Trucker cleared in fatal Porter Square crash with bicyclist

By adamg on Wed, 04/04/2018 - 8:56am

Cambridge Day reports and takes a look at efforts to increase bicycle infrastructure in Cambridge.

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So I have since learned that

By cden4
Thu, 04/05/2018 - 3:16pm

So I have since learned that the truck was also turning left. So that means that driver was going faster than the bicyclist and ran him over while they were both moving, and that the confusing signal configuration likely wasn't an issue in this case. I guess that means that Mr. Lavins merged left into the middle lane directly into the blind spot in front of the truck? I have a very hard time believing that.

It used to be that back in

By anon
Wed, 04/04/2018 - 7:21pm

It used to be that back in the day it was a good bet the average big rig driver would be a lot more astute and considerate than the average straight truck driver, but it seems that is no longer the case. Sadly, instead of straight truck drivers being held to a higher standard than previously like you might think, now parity is achieved by allowing the semi drivers to be held to a lower standard. The reputation of truckers was sterling. People used to say to me as a kid you could always count on a trucker if you needed help, the way people said it of cops, teachers, etcetera. I remember discussing with friends that among a hierarchy of motor vehicles you could depend on semi trucks to be the most predictably safe to drive near. I'd have to eat those words now because lately it seems that a failure to assume the driver of any semi truck will take the absolute worst possible course of action at any given time is likely to get you killed.

Well,

By whyaduck
Thu, 04/05/2018 - 1:01pm

if I had to take a poll, the highest number of vehicles that stop for me at crosswalk near my home are tractor trailer drivers.

If had to take a poll

By spin_o_rama
Thu, 04/05/2018 - 4:19pm

The highest number of vehicles that don't stop for at the crosswalk near my home are motor vehicles. And that includes the vehicle that rolled through the stop sign, hitting me and sending me to the hospital.

It is depressing that law is willing to blame Lavins.

By cinnamngrl
Mon, 04/09/2018 - 5:21pm

The Cambridge DA's statement says that driver's are not responsible for hitting anything in their blindspot. It is everyone's but the truck's responsibility. For some reason, I have been surveying the road and my mirrors carefully and making careful calculations to determine whether there was anything in my blindspot, but if I get a truck license then I don't have to. It is bizarre how little municipalities care about pedestrians and cyclists.

Odds stacked against cyclists

By space2001
Tue, 04/10/2018 - 10:45am

All it takes is a single driver's inattention to destroy a cyclist and their family's life. It could be argued that the truck driver in this case had a momentary lapse in attention. However, having ridden for several years (much like so many others here) I can with assess with high confidence that there are drivers who drive with complete disregard, if not with outright malice, towards cyclists. These drivers unfortunately are not an insignificant fraction of the driving population. This much is obvious to everyone.

As a cyclist the only hope I have of surviving is to treat every driver as a roving sociopath who will gladly bump me off the road for causing even the slightest inconvenience. My two cents here is to keep an ear out for what's behind you, and if it sounds beastly - do not ever ever attempt to veer into it even if it means having to ride through pot holes the size of a trash can.

The fact remains there are too many supersized SUVs and heavy duty trucks (with huge trailers, improperly tethered, overhanging equipment, etc.) on the streets that there is simply no way for a cyclist to guarantee their safety. At the end of the day it is the cyclist who pays the price and the driver will probably only carry remorse (sometimes not even that).