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“The Bicyclist Was Not Wearing a Helmet”

07.13.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 17 Comments

It’s a little story.

A short item in the police blotter section of the Austin American-Statesman newspaper tells of a collision between an SUV and a bicycle.

After reporting that the northbound cyclist was in the righthand lane, and was hit by the SUV, the reporter included the line, “The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet.”

So what?

That line implies that the cyclist was at fault. But the information about the crash said the SUV was coming from the opposite direction, and turning into a business. So it should have yielded to oncoming traffic, including the cyclist. The item did not point out that the SUV failed to yield to the cyclist. Instead, we learn that the cyclist was not wearing a helmet. There is no mandatory helmet law for adults in the state of Texas or the city of Austin. The information is irrelevant.

What would be relevant is whether the police ticketed the CRV driver for failure to yield. After all, the cyclist had to be taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

This is the kind of little thing that can have negative repercussions. Bike-hating drivers who see the item will shake their heads and cluck their tongues, and mutter about those no-good cyclists.

Why didn’t the paper include a line about the driver being at fault in this case?

“We do not assign blame in straight news stories unless quoting/citing a police report or spokesman,” tweeted the Statesman’s social media editor, in reply to an outraged cyclist’s inquiry.

The Bike Noob worked in the news media for 16 years before becoming a journalism professor. I can explain a little about how this sort of thing happens, although I don’t defend it.

Newsrooms, like all organizations, operate on a set of routines. Collecting items from the police blotter is a matter of routine, handled by one of several reporters assigned to the police beat. Most blotter stories are short, because by newsroom standards, they don’t affect many people. That’s the situation here.

Once the reporter gets the information from the police, she writes it up, and moves on to the next story. Since only minor injuries were involved, it isn’t worth the reporter’s time and effort to get more details from the police. So she misses the chance to dig deeper and find out if the police are blaming the driver for the collision.

But the helmet info was probably included in the incident report filed by the police, so she dutifully made note of that.

I once worked in a TV newsroom with a policy of stating whether a cyclist wore a helmet whenever we reported on a cycling crash. Most of us weren’t cyclists. It seemed reasonable to include that information. We didn’t consider that we were making the cyclist appear to be at fault for not wearing a helmet.

But that’s just what happened here. While the paper did not “assign” blame to the cyclist, by reporting that she wasn’t wearing a helmet, and not reporting any action against the motorist, only the cyclist was put in a bad light.

What will it take to correct this prevailing attitude? Keep calling it to the attention of editors. Things aren’t really going to change, though, until more reporters and editors join the ranks of cyclists, and are alert to implications that such a seemingly innocuous line could have.

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Categories // Safety Tags // helmets, news media

Who Are You? No One Will Know Without ID

07.06.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 16 Comments

Guest poster Jeff Hemmel looks at two different types of ID for cyclists to carry.

When a Tour de France rider goes down, chances are a support car is close behind. But when you or I go down, especially if we happen to be riding alone, proper ID is essential in order to get help, have our friends or family contacted, even alert first responders to any medical concerns. I used to never worry about it. Then I started stuffing a scrap of paper with my home number into the back pocket of my jersey. Now, like countless other riders, I actually wear one of the commercially available ID bracelets available.

There are two popular forms of ID on the market — Road ID and Xtreme Sports ID. Road ID comes in various forms. The standby Road ID Sport is a nylon web wristband, although a more upscale rubber wristband with watch-style closure, dog tags, and even shoe and ankle IDs are available. Xtreme Sports ID is like the ubiquitous Livestrong wristband, a molded silicone rubber band pulled over the hand.

Road ID

In classic form, Road ID allows the buyer to display virtually anything they want (the obvious name, birth year, contact telephones, and blood type are suggested) on a laser-engraved stainless steel plate. An “interactive” version allows two lines of user-selected text, and then refers first responders to a toll-free number and website, where a variety of personal information can be recorded and accessed via a personal code on the back of the plate.

Xtreme Sports ID

Xtreme Sports ID takes a simplified version of the latter approach, including a toll-free number and personal code sunk into the wristband itself, which can be used to access the wearer’s personal information in the Xtreme Sports database.

Both databases are pretty easily negotiated. Filling in your info is like filling out a simple form. Xtreme Sports adds an additional feature in that wearers can record a “where I plan to ride” note, and have it sent to three personal contacts each time it’s updated. Xtreme Sports ID’s $9.95 purchase price includes one year of service free. Renewal fees are $5 annually. Road ID’s $19.95 price for the Sport Interactive includes one year of service; subsequent years are $9.99. Road ID lets first responders call the phone number or access the website for info; Xtreme Sports keeps the website just for the user to record personal info, and furnishes info to emergency personnel by computer voice.

I have both an Xtreme Sports ID and Road ID (blog-police alert, I received both for review purposes in my so-called “real” job). And I like each ID for different reasons.

I think one of the primary advantages to Xtreme Sports ID is its simplicity. The rubber bracelet doesn’t stay damp, doesn’t need a form of closure, doesn’t take on odors, etc. Xtreme Sports ID is limited, however, in that it requires a phone call to get even the most basic information.

In contrast, the basic Road I.D. is a nylon web band. It will stay damp when wet, and as anyone who has ever owned a nylon web strap watch will attest, will begin to smell over time. A simple wash with soap will solve the problem, but it does require a little more maintenance. I like, however, that your basic info — like name, year of birth, numerous emergency contacts, and blood type — can all be immediately presented. Even the interactive version, with its accompanying website and toll-free number, allows several lines of user-selected text.

Which do I like better? I like the concept of the Xtreme Sports ID – a simple rubber band. I can put it on and literally forget about it. But I prefer how Road ID immediately offers up the basic info – who you are, and who to contact first. I also like the many options of Road ID. I can have a dog tag, an ankle bracelet, or even a fancier style rubber band and closure that won’t get damp and smell like the basic is prone to over time.

What about you, do you wear ID? And if so, which do you prefer?

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Categories // Accessories, Safety Tags // Accessories, Road ID, Safety, Xtreme Sports ID

Low Water Crossings

06.01.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 2 Comments

During spring, rains bring high water in rivers and creeks. Sometimes, these streams rise above the level of roads and make a wet spot in the bridge area. Because the water is so shallow in these spots, however, it’s tempting for cyclists to ride across them.

My advice? Don’t.

I was on a ride with some acquaintances southwest of Dripping Springs, Texas. I’ve mentioned this area a time or two before. The rural roads are usually devoid of motorized traffic, and they’re hilly enough (and rough enough in places) to be interesting. A number of small creeks run through the area, and after the spring rains, the water runs across the road for weeks. In Texas, we call them “low water crossings,” because the water is quite shallow — maybe just enough to wet the surface, and usually less than a half-inch deep.

Anyhow, one of the cyclists who rides these roads more frequently than the rest of us told us about one spot in particular that was still covered with water. She warned us that we might want to walk our bikes across that bridge. Since it came just before we turn to go up a challenging hill, the temptation was to keep up our momentum and ride through it.

The lead rider shot across the bridge, splashing through the water. I thought I might do the same thing, but stopped just short of the wet part. There was algae on the concrete, and that makes the difference between a wet road surface and a slippery road surface. I dismounted and walked my bike across several feet of wetness.

As I was crossing, the third rider in line decided he would ride across. He got even with me, and I saw his wheel slide out from under him. His momentum carried him across the water, but he went down hard on the dry pavement.

After the crash. The rider, in the green jersey, is okay.

He wasn’t badly hurt, but did have some nasty road rash. “I just rode across that Friday [two days before],” he exclaimed.

We got an early introduction to low water crossings. My wife encountered one on her first organized ride, three years ago. She couldn’t clip out of her pedal fast enough, and went down on her side when her front tire hit the water. We’ve been leery of them ever since.

Even very shallow water, if it’s moving, can knock your tires out of line and cause you to go down. Couple that with algae in the water, and the road surface become as slick as ice. Walk across the wet spots. If you’re concerned about losing time, you can pedal faster on the dry parts.

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Categories // Safety Tags // water

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