on a recent Friday, Jim Slothower was riding his bike from Bend to Redmond for a family dinner. The experienced cyclist says he was making good time, about 25 miles-per-hour along Obsidian Road, when an approaching car turned left directly in front of him.
“I swerved to right to avoid head-on [collision] but went down hard,” recalls Slothower, a 69-year-old retired attorney who has ridden road bikes in Central Oregon for nearly 40 years, putting in an average of 3,000 miles each year.
The crash cost him four broken ribs, a punctured lung, cuts and bruises, $2,150 in bike repairs, and damage to a host of other accessories. He says he spent two days in the hospital with a leaky lung. But it’s not the first time something like this has happened to the avid cyclist. It’s the third time he’s broken ribs in a bike crash. Slothower counts himself lucky he didn’t get a concussion this time.
Unfortunately, Slothower’s story is not unique. While serious bicycle accidents are not as common in Bend as they are in Portland, local road cyclists and bike commuters say they don’t always feel safe on the road.
Casey Corcoran, owner of Blackjack Bioregional Infoshop, says he and his friends have been pelted by rocks, glass bottles, and eggs while riding bikes. Another reader says she knows people who rig their trucks to spew thick, black smoke when they pass cyclists. When we asked readers about their experiences, many chimed in with stories of near misses, accidents, and outright harassment. Even City Councilor Nathan Boddie has had his share of run-ins.
“I have been struck by a car three times over the years, once in Bend,” says Boddie, who sometimes commutes by bike from his westside home to his job at the hospital. “Thankfully, only some bruises and road rash resulted.”
What makes biking in Bend such a risky proposition? It depends who you ask. Anytime the topic of bicycle safety comes up, it quickly becomes a battle of blame between drivers and cyclists.
“How about stopping at stop lights and signs? That tends to help the whole safety thing,” recommends Ellie Sullivan Cuff. “And just maybe wear a helmet.”
Meanwhile, cyclist Katrina Dunmire takes motorists to task for not paying enough attention.
“I’ve been nicked numerous times by people pulling out of businesses, on cell phones, trying to control their dog in the car, etc.,” Dunmire writes. “Someone in the school zone on Bear Creek just about hit me while trying to pass the school bus. I’ve learned to start kicking out headlights or kicking a good dent in vehicles.”
But neither side has a monopoly on responsibility. And many people who both ride and drive point out that both drivers and cyclists sometimes break the rules or fail to pay close attention, with potentially dangerous effects.
Even so, it stands to reason that drivers who don’t have much experience riding bikes on the road might lack a certain perspective.
“Most motorists who don’t ride bikes are completely ignorant of the danger posed to bike riders by vehicles that are driven too close to bikes, of drivers who honk when they go by, don’t signal turns, etc.,” says Slothower.
Of course, that’s why there are traffic laws. The only problem, not everyone knows the law as it pertains to cycling and sharing the road, and not all those who do, follow it. Most people get their drivers’ license as a teenager and never again revisit the rules of the road. And for cyclists who don’t drive, there is no test. (For a refresher, see Side Notes.)
Not surprisingly, the most common causes of collisions are a result of not following relevant traffic laws. According to Brian Potwin, education coordinator for Commute Options, common missteps by cyclists include riding on the wrong side of the road (toward traffic), failure to obey traffic control devices, and not having proper lighting or reflective devices. For cars, the common culprits include not yielding the right of way and turning in front of a cyclist who is going straight through an intersection.
“It’s about 50/50. Half the time it’s people riding bicycles at fault, half the time it’s people driving,” Potwin says. “No matter what mode of transportation you use, conflicts are going to happen… Knowing the rules of the road and following the rules of the road increase positive interactions.”
Many cyclists and motorists also advocate for increased enforcement of existing traffic laws, including ticketing people who talk on their phones while driving and drivers or cyclists who fail to signal.
Peter A. Werner, a local attorney who commutes by bike “95 percent of the time,” and often in a suit and tie, says that increased law enforcement offers one of the greatest opportunities for change.
“Why would people obey the speed limit [as drivers], or obey stop lights and stop signs as cyclists if there are no consequences?” Werner asks.
But beyond basic rule following, many bike riders say that infrastructure changes are also needed to reduce conflicts between cars and bicycles and advocate for more physical separation between cars and bikes.
In the meantime, Werner suggests that drivers and cyclists alike work on being more aware of who and what’s around them.
“Most people don’t understand how to navigate the roads vis-a-vie each other,” he says. “I think there’s a breakdown when you put a windshield between you and someone else.”
This article appears in Jun 17-24, 2015.
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I’ve had way more close calls where a biker almost hit my car than the other way around.
One time after exiting the roundabout at 15th and Galveston I signaled right to pull into a parking lot and some yahoo comes flying up behind me on his bike and tries to pass me on the right, as I’m signaling right! He barely swerved out of the way before I crushed him with my SUV, but holy crap that was reckless of him.
Another time I was stopped at a stop sign and there was some shrubbery in the adjacent yard which blocked the view of the sidewalk. This lady comes flying up on her bike, on the sidewalk, going the wrong direction, and almost plows into my car as I pulled out. Then she has the nerve to yell at me even though she was going the wrong direction and was riding on the sidewalk. Guess what lady? Nobody can see your dumb ass when you ride like that and you are going to get hit sooner or later.
I have ridden bikes my whole life so I hate to say it, but a lot of bikers ride like morons.
Correction on above post, it was the roundabout at 14th and Galveston.
This argument seems to be a two way street, you know.
Yes, cyclists do ride like morons at times. But I’ll ask this, what’s more dangerous, someone riding a bike like a moron, or someone driving like a moron? Easily 80-90% of drivers break the law during their trip, either out of intention, ignorance, or conditioning to the point of unawareness. If cars only weighed 19 lbs and went 20 mph, then we’ll have the “two way street” discussion, in the meantime, it’s not a two way street. You moving 4000 lbs. at high speed, please pay attention, pass when it’s safe, look for all road users while driving, and understand and follow the laws.
Examples of ignorance of cycling laws are outlined by theguythatsaysthings comments that puts cyclists at risk. If you’re on either 14 or Galveston, that means there was a bike lane. You have to yield to cyclists in the bike lane. That means if one is there when you’re turning right, you stop and wait for them to pass on your right. In the other example, yes, the cyclist should be entering the crosswalk at the stop at pedestrian speed, but there is no “wrong direction” for a cyclist on a sidewalk. They can go either direction. Please educate yourself on laws before your next SUV trip.
I am very sorry to hear of the injuries. These are the types of stories that I hear every day in the context of the smart growth debate. Just last week, I met someone who was in a horrible bike accident in Tempe, Arizona.
Another land use issue, here, since Bend’s population density is 2300 persons per square mile. That is very high for a mountain town with a particular focus on cycling and outdoor recreation. More people – more cars, more congestion, unsafe for cyclists. Tempe, Arizona – 4300 persons per square mile due to smart growth. Lots of bike accidents.
Consider that Flagstaff’s population density is 1000, and that Truckee, Incline Village, and Sedona are only 500. Even Scottsdale, Arizona is 1100 – but that’s an average since south scottsdale is dense, but north of Shea Blvd, cycling is very safe, with a population density of well under 800.
Flagstaff also has dedicated off road bike pathways, since the City Fathers envisioned a city where cycling would be a major part of both commuting and outdoor recreation. Bend, could do this, however, the State of Oregon DLCD and LCDC requires that every square inch of vacant land be turned into a Smart Growth Tower or old fashioned townhome development. Why not spread people out and give folks half an acre in the pine trees, like in Flagstaff? -Tom Lane
after a few thousand miles of pedaling in and around Bend, i have to agree with the author. I’ve had diesel drivers spew black smoke (intentional slow down, downshift and stall out the engine), Pickups and SUVs (in general) are the bigger vehicles that dont give room and ride the white line, even with fresh oil/gravel signs out. It can be hair raising in what we call traffic here… Much more dangerous feeling than Portland, Eugene, or major metro areas I’ve toured.