That’s really getting some skin in the game. Glad the Chief’s injuries were no worse.

Zippo, do you feel the same way about pedestrians?

Guardian, LOTS of cyclists get KILLED in this exact situation- not something to be light about of “siren and not on call”. The right hook kills people.

EQUAL fault is with the Chief.
In the TV interview the Chief said, “She said she just didn’t see me”.

Well that is 99% the bicyclist’s fault.
A bicyclist’s #1 priority in traffic is to BE SEEN.
Secondly, when approaching an intersection where a right hook is possible, a cyclist should be looking to the left for a car overtaking them ready to turn right. DEFENSE.

Imagine a fire truck on call zipping through an intersection and crossing traffic vehicle t-bones it.
“I didn’t see it”
Well, that is why emergency vehicles have lights and sirens- To be seen.

In fact, there is a bike horn available that sounds like a car horn.
MAKE SURE THEY SEE YOU!

A bicyclist in that situation has the right of way. But the RIGHT and safe thing is to BE SURE drivers can see the cyclist on the road.

Major fail on Chief Doan’s part!
He should have been cited too- “Lack of Due Care to be seen”.

When this happens, some day, to Chief Bones on his bike, or the Mayor, perhaps Boise Police (& Ada) will get serious about enforcing bicycle rules, etiquette, and good practices.
Or maybe, just maybe Chief Doan will have a good conversation with Chief Bones after this ‘close-call’.

I am glad that he is okay. Capitol and Grove is the intersection where this happened. 2 things happened there last week. First ACHD painted a green “bike Box” without educating people in cars or on bikes as to what the green box means. Secondly, ACHD allow a contractor to block the bike lane while Dunkley’s music was demolished. Both of these leave all road users thoroughly confused.

Eastern, others: Yes! Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Motorcycles… all are like ants on an active pool table. It’s not if, it’s when will they get crushed. The cost of this foolishness often falls on society. I’m a proponent of minimizing the foolish tempting of fate… so as to minimize the cost. Fees and insurance to be certain there is cost coverage falling on the individuals involved. Bicycles in particular have been getting a free-ride at the expense of all. Just look at the money diddled away by unsuccessfully attempting to overcome the obvious physics problem when mixing with vehicles. I’m not sure how, but passing the cost of accommodating bikes onto the bikers seems logical. Don’t worry though, it would make Bietter and friends look bad in all the lifestyle magazines… so it’s ain’t gonna happen.

Jason, agreed- from the legal standpoint the driver is at fault.
As they say in driver’s training, “Being right aint much good if you’re dead.”

However, the “drivers fault, period” at all times is not correct. In the absence of an actual bike lane, the vehicle and bike are equals using 1 lane of traffic. IMagine 2 motorcycles approaching and intersection and the motorcycle on the left side of the lane uses a blinker and turns into a parking lot like the another motorcycle is proceeding past the turning motorcycle… whoa! What is the second motorcycle doing?

A bike “passing on the right” presents questions.
A bike “exceeding speed for the conditions” (cars stoppped in front) is another possibility.

When in doubt, refer back to Rule #1. Stay alive. -which means a driver (biker) has a duty to avoid a collision if possible.

So, it is not always “green and white”. That’s an analogy to a green painted bike lanes for the non-library types. 😉

Saw a beautiful one of these today!

Idaho & 8th.

the biker was in the bike lane accelerating and going faster than the traffic.
Me in middle lane.
Black truck on right lane. And a crappy green Gremlin car in front of the black truck.
The green car does a sudden right turn onto 8th street – NO blinker, of course. But everyone turns onto 8th St there. Otherwise you wouldnt be in the right lane jammed up with buses.

But as the biker passed the truck, I expected the truck to do the right turn onto 8th. I was getting a little nervous- about my schedule and having to write out a witness statement.

But then bang! it was the green car instead.
Biker was passing vehicle traffic and made a bad situation.
Fortunately the bike braked hard, hopped, skipped… changed his underwear and then proceeded.
I don’t think the driver of the green car had any idea what happened.

I– from the luxury of an nearby car saw it coming. That biker should have too.

Easterner, I do agree with you, and I believe that’s why the bicycle markings on that street are ‘sharrows’ in the right-most lane of traffic, rather than in the marked bus/taxi lane.

On a bike, I do filter forward on the right when cars are stopped at a red light, and generally this is OK – especially so on a road like Main – with limited inter-block driveways. Once the light goes green, I merge back into the lane to not become a victim of a right-hook. Main st. has slow enough traffic that I can reasonable keep up with cars, and it’s usually not a problem.

If I had it my way, I’d have ACHD re-time the downtown core light ‘green-waves’ to 15-20mph, so cyclists would feel more comfortable biking this way. When cars are going this slow, the rate of collisions greatly decreases, as well as the severity of collisions.