Cyclists Who Violate Traffic Laws, and the Motorists Who Kill Them

Cyclist Killed in Ohio yesterday, March 22, 2014, while riding a  brevet.

A recent Facebook post by a friend, and my response:

The Post:

John C____: The big problem Steven B______ is that those pissed off drivers never retaliate against the rider that pissed them off. It is always another rider down the road. Another problem is that there are a lot more drivers than there are riders. They have a much stronger voice it getting new legislation that can harm our ability to ride anywhere we like. Public perception is very important to us as a whole.

My Response:

Let me just say that I'm deeply saddened by the fact that John's comment about a motorist retaliating against a cyclist can be made so casually? Retaliate? How? By hitting a cyclist with their car? Running them off the road? Killing them? What a harsh and severe penalty for something as trivial as breaking a traffic law. OK, we shouldn't blow through traffic signals or stop signs. Nobody should. But to say that a cyclist somewhere (maybe your friend, or brother, or father) will be the subject of "retaliation" with a deadly weapon (yes, cars are deadly weapons) is really tragic. Let's put an end to that sort of mindset, starting right here and right now. There is no such this as "retaliating against a cyclist." It's murder (or manslaughter) or assault, and it too often means the death or serious injury of someone we know. 

What do you think? Let everyone know in the Comments, below.