[*BCM*] grim scenes saturday... any news?

[Dave Atkins]

There is an informative thread at
http://www.universalhub.com/node/26722
on the JP accident

which includes some discussion of the safety of the intersection, etc.

I have found nothing about the Southie 4th street bridge crash. I did see
another article in the Globe about a 10-year old boy on a bike in Worcester
being hit by a pickup truck though.

These events...which are far too common...should be opportunities to talk
about how to improve safety, regardless of whether people were wearing
helmets, lights, etc. Personal choice is part of the equation, but whatever
the city can do to decrease the liklihood of future injuries should be
pursued.


On Mon, Aug 3, 2009 at 1:46 AM, rob levy <r.p.levy at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hmm, well I want to agree with Turtle and not these smug finger-waving
> yuppie types who probably like to quote Richard Dawkins and Ayn Rand a lot,
> or something.  I will point out that driving in a city like Boston is
> *morally* reprehensible and uncalled for under any circumstances save
> disability (extreme obesity does not count as an excuse, it's more of a
> symptom I think).  If you own a car and regularly drive it in the city, you
> are absolutely on the wrong side of this argument.  You have no moral
> standing from which to speak.  You are the problem.  If you lived in Wyoming
> or someplace like that I would symapthize.  I'm 31 and I have never had a
> driver's license.  And I have *not* lived in a major city all my life, nor
> one with good public transit.  Cars are *not* a necessity.
>
> I do think it is possibly a good idea to wear a helmet though I agree, it
> is not necessarily stupid not to.  Some people do ride fast.  In the example
> of motorized bikes (not as acceptable, but more acceptable than cars), would
> you go 40 or 50 mph without a helmet, where do you draw the line?  Cars have
> other things to protect your head I am told.
>
> I recently was in an bike accident involving a car, my first ever and
> hopefully only accident of that kind.  I hit my head on their windshield and
> cracked the windshield.  I needed stitches but fortunately was not seriously
> injured and did not lose consciousness or suffer brain damage.  I was not
> wearing a helmet at the time.  This was about 1 month ago, and I have worn a
> helmet consistently since then.  I'm not sure if my personal story
> contributes to the argument either way, but that is the context of my
> opinions on helmets right now.
>
>
> On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 10:37 PM, Brendan Larrabee <yoyoboy at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:
>> "Helmets, like seat belts, are not designed to prevent accidents.
>>
>> Actually, seat belts *are* designed to prevent accidents.  In the moments
>> leading up to a crash, typically when the most swerving and avoidance
>> turning happens, the driver's seat belt keeps them in front of the steering
>> wheel and allows them to keep steering the car.
>> see example here:
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKDTxRW5sZI&feature=related
>>
>> Helmets are only beneficial after you crash, which there is no denying
>> that they occasionally are. Recently I have almost wiped out because one of
>> my feet slipped off the pedal. granted i probally need new pedals, but if i
>> had been wearing toeclips or clip in pedals i would never had any problems
>>
>> my $0.04   ...inflation dont'cha ya know
>>
>> Brendan Larrabee
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>
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>
>
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-- 
Dave Atkins

Personal Blog: http://blog.davewrites.com
Town Blog: http://westwoodblog.org
IT Blog: http://blog.heroix.com
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