I am lucky to be alive!! Got hit by a car..

I haven't ridden much since I shattered my arm in 2009, but hoping to get back riding again this spring. I'd have to agree with others on here that a sidewalk is not a safe place to ride with pedestrians and especially vehicles pulling out of driveways or into driveways for that matter.

Even some of the bicycle paths around a couple city parks are teaming with walkers and it makes navigating the paths difficult sometimes, especially those who have Ipods or other devices in their ears and don't hear a cyclist approaching from behind. I've seen a number of spills with that scenario.

 

I'd say it doesn't read that way. It probably states that bikes cannot be on walks and any accidents involving a bike on a walk will automatically be the fault of the biker. Had you been on the right lane on the road then you are in the right.

 

I did and the drivers were uncomfortable. One time I went six miles in about seven minutes. It was always the most rewarding on a day when I would have a strong headwind. What was funny is how some would try to lose me. On one occasion a bus driver did on a level straight stretch of road. Earlier he had tried on a curvy section that was downhill. The only reason why I could not hang on was because I ran out of a high enough gear and he had to speed to go fast enough.

 

Yeah, that would stink. Seems like a bike lane would somehow be accomodated barring it wouldn't involve a ton of construction.

 

That's the problem. It does involve a lot of construction dollars.

I don't know about other places, but around here many heavily traveled roads have been widened as much as is reasonably possible to increase the number of traffic lanes. Cost would be sky high to convert sidewalks to bike lanes and then acquire the property needed to replace the public sidewalks. That's the city situation. Out in the country, road shoulders often have steep drop offs that would have to be filled in order to add a bike path. And/or have cuts through hills that would have to be blasted again to add a few more feet of width to accomodate bikes. Plus all the work needed for bridges that are too narrow for separate bike traffic, too.

NC is beginning to make highways toll roads in addition to all the fuel taxes being paid for road maintenance and construction. There's only one place to get the dollars that would be needed to add bike paths. That's the general public's pockets who drive vehicles and pay fuel taxes.

 

Down here in deep southern IL there is an old railroad bed that runs for around 50 miles that's been converted to a bike path. Many parts of it are concrete, most of it is gravel, but it's a cool ride from what I hear. Goes through the rolling hills of the Shawnee forest including a tunnel or two and some bridges. It's more for leisure than transportation though.

 

I was trying to figure out where you were. I didn't realize that you were right here in Greenville.

Take the lane. I know that it may sound counter intuitive but you are safer in traffic than you think. Many times a four or five lane road is much easier for a bicyclist to effectively navigate than a two lane road.

You are much more likely to be hit by a car on a sidewalk than in the street.

What specific traffic regulation were you cited for? I can't find anything in South Carolina traffic code that would make you responsible for being hit by a car on a sidewalk. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for police officers to make citations in error based on a misunderstanding of how the applicable statutes should be applied. There could be a local regulation that prohibits riding bikes on the sidewalk.

Make sure that you go to court. Make sure that you understand the citation.

 

That's the truth, but there will be no convincing evangelist6589 of it. His mind is made up already.

 

That is so true...our local bicycle club in Arkansas puts it on their website and facebook page to stay off of sidewalks as much as possible. There are a couple places in Little Rock where riding on the sidewalk is necessary, but they are short distances and not many pedestrians walk there anyway. They are hoping that the city will soon connect the two bike paths already in place to bypass the busier street and stay off the sidewalks.

 

I suspect that these laws related to bicycles and sidewalks originated with the idea of protecting pedestrians..... and a cyclist moving fast can be very intimidating especially to a pedestrian who may also have limited ambulatory ability to move quickly. Pardon, but this does not address the issue... although it might speak to the interest of someone doing a study.
Also, I'm wondering about the accuracy of stats concerning accidents by cyclist in traffic vs cyclists on sidewalks. (I noticed that no stats were quoted... just mentioned as though an established fact.) Included in this vein wondering .... who gathers these stats, what information is included or excluded (which might be pertinent), and is there a bias connected with the collection of these facts in the surveyors, the survey, or the funding..... and is there a cross reference which shows either a disconnect or reliable connection between regions and development which makes a generalization acceptable or not. Also, how is this study funded ...... and does the motivations of the funders and the outcomes looked for influence in anyway the analysis.

A person with just a little common sense may see that there's perhaps a wider variance of bikers than there is of vehicular drivers on the road..... and thus a wider range of needs if these are to be addressed. A novice or a child on a bike, just learning... does not need to be on the street competing with traffic when he is learning or not suitably able to control the bike nor has he develop the skills of experience and observation to "read" the traffic and be consciencious of the hazards. The competitive bike racer... on the other hand... may have both skills and observation... but will not get his practice in safely if confronted constantly with hazards of curbs, fire-hydrants, trees, broken sidewalks, drive-ways and turning traffic, pedestrians, etc. .

Unfortunately, when there's a law.... there's only the responsibility to obey it or submit to the consequences... or get involve in a challenge to get it overturned or adjusted.

So... my opinion will not count: However, imo, the purpose of the law is not to assign risk but to set boundaries with-in which most persons have a reasonable assurance that their rights and interest (i.e. life/property) is protected from trespass by the rights and liberties of others. Chances are that if the accident had not occurred and the police not been involved, you would not be cited, even if the police patrolling the area saw you. (This assumes also that no one observing you biking on the sidewalk called in a complaint or offense.) And chances are that had this occurred in a public road-way... or public parking lot, the driver might have also been cited for some failure to observe before backing, recklessness, etc. .

The fact that most drivers have insurance means that ... if they are not cited or a blatant cause of accident, even their insurance coverage will fight for them to prevent a payment towards claims.... in most cases. This driver may be helped by the fact that, according to the law in that area (check this out) you were not lawfully where you should be while biking.

Strangely enough, had you been walking your bike across his drive-way.... he would most likely have the full responsibility of seeing and avoiding you. Although I still see this as the driver of the car having the lion's share of responsibility for this accident... still the court may not see it that way: They may see that had you not been where the law required you weren't supposed to be, the driver of the car would have made the necessary and obligatory observations before entering the street.... and avoided you.

Personally, I hope you recover quickly... physically, emotionally, and economically. Maybe you can perceive this as a blessing in disguise.... You ARE vulnerable on a bike. On or off the road, you must be observant at all times... just like driving on the road. A parked car with a driver is likely to move... when you may not expect it. So many run quietly that you may not hear them. Who was at fault or who gets a ticket doesn't matter if you're dead.... or disabled. imo, I'd rather see most bikers on the side-walk instead of in the narrow bike lanes that are painted: I've just seen too many inexperienced bikers using these painted in restricted lanes.... and that also goes for motorist who venture into these lanes for whatever reasons (like distractions, merging, and turns.... or avoidance of other's side ways intrusions).

May God go with you!

 

I've looked at google maps for Pleasantberg drive in Greenville and I don't see any issues with biking on that road. I've ridden on roads similar to it many times in the past and I know bikers that ride on roads like that every day of their lives.

The facts are simple (whether you accept them or not). Studies and statistics show that a bicycle on the road, following the proper traffic laws, is safer than one on the sidewalk.

You can clearly see where riding on the sidewalk got you, right?

If you are incapable of following the law, then don't ride your bike.

 

Glad that you are alive, Evangelist. Getting hit by a car is NOT fun.