The fatal collision on Foothill Road near Golden Eagle Way, on June 9 involving a bicyclist from Dublin, who was struck and killed by an 18-year-old driver from Pleasanton, has caused community debate about the safety of both bicyclists and drivers on roads in Pleasanton.
Although police officials have not yet released the cause of the collision, numerous commenters have mentioned past encounters on Foothill Road. Patch reader "Jake Ryan" posted in the comments section, "Let's not let fear rule us, but what about COMPASSION, and CONSIDERATION on sharing the road?????? What has happened to people?"
Reader "Gary Facts" commented, "I've seen literally dozen's of near accidents with bikes along Foothill over the years. A Ferrari crashed near there a few years back and killed a man."
Sharissa Nelson posted her opinion about the Foothill collision on Facebook: RIP, poor guy/gal. When will bicyclists get it... they're not cars!!! They should get designated days/roads. Foothill is a windy road with a 45 mph speed limit in most parts - I've had to slam on the brakes quite a few times to avoid a bicyclist.
According to the most recent statistics available from the Office of Traffic Safety, Pleasanton is among the more dangerous places in California to ride a bike.
In 2010, for example, only 11 cities out of 103 with a similar population counted more bicycle collisions than Pleasanton. The city's streets were even more perilous for bicyclists under the age of 15 in 2010, with only seven cities reporting more accidents.
Nearby in Livermore, four people were struck in four collisions in under two days over the weekend. Three of the collisions involved pedestrians and one involved a bicyclist.
[Related article: 4 People Struck by 4 Cars in 2 Days]
In an article posted by The San Francisco Chronicle, Sean Co, a bicycling coordinator for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission was quoted as saying these types of collisions are not usually caused by the road conditions but rather the behaviors of drivers and the cyclists.
Co told the Chronicle, "Ninety percent of accidents are caused by human behaviors, whether that's using drugs and alcohol, failure to yield or aggressive driving. Everyone has to be careful and not get complacent on the road."
April was "Distracted Driver Awareness" month in California. During the month of April state, county and municiple law enforcment focused on drivers texting or using their cellular telephones while driving. The recently released report says that 57,000 drivers were ticketed for those violations during April.
The California Office Of Traffic Safety released tips for drivers about safe driving including a tip about focusing on the road.
"Don't text or talk on your cell phone while driving -- even hands-free. If you need to use your phone, wait until you stop in safe
place, such as a rest stop or parking lot. Don't program your mobile GPS while you are driving. Either have a passenger do it or stop in a
safe place. Share driving duties with other passengers to avoid fatigue. Rest -- driving while drowsy can be fatal. Even a 30 minute
nap can help. Stop for food or beverages. Avoid eating while driving. Don't drive aggressively"
Are there certain roads in Pleasanton that are worse than others? Do you avoid any roads in town because you feel they are unsafe due to either drivers, bicyclists or road conditions? Tell us in the comments section below.
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