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Health & Fitness

Prosecuting a motorist -- this doesn't happen every day

The CHP is bringing charges against a motorist who ran into a group of cyclists on Clinton Cleith Road more than a year ago. A year. That seems like a long time, but we can all cheer that there will be a prosecution. Here is the link:

http://temecula.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/man-accused-of-using-truck-as-deadly-weapon-against-bicyclists-including-temecula-chp-captain


As a cyclist, I can count on one hand how many prosecutions for cases like these  I have read about statewide, or even nationally, despite the fact that these are motorists who show reckless disregard for human life, or outright try to harm or kill cyclists.

Usually, there has to be a video, because of course, no one believes us, or a history of attacks, these guys don't do this stuff just once, or, as in this case, one of the cyclists they attack just happens to be in law enforcement.

To my fellow cyclists, brace yourself for the comments --  "they deserve it" or "it has to be the cyclists' fault" or "do you know how many cyclists I see disregarding traffic laws" -- that will be posted to this story and even this blog. 

But don't be deterred. When motorists harass, threaten, strike or run you off the road, call the police immediately. Report their behavior. Call back and ask what is happening to the report. Don't let dispatch, or the responding officer, or his boss, tell you "it's not a big deal. Why were you riding in the street anyway? Tell me again, why don't you have a car?"

It's discouraging sometimes to hear those comments from people who are sworn to protect all of us, whether we are driving a car, riding a bicycle, or just walking down the street. By now you would think everyone would understand that cyclists have just as much right to the road as motorists, but that's not the case.

Bottom line -- wherever you stand on the issue, when cyclists and motorists "interact," as authorities put it, 200 pounds of bicycle and rider is no match for 2,000 pounds of Detroit steel.

So it's time for the haters to start with the comments "Cyclists don't stay against the curb (that is not required) they should be on the sidewalk (that is not allowed) they like to ride in groups (again, nothing illegal, not in this state)."

All we are asking is that you think about it -- when you get impatient or angry, when you drive as close as possible to a cyclist to "teach them a lesson" or "just scare them a bit," you risk killing someone's husband, wife, brother, sister, son or daughter, just becase -- why?

  

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