Why I Am Glad SB 488 Is Dead

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I still cannot see why this law is necessary. Why shouldn't our "advocates" at Texas Bicycle Coalition (TBC) be demanding the vigorous enforcement of present laws, which would have an immediate positive impact on cyclist's safety, rather than lard up the transportation code with a bunch of redundancies?

"Sec. 545.053. PASSING TO THE LEFT; RETURN; BEING PASSED.

(a) An operator passing another vehicle:
(1) shall pass to the left of the other vehicle at a safe distance; and
(2) may not move back to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the passed vehicle."

Gee, why is this perfectly straightforward law not being enforced, and how would a three foot rule be any more enforceable? When a cyclist is struck by an overtaking automobile, why isn't the motorist given an automatic citation for this crime?

"Sec. 545.401 RECKLESS DRIVING; OFFENSE.

(a) A person commits an offense if the person drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property." (f)(g)

Why are there no prosecutions under this statute? When will the "bicycle advocates" that are so concerned with our well being press our DAs to enforce and prosecute this law? That would help us now, not next September!

"Sec. 545.103 SAFELY TURNING

An operator may not turn the vehicle to enter a private road or driveway, otherwise turn the vehicle from a direct course, or move right or left on a roadway unless movement can be made safely." (e)

How many right hook violations have been prosecuted under this statute? Why is the redundant wording needed in SB 488? Right hooks are already a crime in Texas!

"Sec. 545.418 OPENING VEHICLE DOORS.

A person may not:
(1) open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic, unless the door may be opened in reasonable safety without interfering with the movement of other traffic."

Bicycles are vehicles, and thus traffic, so "dooring" is already a crime in Texas. The words “vulnerable user” was substituted for the second instance of the word “traffic”. This redundant language was dropped from the final version of the bill, but I wonder why it was proposed in the first place!

"Sec. 545.060 DRIVING ON ROADWAY LANED FOR TRAFFIC.

(a) An operator on a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic:
(1) shall drive as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane." (b.1)

Why can't this statute be applied to motorists who buzz cyclists by straddling the lane?

"Sec. 545.152 VEHICLE TURNING LEFT.

To turn left at an intersection or into an alley or private road or driveway, an operator shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is approaching from the opposite direction and that is in the intersection or in such proximity to the intersection as to be an immediate hazard." (d)

The passage of SB 488 would not have altered this statute in any meaningful way, except to have it apply to pedestrians, and it would not have increased the likelihood of prosecutions.

If a bike lane is present, SB 488 would have allowed overtaking traffic to pass any "vulnerable road user" that was in it without deviating from their line of travel. (b.1) Trucks and buses could legally pass a bicyclist as close as the lane stripe. Ouch! That would make newbie bicyclists confident and enthused about their new cycling experience, wouldn't it?

Furthermore, SB 488 would have eroded the the legitimacy of the cyclist as an operator of a vehicle by codifying our classification with pedestrians. (a.1) I cannot see how this would be good for the preservation of our liberties.

I expect better advocacy from TBC. When they say that SB 488 would make Texas safer for cycling, it makes me think they are lying to me. New laws won't change anything- as I have demonstrated, they are not even enforcing present laws, why would we think new ones would be treated any different?

This legislation was more smoke than substance, and TBC is using it as a tool for recruitment of new members and more donations. Has TBC lost their way? Their claim that they are a “non-profit, member-supported organization whose mission is to promote bicycling access, safety, and education” is ringing hollow to me.

The only education that has resulted from this is to give the false notion that it is not against the law to buzz a cyclist! We have some friends in Austin, don't we!

I want our TBC to demand that current traffic laws be enforced vigorously. I want them to remind our police, our DAs, our judges and the public that violating the above traffic laws is a crime! I want laws that are designed to make bicyclists operate in a safe manner to be vigorously enforced. Wrong way riding, sidewalk riding and operating at night without lights. Enforce these laws to avoid needless injury and death.

I want a real effort made to make current laws work before we go messing about with new ones. -Ones that have inevitable unintended consequences like how SB 488 would interact with bike lanes. I want TBC to address the needs, and defend the liberties, of all cyclists everywhere in Texas, not just the agenda of the Austin cycling scene.

Perhaps we need better advocates.





The text of SB 488-



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle in the vicinity of a vulnerable road user; providing penalties. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 545, Transportation Code, is amended by adding Section 545.428 to read as follows:

Sec. 545.428. VULNERABLE ROAD USERS.

(a) In this section, "vulnerable road user" means:

(1) a pedestrian, including a runner, physically disabled person, child, skater, highway construction and maintenance worker, tow truck operator, utility worker, other worker with legitimate business in or near the road or right-of-way, or stranded motorist or passenger;

(2) a person on horseback;

(3) a person operating equipment other than a motor vehicle, including a bicycle, handcycle, horse-driven conveyance, or unprotected farm equipment; or

(4) a person operating a motorcycle, moped, motor-driven cycle, or motor-assisted scooter.

(b) An operator of a motor vehicle passing a vulnerable road user operating on a highway or street shall:

(1) vacate the lane in which the vulnerable road user is located if the highway has two or more marked lanes running in the same direction; or

(2) pass the vulnerable road user at a safe distance.

(c) For the purposes of Subsection (b)(2), when road conditions allow, safe distance is at least:

(1) three feet if the operator's vehicle is a passenger car or light truck; or

(2) six feet if the operator's vehicle is a truck other than a light truck or a commercial motor vehicle as defined by Section 522.003.

(d) An operator of a motor vehicle that is making a left turn at an intersection, including an intersection with an alley or private road or driveway, shall yield the right-of-way to a vulnerable road user who is approaching from the opposite direction and is in the intersection or in such proximity to the intersection as to be an immediate hazard.

(e) An operator of a motor vehicle may not overtake a vulnerable road user traveling in the same direction and subsequently make a right-hand turn in front of the vulnerable road user unless the operator is safely clear of the vulnerable road user, taking into account the speed at which the vulnerable road user is traveling and the braking requirements of the vehicle making the right-hand turn.

(f) An operator of a motor vehicle may not maneuver the vehicle in a manner that:

(1) is intended to cause intimidation or harassment to a vulnerable road user; or

(2) threatens a vulnerable road user.

(g) An operator of a motor vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any vulnerable road user on a roadway or in an intersection of roadways.

(h) A violation of this section is punishable under Section 542.401 except that:

(1) if the violation results in property damage, the violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not to exceed $500; or

(2) if the violation results in bodily injury, the violation is a Class B misdemeanor.

(i) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that at the time of the offense the vulnerable road user was acting in violation of the law.

(j) If conduct constituting an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under another section of this code or the Penal Code, the actor may be prosecuted under either section or both sections.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

Inane Comments in a Newspaper

I know I shouldn't, but I do anyway.

When a automobile/bicycle collision is reported, I am interested in many aspects of it. What happened, where was the cyclist in the road, why was there a collision? Was there a bike lane, was the cyclist in compliance with the traffic laws? Further though, I am interested in the attitudes, watching for bias by the reporter and the police.

Then, like the fool I am, I click through to the comments. It is mostly always the same. The roads are for cars, it's too dangerous, cars pay for the roads, yadda yadda yadda! And then there is some kid trying to work people up and making hateful threats and the like. I always find that stuff. It never seems to be insightful. Sigh. I just can't help myself.

So today I read about a tragedy in California, and as usual there was a very poor report. I found some gems in the comments that I want to share with you.

Posted by Natalie Bianco, a resident of San Ramon:

I was in the mist of this accident about 2 min behind, I live off of Camino Tassajara on Highland...these accidents are happening to often and the bicyclist need to stop riding on the dangerous roads...there is no room for bike lanes, let alone even wide enough for cars to drive on!!!

I myself have almost had several accidents because the bicyclist take over the road and cars have to slow to dangerous limits while vehicles from other direction on blind turns cannot see the cars or bicycles!!

The bicyclist ride very wide in the roads sometimes taking over the whole lane, with no courtesy to the cars (there is not pull out areas for cars to be able to pass).

These roads have become major commute roads because of the traffic on the 580/680 freeways. I am very sad for the bicyclist but equally as sad for the driver of the car. Bicyclist on Camino Tassajara and many of the other two lane roads are very dangerous let alone on a blind curve at 5:10pm commute time.

Posted by Julie, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood:

I agree that we should exercise care for cyclists.

I don't agree that we should be expected to drive behind them on a regular road.

It's not always about being selfish or wanting to go "fast". If you have to drive well below the speed limit you create a hazard and besides, it's not fair to have to go extremely slowly on a road or street built for cars.

How would you feel if you were driving on a road with a speed limit of 45 mph and a car in front of you was going at 10 or so mph. I think most of us would go crazy.

Here is what I'm thinking when I read these comments:

I was in the mist of this accident about 2 min behind, I live off of Camino Tassajara on Highland...these accidents are happening to often and the bicyclist need to stop riding on the dangerous roads...there is no room for bike lanes, let alone even wide enough for cars to drive on!!! It is the cyclist's fault because automobile drivers are too incompetent to avoid slow vehicles in their path? The travel lanes are so narrow that they are barely wide enough for a car to fit in, let alone share the lane with another vehicle side-by-side!

I myself have almost had several accidents because the bicyclist take over the road and cars have to slow to dangerous limits while vehicles from other direction on blind turns cannot see the cars or bicycles!! I am stupid enough to attempt passing slow vehicles on blind curves and hills.

The bicyclist ride very wide in the roads sometimes taking over the whole lane, with no courtesy to the cars (there is not pull out areas for cars to be able to pass). Cyclists occupy the lane just like automobiles do.

These roads have become major commute roads because of the traffic on the 580/680 freeways. I am very sad for the bicyclist but equally as sad for the driver of the car. Bicyclist on Camino Tassajara and many of the other two lane roads are very dangerous let alone on a blind curve at 5:10pm commute time. Motorists cannot be expected to avoid running into slow vehicles? The only possible solution would be to get rid of cyclists? If you wish to avoid being delayed by bicycle traffic, you are free to drive your automobile on a different route where bicycles are not allowed. For example, the I-580 or the I-680. Sadly for you, you will be delayed by traffic on either route. Cry me a river.

I agree that we should exercise care for cyclists.

I don't agree that we should be expected to drive behind them on a regular road. What is it about “public” in public road that you don't understand?

It's not always about being selfish or wanting to go "fast". Yes it is. If you have to drive well below the speed limit you create a hazard. Translation: Operators of automobiles are too incompetent to avoid running into slower traffic ahead of them. And besides, it's not fair to have to go extremely slowly on a road or street built for cars. It is an absolutely fair allocation of limited public space! Right of way is distributed on a first come, first use basis. Do you really propose that ROW be determined by one's speed? It is true that public streets are built for automobiles, but they are also built for all of the public to travel on in many different modes: Bicycles, horse drawn carriages, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, pedestrians, and more!

How would you feel if you were driving on a road with a speed limit of 45 mph and a car in front of you was going at 10 or so mph. I think most of us would go crazy. While the designated speed limit is posted at 45 MPH, traffic has made the actual speed limit 10 MPH. Why is a traffic delay produced by a bicycle any different than the traffic delay produced by automobiles? (Say over there on the I-580.) Next time, don't pause at home to drink that second cup of coffee and you will be ahead of that pesky cyclist and queued up behind some other traffic instead. Perhaps you should abandon your expectation that you should always proceed at or near the posted speed limit! It is the vast gulf between your expectations and real world traffic that is driving you crazy.

I feel better now. I just had to get that out of my system.

Another Real Life Adventure...

Keri Caffrey seeks to ride on shaded boulevards when she can on hot days. Here in Texas, I try to have the earth provide my shade- I set out on my errand at 10:30 PM local time!

To explain how I happened on this adventure I need to start at the beginning. Not the very beginning, but a more recent one. Eleven days ago, on the twelfth, I set out on an exploratory bike ride that would take me down eight to ten miles of unpaved roads to the east of Lake Bardwell. It is not unusual for me to find myself riding on dirt roads.

A few miles after I set out, I broke a spoke on my rear wheel, and it ended that ride. I am riding on a Mavic Ksyrium SL wheel set with those fancy "bladed" spokes. I have been very happy with them. When the spoke failed, I had 9996.4* miles on them, and they were as true as the first day I rode them, in spite of the hundreds of gravel road miles I have subjected them to.

The broken spoke put such a wobble on the wheel that it necessitated my backing the brake out as far as it would go. So until I get my wheel back from my LBS I have been getting about on my fendered single-speed. I purchased it to be a backup and foul weather bike.

So last night I set out to take some recyclable junk to town and pick up some groceries and dog food and a few odds and ends. Thirteen miles round trip.

I am on the way back, with about 20 pounds or so of loot in my messenger bag, near midnight. It is very quiet as I am headed out of town. (But I am still in the town proper.) I chose this route because it has good road surfaces. I don't want to hit potholes in the dark! When the adventure starts, I am zooming down the speediest part of the trip home. I am going at least 21 MPH because I have spun my cadence past the maximum and I am forced to coast.

I spot movement on the road ahead in the shadows- A loose dog? I'm not sure... It might be. It is the size of a large dog perhaps. This is scary. Something is moving around in the road ahead, and I am approaching it at what now seems a VERY high rate of speed- and on my quiet bike it may not even know that I am coming! I am very afraid of hitting an animal- it could startle and run into my path!

In the past, I have tried various noises to alert wildlife that I am bearing down on them, so they can retreat to safety without a collision. I've tried clicking as one would for horses, whistles, and shouts, all without consistent positive results. On a BikeForums.net thread, someone had suggested "barking" as an alert, as most animals recognize that as a warning/alarm. And that is what I did.

The coyote, in the oncoming lane of this two lane shoulderless road, perceived me at about the moment I "barked". He/she panicked, spun around, ran diagonally across the road in front of me to disappear into the yard on my right. Whew, missed me by that much!

I think I am more at risk of hitting an animal than I am of being hit by automobiles, either during the day or at night. Even the local coyotes seem to be car-centric!

*I religiously log my miles at BikeJournal.com under the user name BornInZion.

Bicyclists Face Delays in Being Able to Ride

State income tax receipts are down an average of 25% for the first quarter of 2009 compared with 2008. With such a large revenue loss facing the state budgets, there will be little hope that bicycle infrastructure projects will get funded.

This will delay the planned bicycle trips of many of the bicyclists that have been waiting for bike lanes and bike paths in order to go riding. The safety that would accrue to all cyclists when they started riding will also be delayed. Oh, the anguish!

Texas has tied in fourth place for the biggest gain/least loss of income tax revenue. We have tied with Alaska, Florida, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming- the six* states that have not imposed an income tax on it's citizens. Only Alabama, North Dakota and Utah have higher receipts this year over last.

Perhaps even worse news is that sales tax receipts have also fallen sharply, (Off 5.9% in May YoY for Texas) which will affect state budgets even more. City budgets are dependent on the twin streams of income- sales tax and property taxes- two more that are shrinking! Will the cities have enough wherewithal to sweep all the existing bike lanes?**

Will the advocates of new bicycle infrastructure projects be able to keep their jobs during this downturn? Without someone else's money to spend, will there be a reason to justify their salaries? Is there a future for bicycling its self? Or will bicycling slowly fade away, a curious phenomena that lasted a brief 125 years?

There are, however, a few strong and brave individuals that will sally forth into the traffic, unmindful of the lack of bicycle infrastructure! This hardy band of daredevils will take to the lanes and become a part of the traffic flow. So enamored are they with the joy of cycling, they will ride even with the predictions of mayhem from bicycle advocates ringing in their ears! Will these devil-may-care men and women*** survive the blight of bicycle lane production? We shall see.

*Thank you SteveA for correcting this point. I had overlooked Washington state, now corrected.

**The answer is no. They can't find the money to do that in a roaring economy, how could they fund it now?

***VC women are, as a group, lovelier and more fun to be around as well.

From Dog Bait to Chew Toy

I'd like you to meet Bud and Bella. Bud is a good friend of mine, and Bella, well, not so much. This is Bella. ---->

On this lonely Texas road near my house, I pass by the home of Bud and Bella whenever I take the short route to town. With a 55 MPH speed limit here, they don't chase cars. But it's game on! when a lone cyclist comes over the rise!

What excitement! What joy! Let's go for a run!

Bud loves the chase, and he has never threatened to bite me. He can run 24 MPH according to my computer. I can give him a run for the money if I am not fighting a headwind. We have a great time either way!

Sadly, Bella wanted more than a good run today. For months and months she has been content to just join Bud in a good run. Last week, she came in close to me and touched my leg with her nose, and I brushed her away with my hand.

Monday, (6-9-2009) to my surprise, she lunged and bit my knee. Some really good puncture wounds from her lower teeth. Ouch!

Being in a rural area, loose dogs are common. Nearly all of them will enjoy a harmless chase, with the cyclist a convenient rabbit. Some have a more sinister intent.

I like dogs. They are simple like me. I enjoy providing a highlight to their day. I make barking sounds at them. Sometimes, but only if I am protected by a fence, I call them pussy-cats. (They hate that!) I rarely have to discourage threatening behavior.

I carry a water bottle with me, and I keep ammonia in it. Only very dense dogs need more than two applications in their face to learn to keep their distance from me. For example, next door to Bud, there are two dogs that always observe my passage from the porch. They were very aggressive and would run into the road to attack me. One squirt of ammonia and they have lost any desire to get near me.

Further away though, there is this one aggressive dog that will always take a run at me if he is out. And he gets squirted every time! He backs off with just a whiff of the ammonia now though, but but he has taken ten in the face at least up to this point. Stubborn or stupid? It's hard to say.

I hope bella is a quick study. On the way home, Bella ran out at me again, and she got a good shot in the face. I last observed her wiping her face in some grass while Bud and I had a good run. I hope Bella will still come out to run, but keeping a more proper distance as well.

I could report all of the dogs I meet, and put a serious hurt on the homeowners, as Texas will force them to put up fences and euthanize any actual biters. I am reluctant to get a third party involved. For the very few problem dogs, ammonia seems to be effective and lasting deterrent. If I report Bella, then Bud will be confined as well, and I would miss him.

I spoke with Bella's owner on Wednesday, and they are as dismayed at Bella as I am. They allowed me to photograph Bella, but Bud would have none of it- he retreated under a shed and refused to come out. I will try again soon.

I will provide updates with edits to this post as events unfold. And a picture of Bud if I can manage it!

Some People Still Think Bike Lanes Are Safer

Ben Fried has written a piece at Streetsblog and he makes some preposterous claims! He said:

CB6 District Manager Craig Hammerman proposes converting the existing bike lane to a Class 3 route. That means cyclists would get sharrows instead -- road markings that don't carry the same visual weight or staying power as dedicated lanes. "It would seem to me," Hammerman wrote, that converting the bike lane to sharrows "would eliminate the existing conflict between the bicycles and the merchant delivery trucks."

Or it would simply expose thousands of people to more danger and risk. The proposed scenario wouldn't do anything to help delivery drivers find curbside spots, but it would force cyclists to kiss their dedicated space goodbye. In DOT's latest survey of Fifth Avenue bike traffic, conducted on a weekday in October, 865 cyclists were counted between 8th Street and 9th Street in one twelve-hour period. There's no indication that the agency will roll back this widely used safety measure.

So door zone bike lanes are there to promote safety? (See photo in linked article.) Most of the paint and plaque folks avoid this blunder!

This is yet another territorial dispute that is so silly. Mr. Fried is picking a fight over a shiny penny because he doesn't value the tarnished silver dollar next to it. Would that he could seize his right to the public street, rather than squabble over the crumbs that are left to him in the semi-private ghetto.

Cyclists See the World Differently

There are things cyclists know and are aware of that motorists just do not see.

We know which way the wind blows. We are annoyed when weather newscasts fail to note the expected direction and speed of the wind. (I like Weather Underground) When I step outside, I always note the wind right off. Even when riding in a automobile, I scan for flags and other tells that indicate wind direction. I even plan solo bicycle rides with eye to forcasted wind direction.

What do you think when you see a bridge? I know that the downhill trend is ending and when I cross the bridge, it will now become an uphill trend. Motorists often don't know when they are going up or down a hill unless it is really steep. Cyclists are much more aware of subtle terrain differences.

How often does a cyclist fall asleep while riding? 'Nuff said!

Cyclists seem to be better able to time a traffic light sequence. To preserve energy/momentum, we will coast up to a signal, hoping to avoid stopping. It is a very personal and immediate cost to return to cruising speed for a cyclist.

Motorists seem to have no clue as to how much raw energy it takes to accelerate to normal speed. They race around us at maximum acceleration (Full power, Scottie!) just to wait at the next light as we pull up behind them. (Scanners indicate no intelligent life forms, Capt. Kirk!) Evidence to me that gasoline prices are not yet dear. Gas pumps provide a remote and disassociated cost.

We have different perceptions of what makes a road "smooth" and "rough". An automobile will perceive a road as rough when their suspension bottoms out- a blemish in the road a cyclist may not notice. But cracked and uneven pavement that threatens to unseat a cyclist may not register for a motorist at normal speeds!

Cyclists are very much more familiar with "road kill" than motorists are. And we are more familiar with loose dogs. Motorists are only physically endangered by large animals of the size of deer or more. While hitting an animal is rare for cyclists due to out lower speeds, even hitting tiny animals can be catastrophic for a cyclist.

Cyclists see more wildlife than motorists. Even in urban settings I have seen coyotes when out early on my bike, but never when in a car. Same thing with bobcats and song birds.

Tell me dear reader, either one of you, what are ways cyclists see the world different than automobile operators?

How to Deal With Bullies

We are all in peril of our lives because of a lawless subset of society that has taken over what used to be a public space, and they employ bully tactics to discourage others from using it. Indeed, these people have made the commons so dangerous that they are in a defensive arms race among themselves!

And while all this is taking place, where is the outcry from our elected officials? Forty thousand people were killed last year in these turf wars, but elected and appointed officials are just shrugging their shoulders. They express dismay, but they never do anything about the situation.

Most of them seem to think that the situation is normal and inevitable, so any action on their part would be doomed to failure anyway. That’s just the way it is, they tell us!

That's a pretty bleak picture. If it had been a criminal gang that had taken over a community park, then everybody (Citizens, police, judges and elected officials) would be united in evicting them from it.

But what happens when those in positions of power, and the leaders of the community are members of the gang and have empathy for them? Does that make it alright for gangsters to take over a public place? When the formerly public place is understood by the criminal gang to be their exclusive territory, some of them will begin to aggressively defend it from outsiders. At that point it ceases to be a “public” place.

I think that this criminal activity imagery is helpful to put into context the nature of the task before us in seeking to make the public streets safer for all. After all, inadvertently striking something or someone with an automobile is not a mistake, it is not an accident. It is not a crash. It is not a tragic but unavoidable circumstance.

It is a crime.

Hitting something with your automobile is a criminal act. Menacing someone with your automobile is a crime. Failing to exercise due care is a crime.

Texting is NOT a crime. Using a cell phone is not a crime. Eating and reading and fishing around in the back seat is not a crime. Unless you are driving, that is. Consider this law:

Sec. 545.401. RECKLESS DRIVING:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.

One of our difficulties is that the “wrongness” of operating an automobile in an unsafe manner is no longer a part of our society’s consciousness. How do we bring the wrongness, the notion that these currently acceptable acts are actually unacceptable, back into the American understanding of civilized behavior? Of normal and expected behavior?

I believe that ghost bikes, and “ride of silence” events are attempting to get us started down this path, but I don’t like them. They add to the hysterical claims that cycling is dangerous, and are as likely to aid in cycling restrictions as they are in leading us to demanding responsible automobile operation.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving were able to marshal sympathy by appealing to the heartstrings with compelling and emotional personal stories of tragedy. In this way they gathered media support and funding . They spearheaded broad public education campaigns and promoted stiffer laws and stricter enforcement at the same time. They also had an awesome acronym!

Another very successful public attitude campaign is the war against littering. I can still remember when tossing trash out the car window was common. Yet in just a few years it became a very bad thing to do.

Our chances of changing American attitudes about acceptable driving behavior has a greater chance of success if it is de-coupled from cycling specific issues. The appeal has to be to the broadest cross section of society. The idea that irresponsible behavior harms all of us needs to be clearly heard.

We have natural allies across a broad section of American life that we can tap into- Allies that have networks in place. Pedestrian advocates, vehicle class groups like motorcycle advocates and AAA, insurance associations, public safety outfits, PTA, child welfare advocates and PETA. (Less road kill carnage maybe?) Environmental groups are a natural because they need to counter the fact that smaller cars offer less protection in crashes to their occupants. And what business today can afford to lose customers to senseless and avoidable deaths? (OK, perhaps that is a stretch!)

Our appeal must be primarily emotional. This is the only way to capture the artistic among us, those who control the vast mass media enterprises. The media stars and their handlers. The producers and the directors.

The focus has to be on the consequences of the bad behavior, not a lecture on the behavior its self. Cautionary tales that allow automobile operators to change their habits voluntarily, rather than being directly told to. As the Great Recession drags on through the next decade, property damage may be as big an emotional hook as getting maimed or killed.

The biggest question of all is, how does one person start such a movement? By posting this, I have exposed the idea to those who read my blog. (By the way, I thank both of you for stopping by!) How do we gently reach drivers around us? How do we bring on board the movers and shakers of society, the ones that are the trend setters?