks to prevent further crashes
http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/index.php?ntid=89334&ntpid=1
The "Ghost Bikes" signs that can be seen along curbs in Madison and other parts of Dane County come one year after bicyclist Jessica Bullen was killed by a driver whose homicidal negligence case is today bring tried in court.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, which launched the Ghost Bike campaign, is to hold a press conference Friday morning near the rural site east of Madison where Bullen was struck by the driver, 30-year-old Tracy J. Sorum. As part of its campaign, the federation argues that "crashes are not accidents - they can be prevented."
Responding to remarks that Sorum's attorney, Stephen Eisenberg, made, calling what happened "an accident," the federation wrote: "No, Mr. Eisenberg, it is NOT an accident. It is a crash."
"A crash is totally and completely preventable," the federation continued. "No one has to die when riding their bicycle on the road. The reason that people die in this manner is that someone, either the driver of the motor vehicle or the driver of the bicycle, has done something careless or illegal."
Eisenberg was in court today, and an attempt to get comment from his law firm was unsuccessful.
Bicycle Federation Executive Director Dar Ward said that her organization "applauded" the prosecution of Sorum, but said that the intent of the Ghost Bikes campaign was not to push criminal charges after a collision, but rather to raise awareness of bicyclists and remind more people, motorists and bicyclists alike, to follow traffic laws.
"Our main point is that these crashes are preventable," Ward said.
Citing a preliminary report from the state Department of Transportation, she said that the most crashes between an adult cyclist and a motorist happen at intersections when the motorist is turning. The most fatalities happen on roads where the motorist is traveling at more than 35 mph. For children on bikes, the cause for crashes is most often the child bicycling into traffic.
While the lawn signs and Web sites are a unique approach, "Ghost Bike" campaigns have cropped up in other cities, usually with bicycles painted white marking the location of where a cyclist was killed.
[email protected]
Published: June 28, 2006
*********************************
Ghost Bikes.net
http://ghostbikes.net/projects/ghostbikes.php
When you see this sign, remember to look for bicyclists on the road...to follow the rules of the road...and to be ready to react to the mistakes of other road users. Crashes are not accidents...they can be prevented. No one else has to die.
No one has to die on a bicycle. But they do.
Contrary to popular belief, bicycling is not inherently dangerous, especially when everyone follows the rules of the road. What’s dangerous are the often-illegal interactions that occur between bicyclists and motorists every day, increasing the danger for everyone. If everyone followed existing laws more carefully, we would all be able to share the road safely.
Unfortunately, when car meets bike in a collison, it is almost always the bicycle that loses. At motor vehicle speeds above 35 mph, the result is often a bicyclist fatality. Even if the bicyclist does not die, they may suffer life-altering injuries.
We are all responsible for traffic fatalities when we drive a car or bicycle carelessly or lawlessly. Don't think it could happen to you? How often do you "zone out" while driving? How often does a motorist who has just hit a bicyclist say "I didn't see the bicycle"? Did they not see? Or were they not looking...not paying attention.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Ghost Bike Campaign is meant, not to frighten people away from riding bicycles, but to draw attention to the simple fact that, if motorists and bicyclists both pay closer attention to what they are doing...and follow the rules of the road...no one has to die on a bicycle.
A crash is not an accident...a crash can be prevented.
When you see these signs, remember to look for bicyclists. Remember to follow the rules of the road (on bicycle OR in a car). Remember to be prepared to react to the mistakes of other road users.
And remember...no one else has to die.
*********************************
Jessica Bullen Memorial Fund
http://ghostbikes.net/about/jessicabullen.php
Crashes are not accidents. No one else has to die. Click here to contribute to the Jessica Bullen Memorial Fund. Funds that the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin collects in memory of Jessica Bullen, a bicycle advocate who was killed in a crash with a motor vehicle, will be applied towards a motorist education program. Thank you to everyone who has generously donated in Jessica's memory so that we can work to prevent other needless deaths. Also visit StreetShare.org for similiar programs throughout the state.
Update 6/15/06:
The June16th issue of Madison's Isthmus paper featured an article titled "Killers on the Road: Is Dane County too quick to prosecute inattentive driving?" in which Stephen Eisenberg, Tracy Sorum's attorney, is quoted as saying, "It's called an accident the last time I checked. The law says you have to apply ordinary care, not absolute care. So what? We're going to charge crimininally each time there's a death?" Sorum is the driver who struck and killed Jessica Bullen on June 30, 2005. His trial in the case is scheduled to begin on June 26, 2006.
The Bicycle Federation is outraged that, one year after losing one of our finest bicycle advocates as a result of Mr. Sorum's inattentive driving, inattentive driving resulting in death could possibly be considered a trivial matter.
No, Mr. Eisenberg, it is NOT an accident. It is a crash.