Just look at the speed that the RV was going! The driver was given a $500 ticket for almost killing 30 cyclists. Insane that they’re even allowed to drive after that.

  • Tristano@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    78
    ·
    1 year ago

    I hate the passive way headlines are written when it comes to crashes involving bikes. “Tossed” is such a light word for what happened. “Passing RV” as if it wasn’t the cause of it all and just happened to be there

    That driver should never be allowed on the road again. There’s no excuse.

    Glad the guy is alive.

    • trident_burger
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      34
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      At the very least, Arizona and many other states should require a separate license and training to operate an RV that size.

      And yeah, regardless of vehicle, it was an incredibly stupid (and illegal) decision to pass that closely.

      BTW, AZs 3 ft passing law limits civil penalties to $500 if serious injury is causes, $1000 if death.

      Dont know if the driver could be found negligent in a civil lawsuit?

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        16
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        That’s an incredibly stupid law. Why have a fine at all if it’s just $500-1000? If you kill someone with your car and it’s your fault, your license should be suspended.

          • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            Wouldn’t that depend on motive? Accidentally killing someone usually doesn’t result in jail time unless it reaches the level of gross negligence (i.e. you’re looking at your phone or something when you hit a pedestrian). If you kill someone intentionally, you’re absolutely looking at jail time because that’s murder.

            • HikingVet@lemmy.sdf.org
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              1 year ago

              Well, not being able to properly control multiple tons of machinery on a public road can be considered gross negligence.

              • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                1 year ago

                It could, depending on the merits of the case. In the case of this article, I do think it rises to that standard, but that’s not true of all accidents involving motor vehicles. That’s my point.

          • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            8
            ·
            1 year ago

            It’s not a car lane, it’s a road lane, and the maximum speed limit is 45mph. Bicycles have just as much right to road lanes as cars in most cases.

            If someone is anxious driving 45mph next to people riding 15-25mph, perhaps they should slow down or move over until they no longer feel anxious.

          • trident_burger
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            7
            ·
            1 year ago

            So we should raise our pitchforks at the everyday normal people who were riding totally legally along the right side of the lane, not more than two abreast, not holding up more than 5 vehicles, when a lunatic in a >5 ton RV decided it would be fine to pass with less than a mirrors width of space at 45 mph?

          • TigrisMorte@kbin.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            I’d get screamed at about getting on the sidewalk, where it is illegal to ride your bike, by folks with that exact opinion.

      • trident_burger
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Taking this comment at face value, I would absolutely agree.