Can we PLEASE start by not calling crashes "accidents" any more? There is NOTHING accidental about nearly all of these incidents. If they're caused by lack of focus, intoxication, distraction, falling asleep at the wheel (what happened in Santa Cruz), illegal maneuvers, "sun blindness," poor road design, or most any other excuse--THEY ARE NOT ACCIDENTS. Please please PLEASE refer to them as "crashes." That at least begins to create a mind shift away from the mass apathy toward deaths on the road.

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Because Blabby forgot... "BIKES!"

I continue to be amazed at the number of cyclists, and pedestrians, who are on the roads ands sidewalks after dark without hi-vis clothing and/or lights. If you are riding your bike or jay-walking after dark without the above mentioned items, you are just asking to get ran over. Personally, if I had my way, anybody caught riding their bike at night with no lights or hi-viz clothing would have their bikes confiscated on the spot and have to make arrangements to get where they were going. Do people have a death wish? It sure seems like it.

I mean, I agree, but I'm struggling to find a better solution. The truth is, the justice system doesn't need to be anymore clogged up with revenge-seeking punishments for people who were (perhaps) careless but will (likely) carry the guilt of their actions for a lifetime. What does a fine do after the fact? Will the money go directly toward attempting to prevent future deaths? How can we do that?

It's senseless. That's the point. If all bicyclists work on being predictable, and all drivers keep their eyes sharply focused on the road, crashes will still happen. It's the sad price of sharing the road. Bicycling comes with a lot of pros and cons, and one of the cons is that you are tiny and vulnerable in the roadway.

@ERN: What do you want to DO to someone who was (terribly, horribly) momentarily blinded by the sun? Flay them? Put them in the stockades?

@ujfoyt: You're an idiot. How about we impound the car of every driver who gets pulled over for speeding? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

edit: Also, you're tragically misinformed on the utility of high-visibility clothing. http://safetyatworkblog.com/2011/09/04/whe…

ujfoyt: I am also amazed by cyclists not wearing hi-vis clothing after dark and agree that all should. That being said, I've personally been hit WHILE WEARING said clothing with multiple lights on my bike (they ran a stop sign and t-boned me while I made my legal left turn). A driver can't see you when they don't bother looking.

The difference between a thoughtless cyclist and a thoughtless driver is that the former will likely suffer significantly while the latter may kill others without harm to themselves. Very unequal consequences for similar thoughtlessness.

Imposing punishment for someone ignoring their own safety isn't a great solution because the natural consequence is much worse than the imposed punishment. Education, awareness and reform are better solutions. Educate cyclists about safe riding, raise awareness to drivers about cyclists' right to be on the road, and reform laws/communities to create safer roadways for every vehicle and provide meaningful consequences for thoughtless drivers who are AT FAULT for collisions with cyclists.

ujfoyt- Would cars stop hitting one another if they were all painted signal orange?

Fun fact cars will still almost hit a signal cone orange bike. In broad daylight no less.

@Melogna--My point has nothing to do with what sort of punishment people should receive. My point is that they are NOT accidents. If you're driving, and you can't see because the sun is in your eyes, and you *keep* driving, and you *hit* someone, that is NOT AN ACCIDENT.

Also, I don't know, maybe those people should receive adequate punishment for KILLING someone? Sometimes, very little happens.
$114 fine: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/10…
hung jury: http://road.cc/content/news/74613-jury-fai…
no criminal charges: http://www.koin.com/news/driver-cited-in-f…

Regardless, we should not be calling such crashes "accidents."