You! The One Driving the Car

We just spent the day volunteering as traffic control for the Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo.  The KRGF is an annual event that gives bike riders a chance to ride around the East Kootenay, there are three events, the Gran Fondo 196 K, the Medio  105k and the Piccolo 60K.  It is a fund raiser organized and conducted by the Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary Club. This year there were 375 riders ranging from age 6 to 80.  There were in addition 125 volunteers who looked after the aid stations, traffic control and a host of other services.

You would think for the most part that the majority of people on the road would take the inconvenience of having to stop and let a group of bike riders make there way through an intersection as nothing too serious and a minor interruption to the day.

 It was Saturday and there were no real emergencies so why would someone come unglued swear at the traffic control individual and ignore the stop sign and actually drive through the intersection endangering the lives or a rider?  Do other lives mean that little?

What are the consequences of ones actions if in fact they did injure a bike rider by failing to obey the traffic control person?  1. Driving privileges are lost immediately. 2. A traffic offense chargewould be laid  and if  the person on the bicycle died the charge would be Vehicular Homicide (manslaughter) and could that could lead to a jail sentence. 3. But the problems would only have just begun, the rider or the family of the rider would sue for damages, the insurance company may or may not defend the case depending on negligence.  Whatever the insurance company decides the end result is probably bankruptcy within six months. 4. How does all this effect the rest of the family? It could lead to  job loss, loss of the family home and savings.  How will the family react? Will the spouse and children be sympathetic if they no longer have a house to live in? 

You have probably have never given any of this a lot of thought. That's fine, that is your prerogative, but the next time you decide that you can drive at 110k instead of 100k or pass without thinking, or disobey a traffic control person, maybe you will think about these things and decide to slow down take a pause and ask yourself if it is really important that you get there in five minutes or ten.

Sadly this summer there have been fatalities in accidents between bikes and cars here in the Kootenay's and the criminal trails and law suits have begun. What a horrifying way to have your vacation come to an abrupt halt because you never paid attention to the bike rider in the on coming lane as you decided to pass. I fell sorry for the family of the biker and I feel sorry for the family of the car driver who will suffer imeasurably for an action that could be avoided just by slowing down.

I truly hope that everyone will take a moment to just think before they act.