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scynzbich t1_iu0dib9 wrote

Reply to comment by roofrat69 in Man in Coma After Hit-and-Run Crash in DC by MrSpontaneous

I think the difference here, bc this happens a lot, is a safer biking culture in this city. Protected bike lines would save so many lives bc people in DC cannot drive for shit and even if they could, a bike/scooter vs a car even in a minor bump can lead to major trauma.

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pro-laps t1_iu0ffj9 wrote

how long before drivers trying to pass another car just drive into the protected bike lane? the answer is the first day

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Jamesspoon t1_iu0oiul wrote

Sorry to tell you and this is 100% true: The other day I was driving down that part of NJ Ave and a Tacoma-sized truck overtook me on the right, also at an intersection, using that brand new lane. That was the first or one of the first days after the new lanes were completed.

Edit: adding that when he got in front of me he stopped inside the intersection because the light was still red. lol

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scynzbich t1_iu0okw7 wrote

I mean look, we can place fines and have better infrastructure. But the point is that the more we protect the bikers the safer it is overall. Just take a look at biking infrastructure in the Netherlands. There are levels to this lol

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aup123 t1_iu0sy2u wrote

I have a feeling that the dutch value the lives of the people around them a little differently. In DC so many people wouldnt care if the guy on the bike dies.

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drr71-2 t1_iu42qcc wrote

It's not the bike lanes... it's the animals that don't care about other people's lives... whether thw person they hit lives or dies. Put these DC drivers in the Netherlands and the issue will be exactly the same there as it is here.

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bruno92 t1_iu4i2jg wrote

Then it isn't truly protected. An adequate protected bike line should prevent (or at least strongly deter) drivers from veering into it. That's the whole point.

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Jamesspoon t1_iu0o7jw wrote

Sadly, this happened at NJ Ave and P street, where there are brand new bike lanes. I don’t recall how protected that particular stretch is, though. NJ Ave going south now has just one driving lane, so that Mazda was definitely pulling some BS.

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anonymous_aardvark2 t1_iu0t9ng wrote

It’s protected but there’s no elevated platforms near bus stops leading them to remove protection in front of several intersections.

Imo they should add elevated platforms so it acts like a curb to deter people from overtaking.

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anonymous_aardvark2 t1_iu0szgc wrote

They just added a protected bike lane on this stretch though. Now whether or not flex posts deter an aggressive driver is another story.

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