Cycling and Road Rage in Los Angeles

This report from NPR's All Things Considered examines some of the dangers of cycling in Los Angeles, with special attention given to the case of the doctor who nearly killed two cyclists.

1 minute read

December 4, 2009, 6:00 AM PST

By Alek Miller


According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes killed 716 cyclists last year and injured 52,000 people riding bikes, trikes and unicycles. That includes recent fatalities from Brookline, Mass., to Portland, Ore. But unlike the Los Angeles case, ['Bicycling' editor Loren] Mooney says drivers who kill or injure cyclists are rarely convicted.

'It's easy for a driver to say, 'Oh, I didn't see you. You're small, you're traveling slowly in the roadway. It was an accident,' ' says Mooney. 'It takes an enormous amount of evidence to get a conviction of a reckless driver, or in this case, a driver with an intent to hurt somebody with a vehicle.'

Thanks to Streetsblog LA

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 in All Things Considered

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