The article misses two or perhaps three key pieces of information that would be useful to cyclists in avoiding similar occurrences. 1) What was the cyclist's position in the lane? 2) Which direction was the car going across High at Foundry? 3) At what speed was the cyclist traveling? With those pieces of information, one could determine how visible and predictable the cyclist was. For example, if the cyclist was traveling out in the lane instead of the extreme right, the motorist might have seen him earlier. Traveling at the extreme right blocks a merging motorist's view of the cyclist for the longest time. If the motorist was traveling east (away from the river), this lack of visibility would have been aggravated by shorter sight line than if the motorist was traveling west. Of course, if the cyclists was exceeding the speed limit (quite possible on that hill) and in the extreme right, he would have minimized the time he was visible to the motorist. Finally, there are fine points that we teach in Confident City Cycling that communicate to the motorist the intentions of the cyclist and reduce the likelihood that the motorist will mistake what the cyclist is planning to do, for example pedaling at a high cadence with head facing forward rather than coasting and looking around.

Advertising this article is likely only to reinforce the popular myth that bicycling is dangerous and provides little information that can be used to prevent future occurrences except to discourage people from bicycling on the roads.

Frank D. Gmeindl
Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board
LCI #1703
491 WilsonAvenue
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-376-0446
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles

On Apr 26, 2011, at 8:19 AM, Mike Breiding - Morgantown WV wrote:

Bike rider in hospital after being hit by car
    A Morgantown man riding a bicycle down High Street was struck by a vehicle on Monday.
    Seth Mitchell, 19, of Morgantown, was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital by Monongalia EMS. He was evaluated by emergency room staff in the early afternoon. He was listed in fair condition at press time.
    Lt. Mike Lantz, of the Morgantown Police Department, said Mitchell was traveling south on High Street when Lasharon Smith, 59, tried to cross the roadway at Foundry Street, striking Mitchell with her Hyundai Tucson.
    Lantz said Smith was cited for failure to yield right-of-way.
    The accident was reported to MECCA 911 at noon. The Morgantown Fire Department also responded.