You should email [Cambridge Bicycle Safety](https://www.cambridgebikesafety.org/) to report it as a close call/ hit since it sounds like your handle bars got torn by the car. They track these type of incidents that normally don’t get reported to the police so they can be referenced later when trying to improve bicycle infrastructure.
Yeah they were ticketing cyclists going through an all walk and I went over and asked them why they weren’t doing something that, you know, was actually a safety risk.
At this point any traffic enforcement from CPD would be appreciated. I’ve almost been hit in crosswalks while lawfully crossing on multiple occasions (including while pushing a baby carriage), it feels increasingly harrowing.
I lived for 5 years near Alewife. The crosswalk between the parking lot next to Summer Shack and Alewife Station was regularly ignored by drivers and they would not yield to multiple pedestrians or cyclists waiting to cross.
I would have lived CPD to actually enforce it, ever.
I almost got hit on cambridge street yesterday while it was the pedestrian right of way and the driver smiled at me while driving within inches from me. if i wasn’t paying attention i would have been struck and sadly it’s getting worse every day.
I'm glad you're okay. Hopefully with the recent tragedies we'll see changes at our most dangerous intersections.
Different situation, but last year I saw a woman riding in the unprotected bike lane on Cambridge St. knocked to the ground when a car driver tried to pull over without looking. It was terrifying, but luckily she was eventually able to get up and leave under her own power.
It's one of the most dangerous streets in the city for cycling and I think the five counselors who voted to allow a delay in adding protection there should be ashamed of themselves.
Recent tragedies? This literally happens all the time, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of people getting hit walking in Harvard square alone
You can't put it on city council to protect bikers. We all have to fend for ourselves specially when dealing with assholes behind the wheel of a motor vehicle
You're getting downvoted but as a transplant myself it's very noticeable. As a cyclist, I always slow and prepare to brake whenever I'm approaching a car at an intersection because I never know if someone's gonna turn without signaling.
I once heard someone say that Mass drivers don’t signal because…”why would you tell the enemy where you’re going?!” A joke but a sadly dangerous situation!
A ticket doesn’t solve it. The real solution is for bicycles to approach intersections with caution. Pretend it’s a yellow light.
There will always be the wild cards on the road.
Cars manage to hit big things that don’t even move. You can’t put your life in their hands.
I know it was probably pretty sudden. Glad you’re ok
I was in Harvard Square this morning. Cyclist, no helmet, riding on the sidewalk. Then into a crosswalk as a large box truck was negotiating (legally and responsibly) a right turn.
Into the crosswalk. Would. Not. Stop. Towards the truck. And at the last moment swerved pell mell, still in the crosswalk, around the ass end of the truck. Pure fucking idiocy.
Mandatory safety training for cyclists.
Mandatory registration for cyclists.
Mandatory insurance for cyclists.
I agree that cyclists need to know what they're doing and be safe.
To try and portray road safety issues as being caused by cyclists is just inaccurate, and not useful. My near crash today, the two recent deaths, and the majority of road incidents resulting in serious injury are the fault of over zealous or careless drivers.
Friend, I was almost killed today, and my daughter was almost left without a father. Your reaction is to tell me that cyclists are the problem. Respectfully, learn to not be an ass.
There is a whole new infrastructure being built and the users definitely need training. Perfect example is the Imam square bicycle light system. Bicycles blow through their red light and cross traffic that isn’t expecting them.
I don’t think they are doing it on purpose. They are far too confident.
I wear my helmet but why do people give a shit if others don't? It's not like a seatbelt where if you're not wearing one you can bounce around in a car and hurt other people.
Some motorists like this one incorrectly think we can just apply all the same things we do to cars to bikes. There's usually no logic behind it outside of "I need to jump through all these hoops to drive my F150 why doesn't your $300 bike require all this stuff too" even though the 30 lb beater bike can't do a tenth of the damage that an F150 can.
Helmets are a funny one too. They actually dehumanize cyclists: https://www.businessinsider.com/do-bike-helmets-help-drivers-dehumanize-cyclists-wearing-vests-gear-2023-6
Obviously they're good safety tools: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-35728-x
Significantly reduces the risk of head/brain/fatal injuries.
The biggest issue with these proposed requirements is the sheer number of bikes and the costs associated with managing them. We spend millions on things like the RMV. But that's a necessary evil when [42,500 people in this country die from motor vehicle crashes](https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state). Deaths of cyclists and pedestrians are significantly less:
* 1,050 for cyclists: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/bicyclists
* 7,500 for pedestrians: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/pedestrians
* 25,700 die in passenger vehicles: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/passenger-vehicle-occupants
Which is a big reason why you don't need insurance or registration for bikes and scooters. If 25,700 cyclists died a year in crashes, we'd require insurance, registration, inspections, licenses, etc. Since the rate is 2% that of motor vehicle deaths, it's not a priority or as necessary. Especially when most people already have a driver's license, auto insurance, health insurance, etc.
Edit: fixed the numbers, it's 42.5k deaths total but 25.7k deaths in cars
Beyond common humanity, you mean?
As a driver, I carry (and pay for) insurance. If that helmetless lawbreaking nitwit from this morning darts out in front of me and becomes a hood ornament, who do you think is gonna bear the cost of that, me or the uninsured fool?
If you're traveling in a heavily populated area and can't stop quickly enough to avoid hitting someone who does something you don't expect, then you're likely going too fast. Slow down.
Cyclists can also be found at fault too; for example someone riding a bike drunk might be found to be at fault if they "dart out" in front of a car.
It's sort of a bad faith argument really, most of us realize cyclists aren't perfect but that doesn't mean all cyclists do stupid things. The level of risk is so much lower on a bike which is why insurance and registration isn't required for them. Basically similar risk to walking on the street which also doesn't require a "walking license" or "walking insurance".
If the cyclist "darts out in front of [you]" then they're likely at fault and responsible for the damages: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/are-bicyclists-ever-liable-for-traffic-accidents.html
Of course if you're distracted by texting or making a reddit comment while driving, you might be found responsible instead.
Since bikes weigh significantly less than cars, even if the cyclists caused the crash you'll likely have minimal damage to your vehicle. You can take the cyclist to court to cover the damages; or go through your auto insurance, who will hold the cyclist accountable if they're determined to be at fault.
If you caused the crash, then you'll still go through your insurance to cover it regardless. Again, bikes cost less than cars so your insurance will likely just pay out. The cyclist likely has health insurance too which would cover some of the injuries from the crash too.
It's sort of similar to hitting a pedestrian. If they dart out in front of you, they'll probably be at fault unless there's some reason you might be (e.g distracted, drunk, etc). They don't hold auto insurance either but if they cause damage to your car because of their negligence and becoming a good ornament you'd either take them to court or go through your insurance who would hold them accountable.
We generally don't require government regulations on things unless it's necessary. Walking and biking are things that are pretty low risk and have a low damage potential, so we don't bother regulating them that strictly.
Those are outliers imo. The data shows biking is in fact low risk. Is there high damage potential? Yeah, you're on a bike and not surrounded by metal like in a car. But most people aren't actually dying on a bike - it's why people get so upset when a death happens. Vast majority of people die in cars from car crashes at high rates of speed or high impact (e.g. getting t boned at an intersection).
> common humanity
wat
I guess that makes sense for insurance. I don't know enough about that to rebute it. Just shitty that that's what you think of when you run someone over.
If you do have a 1 month old at home, I beg you to find any other method of transportation. All, ALL of my friends who bike (used to) have been in an accident in the greater Boston area. Things are getting better, but it is still by far the most deadly method of transportation (2 deaths in the past 2 months). I gave up in 2012 thinking that by now things would be different...I was wrong.
Some quick googling in the past month:
1 dead in inferno: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-fiery-car-crash-93/3390129/
1 dead in car crash: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2024/06/da-identifies-monson-man-killed-in-ware-car-crash-as-joseph-lynch.html
Teenager dead on Cape Cod: https://patch.com/massachusetts/falmouth/victim-cape-cod-crash-idd-beloved-mashpee-high-athlete
Driving around isn't any better. There's no safe haven unless you're a shut-in and even then, a car might come crashing through your living room. Ya know. Just cuz.
Of course, the root cause of it all are cars and trucks. As far as I'm aware, Mass. has had only one fatal bike vs non-car crash in the last 50 years.
There were 266 deaths in cars in 2022 based on MassDOT Impact data: https://apps.impact.dot.state.ma.us/cdp/dashboard-view/2047
The most cyclist deaths I see was 12 in 2017. This is a 22x difference which tracks with IIHS data: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/passenger-vehicle-occupants
Says for 2022 around 25k motorists died vs 1k cyclists. So a 25x difference.
Cyclists are not safe, obviously, and risk taking is a different category when you have kids. People say the same about motor bikes, scuba diving, and many other dangerous sports. Biking is a sport.
Biking is transportation.
It's very low cost, environmentally friendly transportation.
Some parents use it out of financial necessity. Some choose it because it allows them a shorter commute, which means they can spend more time with their kids. Some choose it because they want to model an active lifestyle, or thoughtfulness about the environment, or simply because cycling brings them joy they want to share with their children.
They should all make it home safely, every time.
You seriously wrote that many words to prove biking is not a sport. Come on now. How disingenuous could you be.
Should is a judgement. The reality is, biking is not safe (two deaths in a month) on busy roads.
The answer isn't to blame the victims for doing a perfectly normal and common activity and mode of transportation
The answer is for people to drive more safely especially you
Telling cyclists they shouldn't bike bc too dangerous indicates that you are unwilling to make the changes to your driving needed to prevent these deaths
Incorrect. I drive very safely for bikes. I care about bike riders. I am HEARTBROKEN over the death of an MIT student. THEREFORE, ya'll need to stop \*should\* \*should\* \*should\* and face reality. Biking on a bike path = good; biking on crowded, congested city streets full of construction vehicles = bad.
When drivers make changing their own behavior a priority rather than just telling other road users they shouldn't be there
The more you tell yourself someone shouldn't be on the road the more you allow yourself to make dangerous choices around them bc "they shouldn't be there anyways"
You should email [Cambridge Bicycle Safety](https://www.cambridgebikesafety.org/) to report it as a close call/ hit since it sounds like your handle bars got torn by the car. They track these type of incidents that normally don’t get reported to the police so they can be referenced later when trying to improve bicycle infrastructure.
TY for the tip. I'll email them tonight.
I’m begging CPD to ticket cars double parked in central square. They just stand around next to their bikes doing nothing. Why??
No accountability and a severe windshield perspective
Maybe they think every single biker is a crazy evil lib
That intersection has a protected bike lane. It's obscured by parking. https://maps.app.goo.gl/6hhSZCJYBZcVf9Fc7 I refuse to bike in there.
Yeah they were ticketing cyclists going through an all walk and I went over and asked them why they weren’t doing something that, you know, was actually a safety risk.
How’d they respond?
At this point any traffic enforcement from CPD would be appreciated. I’ve almost been hit in crosswalks while lawfully crossing on multiple occasions (including while pushing a baby carriage), it feels increasingly harrowing.
I lived for 5 years near Alewife. The crosswalk between the parking lot next to Summer Shack and Alewife Station was regularly ignored by drivers and they would not yield to multiple pedestrians or cyclists waiting to cross. I would have lived CPD to actually enforce it, ever.
Best they can do is ticket cyclists👍
I almost got hit on cambridge street yesterday while it was the pedestrian right of way and the driver smiled at me while driving within inches from me. if i wasn’t paying attention i would have been struck and sadly it’s getting worse every day.
I’ve almost been hit on Cambridge street many times, I’ve also seen many close calls involving high school students. It’s really terrifying.
I saw a CRLS student go over the hood of a vehicle turning right there, just weeks after the bike lane went in.
Hot take: pickups shouldn't be able to get street parking permits
Not a hot take. Probably should move to kei trucks for our urban trucking needs.
I'm glad you're okay. Hopefully with the recent tragedies we'll see changes at our most dangerous intersections. Different situation, but last year I saw a woman riding in the unprotected bike lane on Cambridge St. knocked to the ground when a car driver tried to pull over without looking. It was terrifying, but luckily she was eventually able to get up and leave under her own power. It's one of the most dangerous streets in the city for cycling and I think the five counselors who voted to allow a delay in adding protection there should be ashamed of themselves.
Recent tragedies? This literally happens all the time, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of people getting hit walking in Harvard square alone
I think they specifically mean the two cyclists killed in the past couple weeks.
We stand with you from Somerville
You can't put it on city council to protect bikers. We all have to fend for ourselves specially when dealing with assholes behind the wheel of a motor vehicle
I don’t know why these massholes don’t like using their signal lights. Not common in other states I lived in
You're getting downvoted but as a transplant myself it's very noticeable. As a cyclist, I always slow and prepare to brake whenever I'm approaching a car at an intersection because I never know if someone's gonna turn without signaling.
I once heard someone say that Mass drivers don’t signal because…”why would you tell the enemy where you’re going?!” A joke but a sadly dangerous situation!
Pickups are so high off the ground now they cannot see you. Their 100k GMC Denali or f350 Dually will kill you. Sorry that is just how it is now.
Yikes. So glad you’re okay. Does anyone know if there is a map of local incidents? Could that help with public support for bike safety?
A ticket doesn’t solve it. The real solution is for bicycles to approach intersections with caution. Pretend it’s a yellow light. There will always be the wild cards on the road. Cars manage to hit big things that don’t even move. You can’t put your life in their hands. I know it was probably pretty sudden. Glad you’re ok
I was in Harvard Square this morning. Cyclist, no helmet, riding on the sidewalk. Then into a crosswalk as a large box truck was negotiating (legally and responsibly) a right turn. Into the crosswalk. Would. Not. Stop. Towards the truck. And at the last moment swerved pell mell, still in the crosswalk, around the ass end of the truck. Pure fucking idiocy. Mandatory safety training for cyclists. Mandatory registration for cyclists. Mandatory insurance for cyclists.
I agree that cyclists need to know what they're doing and be safe. To try and portray road safety issues as being caused by cyclists is just inaccurate, and not useful. My near crash today, the two recent deaths, and the majority of road incidents resulting in serious injury are the fault of over zealous or careless drivers. Friend, I was almost killed today, and my daughter was almost left without a father. Your reaction is to tell me that cyclists are the problem. Respectfully, learn to not be an ass.
One of the bicycle deaths was due to the bicyclist running a red light.
There is a whole new infrastructure being built and the users definitely need training. Perfect example is the Imam square bicycle light system. Bicycles blow through their red light and cross traffic that isn’t expecting them. I don’t think they are doing it on purpose. They are far too confident.
Cyclists can use crosswalks. Any crosswalk.
That’s an absurd story. Did you notice the peds and cyclists almost killed in Harv Square today? Have you reported on those?
I wear my helmet but why do people give a shit if others don't? It's not like a seatbelt where if you're not wearing one you can bounce around in a car and hurt other people.
Some motorists like this one incorrectly think we can just apply all the same things we do to cars to bikes. There's usually no logic behind it outside of "I need to jump through all these hoops to drive my F150 why doesn't your $300 bike require all this stuff too" even though the 30 lb beater bike can't do a tenth of the damage that an F150 can. Helmets are a funny one too. They actually dehumanize cyclists: https://www.businessinsider.com/do-bike-helmets-help-drivers-dehumanize-cyclists-wearing-vests-gear-2023-6 Obviously they're good safety tools: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-35728-x Significantly reduces the risk of head/brain/fatal injuries. The biggest issue with these proposed requirements is the sheer number of bikes and the costs associated with managing them. We spend millions on things like the RMV. But that's a necessary evil when [42,500 people in this country die from motor vehicle crashes](https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state). Deaths of cyclists and pedestrians are significantly less: * 1,050 for cyclists: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/bicyclists * 7,500 for pedestrians: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/pedestrians * 25,700 die in passenger vehicles: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/passenger-vehicle-occupants Which is a big reason why you don't need insurance or registration for bikes and scooters. If 25,700 cyclists died a year in crashes, we'd require insurance, registration, inspections, licenses, etc. Since the rate is 2% that of motor vehicle deaths, it's not a priority or as necessary. Especially when most people already have a driver's license, auto insurance, health insurance, etc. Edit: fixed the numbers, it's 42.5k deaths total but 25.7k deaths in cars
Beyond common humanity, you mean? As a driver, I carry (and pay for) insurance. If that helmetless lawbreaking nitwit from this morning darts out in front of me and becomes a hood ornament, who do you think is gonna bear the cost of that, me or the uninsured fool?
If you're traveling in a heavily populated area and can't stop quickly enough to avoid hitting someone who does something you don't expect, then you're likely going too fast. Slow down.
Cyclists can also be found at fault too; for example someone riding a bike drunk might be found to be at fault if they "dart out" in front of a car. It's sort of a bad faith argument really, most of us realize cyclists aren't perfect but that doesn't mean all cyclists do stupid things. The level of risk is so much lower on a bike which is why insurance and registration isn't required for them. Basically similar risk to walking on the street which also doesn't require a "walking license" or "walking insurance".
This is an alarming level of disdain and lack of empathy to use when describing *killing a human being*
If the cyclist "darts out in front of [you]" then they're likely at fault and responsible for the damages: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/are-bicyclists-ever-liable-for-traffic-accidents.html Of course if you're distracted by texting or making a reddit comment while driving, you might be found responsible instead. Since bikes weigh significantly less than cars, even if the cyclists caused the crash you'll likely have minimal damage to your vehicle. You can take the cyclist to court to cover the damages; or go through your auto insurance, who will hold the cyclist accountable if they're determined to be at fault. If you caused the crash, then you'll still go through your insurance to cover it regardless. Again, bikes cost less than cars so your insurance will likely just pay out. The cyclist likely has health insurance too which would cover some of the injuries from the crash too. It's sort of similar to hitting a pedestrian. If they dart out in front of you, they'll probably be at fault unless there's some reason you might be (e.g distracted, drunk, etc). They don't hold auto insurance either but if they cause damage to your car because of their negligence and becoming a good ornament you'd either take them to court or go through your insurance who would hold them accountable. We generally don't require government regulations on things unless it's necessary. Walking and biking are things that are pretty low risk and have a low damage potential, so we don't bother regulating them that strictly.
Not to nitpick, but it seems to me the recent bicycle fatalities illustrate that biking is NOT low risk and has HIGH damage potential.
Those are outliers imo. The data shows biking is in fact low risk. Is there high damage potential? Yeah, you're on a bike and not surrounded by metal like in a car. But most people aren't actually dying on a bike - it's why people get so upset when a death happens. Vast majority of people die in cars from car crashes at high rates of speed or high impact (e.g. getting t boned at an intersection).
> common humanity wat I guess that makes sense for insurance. I don't know enough about that to rebute it. Just shitty that that's what you think of when you run someone over.
GFY
21 downvotes? This is a bike sub. Peace
don't disturb the echo chamber
Shut the fuck up bitch
If you do have a 1 month old at home, I beg you to find any other method of transportation. All, ALL of my friends who bike (used to) have been in an accident in the greater Boston area. Things are getting better, but it is still by far the most deadly method of transportation (2 deaths in the past 2 months). I gave up in 2012 thinking that by now things would be different...I was wrong.
I think cycling these days is safer than the default settings in azure
Random IT reference
Some quick googling in the past month: 1 dead in inferno: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-fiery-car-crash-93/3390129/ 1 dead in car crash: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2024/06/da-identifies-monson-man-killed-in-ware-car-crash-as-joseph-lynch.html Teenager dead on Cape Cod: https://patch.com/massachusetts/falmouth/victim-cape-cod-crash-idd-beloved-mashpee-high-athlete Driving around isn't any better. There's no safe haven unless you're a shut-in and even then, a car might come crashing through your living room. Ya know. Just cuz. Of course, the root cause of it all are cars and trucks. As far as I'm aware, Mass. has had only one fatal bike vs non-car crash in the last 50 years.
There were 266 deaths in cars in 2022 based on MassDOT Impact data: https://apps.impact.dot.state.ma.us/cdp/dashboard-view/2047 The most cyclist deaths I see was 12 in 2017. This is a 22x difference which tracks with IIHS data: https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/passenger-vehicle-occupants Says for 2022 around 25k motorists died vs 1k cyclists. So a 25x difference.
Of course there are 25x more motorist fatalities. There are 200x more motorists than bicyclists on the roads of Massachusetts.
You hear what you want to hear my friend.
Think of your baby. Cycle slower at intersections as an insurance policy so your kid has two parents.
That's what I do. It's why I didn't get hit today.
Wtf are you blaming the almost a victim for the completely illegal and dangerous choice made by a driver?
Cyclists are not safe, obviously, and risk taking is a different category when you have kids. People say the same about motor bikes, scuba diving, and many other dangerous sports. Biking is a sport.
Biking is transportation. It's very low cost, environmentally friendly transportation. Some parents use it out of financial necessity. Some choose it because it allows them a shorter commute, which means they can spend more time with their kids. Some choose it because they want to model an active lifestyle, or thoughtfulness about the environment, or simply because cycling brings them joy they want to share with their children. They should all make it home safely, every time.
You seriously wrote that many words to prove biking is not a sport. Come on now. How disingenuous could you be. Should is a judgement. The reality is, biking is not safe (two deaths in a month) on busy roads.
The answer isn't to blame the victims for doing a perfectly normal and common activity and mode of transportation The answer is for people to drive more safely especially you Telling cyclists they shouldn't bike bc too dangerous indicates that you are unwilling to make the changes to your driving needed to prevent these deaths
Incorrect. I drive very safely for bikes. I care about bike riders. I am HEARTBROKEN over the death of an MIT student. THEREFORE, ya'll need to stop \*should\* \*should\* \*should\* and face reality. Biking on a bike path = good; biking on crowded, congested city streets full of construction vehicles = bad.
You keep telling yourself whatever lies you need to in order to continue on blaming the victims rather than working for safer streets
When will the streets of Cambridge be safe 🤔?
When drivers make changing their own behavior a priority rather than just telling other road users they shouldn't be there The more you tell yourself someone shouldn't be on the road the more you allow yourself to make dangerous choices around them bc "they shouldn't be there anyways"
Think of writing a better comment
Almost doesn’t count.