Gizmodo 
Enter your username and password.
Tip your editors:
tips@gizmodo.com
Editorial Director:
Brian Lam | Email | Twitter
Editor:
Jason Chen
Email | AIM | Twitter
Features Editor:
Wilson Rothman
Email | Twitter
Senior Contributing Editors:
Jesus Diaz
Email | AIM | Twitter
Mark Wilson, Reviews
Email | AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Matt Buchanan
Email | AIM | Twitter
Adam Frucci
Email | Twitter
Sean Fallon
Email | Twitter
Jack Loftus
Email | Twitter
John Herrman
Email | Twitter
Dan Nosowitz
Email
Chris Mascari
Email
Danny Allen
Email | Twitter
Rosa Golijan
Email | Twitter
Chris Jacob
Email
Columnist:
Brendan I. Koerner
Interns:
Don Nguyen
Email
Kyle VanHemert
Email
Comment Intern:
Nick Ellenoff | Email
Comment Account Questions:
Comments@gizmodo.com
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
09/28/09
If you run a red light and get hit by a car, your chances of winning in court are slim to none. Similarly, in New York, vehicles (and bicycles) turning left have an affirmative duty to only proceed if the turn can be completed safely and that oncoming traffic has right of way. Finally, while you may not be a fan of helmets, wearing them is highly suggested. Failure to wear one consistutes a failure to mitigate damages.
While this lawsuit talk may sound cynical, think about it this way: the lawsuit isn't just for someone to get a big payout. It's also to determine who will pay the injured party's bills.
Many young people may not have insurance. Unless your job offers it, many young people risk going without. If you're found liable for your lawsuit, those medical bills will likely come out of your own pocket.
Follow the rules, even the dorky ones. Your body and bank account will thank you.
09/28/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
As a responsible rider who does stop at all stop signs and red lights, and cannot control those who can't, I want my rights. In exchange, I'll hold back the emmisions and save some gasoline for your Hummer.
09/28/09
09/27/09
For instance, a biker who rides in the road as if they were a car (which is fine), blocking faster traffic behind them, but as soon as they get to a stop sign or red light, they cut to the front, and as soon as the light turns green, they now have a whole host of new cars behind them, who are now wishing they could pass the slow biker despite the heavy oncoming traffic.
I once smiled as a cyclist rode down the middle of a sleepy one-way street and a cop, who happened to be on foot because of a local sporting event, stopped him and told him he was going the wrong way on a one-way street and had to turn around. The cyclist had no idea what was going on.
BTW, I just to ride my bike everywhere.
09/27/09
I do have to ask, if there is a bike lane available, should the cyclist be in the street, the bike lane, or is this one of those grey areas?
09/27/09
Here is the priceless reaction shot.
09/27/09
09/27/09
This happened with a teenager in my area recently. He decided it was safe to cross. A huge SUV saw him and stopped mid-intersection blocking the view of the boy from other motorist. Another vehicle, who's light was green, saw no danger and hit the boy as he crossed out from in front of the SUV and into the path of the oncoming car. Tragic.
I don't think any such law should be amended.
09/27/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
It takes up to 40 mins,.... 6miles, 40 minutes.
Most lights don't change for me as I have an Aluminum frame, and when there is no one else around, waiting 3 minutes for a light is ridiculous.
09/27/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
Priceless.
09/27/09
09/27/09
Bicycles are treated the same as motor vehicles under most, if not all, local laws (you can be ticketed for riding on the sidewalks in every city where I've lived). And the fact that your car can cut through a cyclist like tinfoil kinda suggests an inherent responsibility on _your_ behalf to make sure you don't. That's why, even if they're not obeying all the traffic laws, a cyclist still has the legal right of way.
On the flip side, yes, the bike almost always loses very badly, so anyone riding a bike should acknowledge that any car they come across has the "right of weigh". That said, don't expect any sympathy from the legal system if you plow through some cyclist.
09/27/09
09/27/09
09/27/09
Both points are valid. No one has sole ownership of the road, and you are responsible for your own safety. If you cycle in busy streets you're knowingly taking the risk, and if you compound that risk by being a jackass, fucktard, idjit, moron, douchebag or other such adjectives then it's no one's fault but your own when it bites you in the ass. Likewise for drivers.
09/28/09
Most drivers also fail to notice motorcycles on the road. It's all a matter of who will be worse off in an accident really. If the other guy will bite it, maybe it's not so important. If the driver is in danger, then damn skippy they'll be more likely to try to avoid an accident.
The corrolary to that is that the less danger a driver feels like he/she is in, the more likely they are to feel inconvenienced.
09/27/09
09/27/09
You want the towns? Kudos to bicyclists in Davis, Ca...fuck bicyclists in Santa Cruz, Ca.
09/27/09
In San Francisco and Sausalito, though.... they're everywhere.
Though that may be because there's nowhere to park here. :P
09/27/09
09/27/09
The difference is when drivers violate rules in a way that hurts bicyclists they are not the ones being put in danger. Does it suck? Yes. Should people be better drivers? Yes. However they are not violating rules meant to help them protect themselves but rather meant to protect others...and while this is extremely wrong it is also understandable why it would happen so much.
What is completely absurd to me is bicyclists refusing to follow the rules that are laid out to protect them! As the PSA says, you break the rules, you die...and yet nobody seems to follow them.
I know the cops in this town have ticket quotas and instead of meeting them by busting people who end up going 30 in a 25 at the end of a hill they could instead go bust some of these idiot bicyclists in other parts of town....couple hundred dollar ticket and a stern lecture from a judge or a cop about how they're risking their own life, the lives of motorists, and violating the law at the same time ought to help change their ways.
08/16/09
08/16/09
I love motor sports and other high speed sports, so that need to be aware of surroundings might have something to do with my overly alert nature when driving.
Kids, don't text and drive. Don't play with your GPS while moving in your car. Never relax and never take your eyes off the other cars (thought I was going to say "dont take your eyes off the road" didn't you? Cars first.)
08/16/09
I've seen worse from people changing radio stations and adjusting the air conditioning in vehicles.
Shit I've seen worse from distracted parents trying to wrangle rowdy kids and MUCH worse from tired workaholics falling asleep at the wheel.
Since when was saying "pay full attention while driving, or pull over if you can't for any reason" not enough?
Oh, I forgot American culture today revolves around fear mongering, scare tactics, and a lack of personal responsibility.
I'd love to see some real evidence backing up this now hot issue. How many people can successfully do more than one thing at once responsibly versus how many assholes go veering off into oncoming traffic because of texting.
It's probably directly proportional with people that can't walk and chew gum at the same time.
The problem isn't the texting, it's the raising dumbass kids.
08/16/09
08/16/09
08/16/09
[www.boston.com]
[www.reuters.com]
08/16/09
08/16/09
Frankly, I think the thought of killing your friends and showing the stigma which would be attached to you by your schoolmates would be much more effective than the other rescue footage.
To kids nowadays, personal image seems much more important to them than what they do to other people, anyway.
08/16/09
......
You don't think that maybe somebody who got in a car crash and killed two of his/her friends would be absolutely ruined with guilt? It's not about 'personal image' ass hole.
I think living with the knowledge that you caused an accident that killed two of your friends but not you would be worse than just dying. Anyways, it's not like the kids at her school would point fingers at her and call her a murderer. What society are you living in?