Crash! Neglecting Safety Leads to Accidents

As I was traveling east on San Marco Road late Friday morning I witnessed a car-bicycle accident that could have been worse. Additionally, it could have been avoided if we paid more attention to safety on our shared-use paths.

This unreported accident will never show up on a data sheet because the parties involved chose not to call the authorities. The motorist will probably pay to have the front end of his car repaired after it was smashed into by a 60-pound electric bicycle that was passing through the intersection of Weeks Way and San Marco Road, right next to Sunshine Ace Hardware.

The bicyclist, who appeared to be carrying his lunch in a to-go bag from a local restaurant, groggily climbed to his feet with a grazed abrasion on his right forehead about 2” in diameter. He was woozy, like he had just taken a pretty good blow—which he did, by a 4,500-pound heavyweight.

The car’s driver felt terrible. He offered the bicycle rider $100 in restitution because he felt he was in the wrong. The woozy cyclist refused the kind offer. He also refused medical care when I arrived at the scene and suggested he might want to get himself checked out. I also suggested that the police be called so they could make a report. Neither party wanted that.

The bicyclist appeared to speak little English. But within minutes another bicyclist, who appeared to be friends with the accident victim, came along and checked on his well-being.

The bicycle was still operable. The car had some damage, but not enough that the driver was concerned. The cyclist felt well enough to continue on. 

I have to wonder how often scenes like this play out islandwide.

The frustrating part of this scenario is that this accident may have been avoided if we were making a better effort to make sure our roads and bicycle pathways are as safe as possible.

The driver explained to me that he stopped at the white line (or what is left of it). When he crept forward, he didn’t see the oncoming bicycle. Bang! A bicyclist is down in front of his car and both driver and bicyclist are shaken up.

The driver explained that while he was creeping forward, he was also watching the westbound and eastbound traffic on San Marco. It all happened so quickly.

A quick survey of the accident scene shows that the white line, the position where a motorist should first stop, is probably over 95 percent worn off. It basically looks like the rest of the roadway. It seems logical that many would not even know there was ever a white line there.

Additionally, as the motorist crept forward from the white line and into the intersection his sight line was completely blocked by an overgrown hedge on the corner. Consequently, neither the driver or the cyclist could see each other until it was too late.

Solutions? An obvious one is to make sure we have clear pavement markings—especially at busy intersections. The intersections surrounding San Marco Road and Barfield Drive are among the most dangerous on the island.

I implore fellow cyclists to use the My Marco App to report unsafe conditions on our shared-use paths and in-road bike lanes. It literally takes only a minute. I also encourage our code enforcement department to take immediate corrective action when there are life safety issues involved. Citing someone for a code violation and giving them months to correct it simply isn’t enough when lives are at risk, like in this incident at Weeks Way and San Marco Road.

And cyclists, please wear a helmet when riding. In this case, a bicycle helmet may have saved this rider from a head injury. I also encourage cyclists to use their lights, whether it's daytime or nighttime. A flashing light certainly makes you more visible than no light at all. 

We can all do better. And I hope we do.