The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was run down from behind by a 22-year old Tesla driver while riding in the right lane of Main Street at Escondido Avenue in Hesperia around 10 pm Monday.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, the victim was riding in the traffic lane without lights on his bike.
Through preliminary investigation, it is believed the Tesla traveled west in the number two lane on Main Street, east of Escondido Avenue, while the bicyclist traveled in the middle of the number two lane without lights on. The driver of the Tesla saw the bicyclist too late and was unable to swerve out of the way due to other vehicles on the roadway. The driver struck the bicyclist, knocked him off the bicycle and into a nearby field. The driver pulled over and immediately called 911, and stayed on scene. The bicyclist sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
While the description sounds like it’s based primarily on the driver’s statement, a photo from the scene appears to show a mangled road bike on the side of the road, without any visible lights.
Police don’t believe drug or alcohol use played a role in the collision. There’s no word on whether speed was a factor; however, the posted speed limit is 55 mph on that section of Main, according to the Victorville Daily Press.
A collision at that speed is unlikely to have been survivable, regardless of any other factors.
There is also no sidewalk or paved shoulder on the west side that could have provided any degree of safety. Although the wide traffic lane raises the question of why the victim would be riding in the middle of the lane, rather than closer to the curb.
Anyone with information is urged to call San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy E. Harrison at 760/947-1500, or call anonymously at 800/782-7463.
This is at least the 28th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
July 29, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Blaming bad drivers for the real problem on our roads, teaching a sainted pope to ride a bike, and ICE-y bike lanes in DTLA
Day 210 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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He gets it.
In an op-ed for the Washington Post, a Colorado auto and traffic safety writer says it’s long past time to address the real problem behind the 845,000 deaths on American roadways.
The poorly trained drivers behind the wheel.
Approximately 94 percent of car crashes involve some form of driver behavior like speeding, distraction, failing to yield or DUI identified as a contributing factor, although this doesn’t mean the driver is always solely responsible — bad roads, confusing or obscured signage, wildlife darting into the road, mechanical failures and other factors play their part, too.
But mostly, the problems lie with us. We aren’t very good drivers. And there is a potential solution: better driver training. If we can fix bad driving, at least partially, we can save thousands of lives.
Although he adds that better eduction of drivers can only do so much to lower the appalling death rate on our roads.
It would be wonderful to lower the death rate from 30,000 deaths a year to 25,000 or 20,000. I don’t think anyone thinks we’re going to get to zero. Some people will just be rotten drivers all their lives, and others will always ignore the rules.
But if we change the narrative and empower people to drive safely and skillfully, that’s a start.
Electrek calls ebike rebate programs a rare win-win offering cleaner air, less traffic and more mobility for people who need it most, as more cities and states provide them.
A new study from an Arizona law firm shows that North Dakota paid the highest dollar cost for bicycling deaths at $14,177 per 1,000 residents between 2020 and 2023, followed by Alaska, Montana and South Dakota. Although the story doesn’t explain how they calculated that cost, and doesn’t provide a link to the study.
The New York Times “Wellness Around the World” series joins pre-dawn bicycle “trains” in Bogota, Columbia, as groups of up to 100 riders join together for protection against thieves and get their days off to a great start.
July 28, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Paris offers a guide to transform LA streets in time for ’28 Olympics, and video of Ackerman ghost bike vigil in WeHo
Day 209 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
The magazine spells out five key changes Paris made, from expanding bicycle infrastructure and pedestrianized streets to offering financial incentives to leave your car at home, that offers steps other cities could take to emulate the City of Lights.
Take financial incentives, for instance.
The Parisian government has introduced financial incentives to encourage cycling. Subsidies for purchasing bikes, especially electric ones, and grants for bike repairs make cycling more affordable. These measures aim to lower the entry barriers and promote a culture of cycling .
The “Coup de Pouce Vélo” program, launched in 2020, provided up to 50 euros for bike repairs and up to 200 euros for the purchase of a new electric bike. This program has been extended due to its success, with over one million Parisians benefiting from these subsidies . The country of France has also offered as much as 4,000 euros as an incentive to switch from a car to an e-bike or bicycle…
Governments can support cycling by offering financial incentives for purchasing and maintaining bikes. Subsidies and grants can make cycling more accessible to a broader population, fostering a more inclusive cycling culture .
Research: A study by the European Cyclists’ Federation found that financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase cycling adoption, with countries like Belgium and the Netherlands leading the way in offering substantial subsidies.
Then they take it a step further — or five steps, actually — to consider how to make tough choices and navigate political will, which is where Los Angeles has repeatedly failed.
It’s worth reading.
Because right now, the talk of making major changes to LA’s streets in time for the 2028 Olympics looks like just that.
Talk.
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The West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition shares video of the vigil and ghost bike for Blake Ackerman, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding home from work earlier this month.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A competitive cyclist in St. Louis, Missouri will be out of commission for the next several months because a hit-and-run driver brake-checked him after rolling down his window and yelling at the victim; that comes just two weeks after another rider was verbally and physically assaulted in the city, though police won’t say if the two incidents are related.
The San Francisco Standard says if there’s a war on cars, the cars are winning as the city slowly surrenders to the automobile, despite efforts to encourage alternative transportation.
A Florida man was killed by a sheriff’s deputy while taking his usual morning ride to the beach as the deputy was responding to a crash with lights and siren; investigators suspected that he might not have been able to hear the siren, or could have thought emergency vehicles had all passed before riding his bike out into the intersection.
An English woman says instead of being the best time to ride, summer is actually the worst time to ride a bike in London due to “fair-weather cyclists, drunken riders and tourists,” causing gridlocked bike lanes, unpredictable behavior and a more chaotic commute.
Yet another tragic reminder to always carry ID with you when you ride, as detectives in the UK thanked the public for their help in identifying a man in his 70s who collapsed and died while walking his bike. Put a copy of your driver’s license in a secure pocket, wear a RoadID, write your name and phone number on your bike, or use some other form of identification that won’t get stolen if you’re somehow incapacitated in a fall or crash.
Pogačar didn’t win the final stage, however, after Wout Van Aert dropped him on the climb to Montmartre, after the Tour dropped the traditional ceremonial, champaign-swilling final stage in favor of a more competitive finish.
There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or how long the woman, who hasn’t been publicly identified, may have been down on the Bellflower street she was discovered. Or if she could have survived if the driver had stopped and called for help, as the law requires.
Investigators are looking for the driver of a white pickup, believed to have fled north on Clark Street.
This is at least the 27th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
This was also the 6th person to die riding a bicycle in LA County in less than a month, and the tenth SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and her loved ones.
July 25, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Three WeHo/Hollywood hit-and-runs within 10 blocks and 20 days, and road-raging driver runs down Fullerton bike rider
Day 206 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
The victim, who was just riding his bike home from work, was lucky to escape serious injury, despite being sent flying off his bike.
That was the driver’s second attempt at running him down. The first came when the driver swerved at him from behind and missed.
He was more successful in his second attempt, after apparently turning around and cutting across traffic lanes to target the victim from the other side of the road.
Fullerton police are looking for as a red two-door car, possibly a Dodge Challenger, and hoping to find security video showing the car’s license plate,
Anyone with information is urged to call the Fullerton Police Department at 714/738-6800.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No bias here. Yucatán Magazine says bike lanes in Mérida, capital of the Mexican state, are showing mixed results after three years, with some people using them while others still bike in the traffic lanes, while suggesting the mere presence of the lanes contribute to greater traffic congestion. No, too many cars are the cause of traffic congestion. And of course people still ride in traffic lanes if bike lanes don’t take them where they need to go.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
The Pasadena Planning Commission unanimously voted to turn North Lake Ave into a new Old Pasadena, with plans calling for wider sidewalks, landscaped medians, a comprehensive streetscape strategy, and new bicycle facilities. Which could mean anything from physically protected bike lanes to a few random bike racks.
Westlake Village became the latest city to join in on the rush to crack down on ebikes, banning all electric micromobility devices from virtually everywhere but city streets, while allowing sheriff’s deputies to ensure compliance, but “only during lawful stops.” Well, that’s comforting.
State
Fullerton’s 3rd Annual Christmas in July Bike Ride will roll through the city’s streets tomorrow, with Santa Claus trading in his sleigh for a mountain bike. Please pass along my wish for Santa that someone will find the road-raging SOB who ran down that Fullerton bike rider, and lock his ass up for a damn long time.
An op-ed in the Guardian says the bicycle is an important part of Ireland’s past, and Irish cyclist Ben Healy’s brief time in the Tour de France’s yellow jersey can inspire a revival of bike riding in the country.
Reuters says Australian Ben O’Connor “stormed to a sensational victory,” on yesterday’s stage 18 of the Tour de France, his “eyes blazing with determination,” as he “launched a ferocious solo attack on the fearsome Col de la Loze.” Well, okay then.
After becoming the first African man or woman to win a Monument, Kim Le Court reflected on her unusual entry to the sport, taking it up because her parents and brothers were bicyclists, after first trying tennis, golf, touch rugby and soccer.
“We need to be thinking about this from every angle, from the way we design vehicles, to what safety features are in vehicles, to employing technology like speed cameras across the state in a thoughtful way, to driver’s education,” she (Friedman) said.
Friedman also commended West Hollywood and other cities for implementing safer traffic measures, calling the increase in fatal collisions a “public health crisis.”
Because a public health crisis is exactly how we need to be looking at traffic violence. Just like we should consider gun violence, but don’t.
In both cases.
The paper also quotes Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, founder Damian Kevitt citing a “shocking” increase in traffic violence in the city of just 34,000 people.
Kevitt also cited the problem of drivers fleeing following a crash because the penalties for hit-and-run are more lenient than for DUI.
“That is a huge factor and that is where the law needs to catch up,” he said.
Kevitt added that reducing traffic congestion by adding surface area on streets has not been successful in Los Angeles and that using alternative means of transportation is a more effective way of reducing vehicle congestion.
However, we’re not likely to reduce congestion until people feel safer using other forms of transportation on those congested streets.
Because the hit-and-run alert programs for both Los Angeles and California were copied from Colorado’s successful program, which itself was based on the very successful program patterned after the Amber alert system that originated in Denver.
The only difference is they use it, and we don’t. Which just might have something to do with why Colorado solved every felony hit-and-run in 2022, while only around 20% ever get solved in California.
Or maybe they just care enough to devote the resources necessary to solve them, and the cops and elected leaders out here don’t.
A Hollywood judge will now determine whether a 62-year old Pasadena man will stand trial for killing his wife, dismembering her and stuffing her remains in a suitcase, then taking his bicycle on a train, riding his bike to North Figueroa and setting the suitcase on fire in a Home Depot parking lot, after his attorney questioned the man’s mental competency. Gee, ya think?
Burbank unveiled its draft Safer Street action plan, including plans for traffic calming measures on nine separate streets; you can weigh in at the August 12th city council meeting.
Just like West Hollywood last weekend, nearly 100 people in San Rafael gathered outside City Hall Monday evening to honor a “beloved husband, coach and cyclist” who was killed while riding his bike last month, and demand that the city fix the dangerous intersection where he was was run down by a driver.
A Canadian woman just set new Guinness World Records for the fastest speed on a Penny Farthing by a woman at 25.93 mph, and the fastest women’s one kilometer on a Penny Farthing. But bikes like that have only been around for 150 years, so no big deal.
