Changing The Way We Talk About Fatal Incidents
Written by Boston Biker on Aug 12This summer has seen the tragic deaths of three young cyclists in the Boston area. I have had the displeasure of writing articles about them all. Covering these incidents (for lack of a better word) I have noticed a general trend in the way people talk about these events.
All one has to do is browse the comment section of any of the news stories about these crashes (including on this site), and you will see that the reactions to these deaths seem to fall into a couple general categories.
In no particular order they are:
Blame the/all motorist(s)
Blame the infrastructure/laws
Blame the/all cyclist(s)
Defend the/all Motorist(s)
Defend the/all cyclist(s)
Express sympathy (for the motorist, or the cyclist, or both)
I am stuck that people talk a lot but don’t actually say anything. What I mean by that is that people get so focused on one aspect of their argument that they miss the chance to actually learn much from these deaths. And learn we must, it is simply unacceptable that these young people are dying on their bicycles. When anyone dies on a bicycle, we all are diminished, no matter what way we choose to travel around town.
It is no wonder that these conversations seem to so quickly spiral down into general bickering. Whenever someone has died, saying anything that even remotely sounds like criticism of the recently departed sounds heartless. Similarly anything that even remotely sounds like it trivializes the death also sounds crass and cruel. These young people have paid the ultimate price for some form of carelessness (be it on their part, or someone else’s), piling on “you should have worn a helmet” seems pretty low.
But where does that leave us? Is it really Us vs Them? As cyclists are we forced by our shared camaraderie and decency to always blame motorists? Can we really not have a conversation about these issues because the specter of death looms so large that we are unable to discuss the topics in a fact based way? I don’t know, but I hope not.
Ever since Eric Hunt died and I met his father I have been thinking about these issues. Over and over in my head I have been thinking about safety, infrastructure, helmets, how we convince people to follow rules, if following the rules is the answer…in short I have been highly confused and seeking a cogent way to change the behavior of people I see as acting dangerously, both cyclist and motorist. Now that two other young people have died tragically early in life, my confusion has only grown.
This is not going to be a blog post where I wrap this all up in a neat package. I don’t have an answer to my own questions, and am not sure I have had enough time to allow my emotions to calm down so I can think rationally about these things.
Here is what I think I know. We have an infrastructure and a culture that is not conducive to safe bicycling. We have road users of all classes (pedestrian, motorist, cyclist) that are breaking the law in large numbers. We have several safety options available to us as cyclists (helmets, following the rules). It is unclear how effective these options are, but there does some to be some evidence that shows that it is better to avail yourself of them rather than avoid them. And finally we have road users of all kinds engaging in behaviors that are unsafe for themselves and others.
So when a cyclist dies in a fatal car on bike accident, and is not wearing a helmet, what do we do? How do we discuss this incident in a respectful manner? How do we learn from an incident like this without belittling the loss of a human life? What can we learn? How can we avoid such an incident in the future? Is this even the thing we should be talking about? Again, I don’t know.
Deep inside me something says that there must be a middle ground of respectful inspection and introspection that leads to some greater understanding of safety. There must be a way we can change the world and ourselves to make us all safer. It would be a monumental tragedy if we learn nothing from these deaths.
I am reluctant to leave the comment section for this post open, as I fear that this conversation will also degrade into the lowbrow bickering that has sprung up so many other places, but I feel confident that you will all discuss how we can change the conversation from “Us vs Them.”
So I ask you all, how can we learn from these fatal crashes, how can we make ourselves safer, how can we convince fellow road users of all stripes to be safer when they operate their chosen form of vehicle, what can we do so that no more young people will end up dead? How can we do it in such a way that is respectful to the memory of our fellow cyclists who have died? I don’t know the answer, but I am going to keep thinking about it.
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By Roland Adams on Aug 12, 2010 | Reply
All those things you say are true, and I would like to add, it is confusing as hell trying to figure out the right way to do things in this state. For example, I spent about 20 minutes today reading MGL to see if it said anything about whether a car should merge into a bike lane when turning right or stay out of it until its time to cross. It really doesn’t say, at least in plain language. The law in California is clear enough, and you can find the answer in plain English in the DMV manual. In the driver/cyclist debate, and in a basic conversation on cyclist safety, clear language is the start of education and we don’t seem to have that yet.
By Andres Salomon on Aug 12, 2010 | Reply
Not only do we have road users constantly breaking the laws in all kinds of ways, but we also have a serious education problem. Too many people aren’t aware of where to report problems and unsafe conditions. Too many people don’t understand the local laws (and the complexity of these laws doesn’t help). This includes police, who have been known to give incorrect information regarding laws.
It’s rather mind-boggling how many simple improvements *could* be made. I do think it simply starts with education; once people are made aware of their rights, or the rights that others have, they begin to expect more. They assert themselves. They demand things. This demand fosters change.
By Kendra on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
I agree that it is so hard to talk about this, and yet because we know that cycling is still becoming part of the mainstream in this city it’s important to talk about.
I think that part of our trouble is in trying to learn or make sense of something as complicated as the end of someone’s life. Personally, I find it much easier to “make sense” of my own accidents, or to talk about non-fatal accidents. It’s very difficult to talk about something as complicated and completely unknown to us when we don’t know the victim and her whole life story. It’s hard even when we do!
I have a very clear “Wear a helmet!” bias, and I’m struck by these incidents (no pun intended). I feel so sad that they reinforce my point. No other point of view that I take in my life is reinforced or strengthened by the death or maiming of another human being. And how do we think about the motorists? I’ve made dumb mistakes driving but have never had to grieve them.
When I’m on the road, especially on narrow streets, or late at night, or on a bridge, I sometimes imagine that every car that passes me could kill me. I don’t believe this is a helpful point of view in the long run, but I believe it’s probably kept me safe. (Who can tell, we don’t know about avoided accidents… only about the ones that happen.)
I agree that it’s very hard to talk about. I think we need to talk about them like any young people who died in the service of something greater. They died trying to show us the freedom, efficiency, fun or risk of riding a bicycle. Just like anyone who dies for a good cause, they may be mistaken, confused, unskilled, but they died doing something I love.
Any motorist, no matter how big their error has to live with terrible memories if they’ve struck a cyclist. It’s painful for me to imagine how it might feel to be responsible for a death like that.
I don’t have any big insight, just an agreement that it’s a sticky question.
By i love espresso on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
Part of the problem is lack of follow up … not by you but by the authorities. We hear about a tragic accident and all speculate on how/why it could have happened or been prevented, but rarely hear the official, final “report” if there is one. For instance did the young lady in Brighton have her brakes fail? There appears something like a long single skid mark in the photo you ran. Did she really run the light? Was the driver speeding and thus not able to stop in time (when I drive I assume, when I have the light, that someone will be running the light illegally and proceed with caution. People hate driving with me). Conclusions such as these might help us all be safer going forward.
By Boston Biker on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
Espresso: I think what you are seeing is the shadow of the police tape, but you are right, knowing details like this would help.
But in a lot of cases its really hard to recreate details. Life is not like TV you can’t just call CSI and have them magic up all the details. So what do we do when we never find out that sort of stuff?
By Matt on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
A public education campaign, aimed at all three classes of road users? Focused on safety? Something like Same Road Same Rules, and maybe with animated diagrams showing different scenarios for all classes of road users, highlighting good (safe and legal) behavior, contrasting with bad (unsafe and/or illegal) behavior? Focusing on commonly flouted things (anyone running reds or crossing against the light, not making room for bikers legally in the lane or turning left), and also on the grey-ish or misunderstood areas (bikers shouldn’t ride across intersections with the pedestrian crossing light – but what about the SW Corridor park where the bike path sends you through a crosswalk, so is a biker supposed to cross with the light, get off and walk, etc?)
It’s a big topic, admittedly. And it needs some TV and/or newspaper/Metro coverage too, so that it’s not just for bike nerds on the web. No offense to bike nerds on the web, obviously.
By Mike on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
I dunno about trying to make sense of it all. Death comes to so many everyday in so many different ways. Bikers aren’t the only group susceptible to death due to carelessness whether it is their own, or someone elses. It just happens. There is no magic bubble wrap you can enshroud us with that will prevent it in the end. Minimize it perhaps, but the end comes nonetheless. If someone in these cases dies and they weren’t wearing a helmet I don’t think much of it one way or the other. They were out there in the world living life on their terms. So be it. To me, dying while doing what you love is a whole lot better than dying a lot of other ways. It’s sad to see anyone go, whether they rode a bike or not. Hopefully their family will find some peace with the loss.
By RH on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
For those of us who have been unfortunate enough to WITNESS the incident, the trauma of the event is what sticks in the mind. For those who are friends or FAMILY of the loved one who passed too soon, and tragically, the GRIEF of the loss might be what overwhelms a person. It is natural to want to control things so that it doesn’t happen again: i.e. tell all the bicyclists to wear helmets, tell all the drivers to slow down and respect bikes as traffic/share the road. I know I want to see a few areas reconsidered: 1. Consideration/discussion of the possibility for a bike helmet law in the state. 2. Consideration/discussion of early education / required driver training that includes respectful driving, consideration of bicyclists and motorcycles, etc. /// ON a whole other level is the reality of life and death — and how quickly we can pass over from one to the other. The Blame game is how some deal with the issue. Real Change is harder than that.
By Evelyn on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
I believe that Boston people get the impression that they are allowed the right of way when crossing the street no matter what cars are not allowed to hit them. A woman was jay walking on Boylston street three days ago and the man in the car pressed the breaks cause he did not see her, and so he shouted at her “watch where you are going! You can’t just walk in the street with a green light!” she said “It doesn’t matter i can walk a cross any time I want you can’t hit me! In Boston we have the right of way!” I though about this for a while.. for years people here in Boston don’t have strict traffic laws. We have millions of jaywalkers!! If the state enforced more laws to everyone bikers, pedestrians, and cars we would not have this problem of “I can do whatever I want.” Everyone has a “entitlement mentality” that is dangerous in this city.
By William Furr on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
Reading about these accidents makes me sick to my stomach. I’m so upset I literally feel ill just thinking about it. I have a tremendous mix of emotions: anger, grief, confusion, and sadness.
I really wish I had a constructive way to channel it all.
I really wish people would engage their brains before they engage their gears, legs, or fingers on a keyboard.
By jane on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
Thank you for reminding us to keep perspective and avoid blaming. I do not have answers either, but always wish I could point at some mistake that caused an accident so I could be sure not to make that mistake. If we cannot find an error to account for such a tragedy, I think we are more inclined to feel vulnerable to an accident. As a bike rider, I find it important to find a middle ground between being careless and so cautious that I am afraid to go out and ride. Riding and driving in so much traffic wears us down and may make us take chances we should not take. We would all be better off if we could find ways to reduce the volume of vehicles on the road – walk, ride, take public transportation, carpool, etc.
By John W. on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
Great, and greatly needed post. All road users, it seems to me, are faced with a great deal of contradictory information/stimulus. To name too few: drivers sometimes choose perceived convenience over cost(money, lives, environment); pedestrians choose to cross streets wherever they want instead of walking out of their way to a safe crosswalk; and cyclists choose to run red lights because they think it saves time or that it’s safer to simply get away from cars, even if for only a few seconds.
As cyclists and pedestrians, however, we are so much more vulnerable. I cry when I read about a person traveling by bike or foot being killed by an automobile. These collisions are always one-sided. The violence unspeakably horrifying. Streetsblog, sadly, is called to post nearly every week about a pedestrian or cyclist killed in NYC. These deaths are gruesome and routine, and no one involved escapes some punishment. Last summer, I believe, a handful of people were killed in Metro Boston by elderly drivers. If I remember correctly, two of the victims were children in crosswalks. One of the drivers was so ashamed and heartbroken about what he had done that he has confined himself to his home for the remainder of his life. This too is tragic. The elderly are pressed to make choices that could result in what we too often see as a tragic but passing story on the evening news.
I wish I had answers, too. I know that my disappointment in local and state government, and in MassBike, is as profound as the sorrow I feel for those who have died, and for those who will die until the streets are safe for everyone. My hope is that people will force some change. The seeds are here! On this blog! I hope that I am part of it. But an alternative to MassBike–a more local, better organized, and more active organization–is needed. During my time as an activist I learned that organized people have power. The CB’s (community boards) in NYC prove that neighborhoods can change themselves with persistent and assertive action. I know we’re all busy, but we manage to check in here often enough that a sliver of our time might be put to productive use. If BostonBiker would like to host a Meetup–or whatever we’d call it (not a summit)–to discuss a small, active, education/action-driven group to throw some transportation-reforming, safety-praising, life-saving, human-loving muscle around, that would be great. We could all join some other group, but there’s a gap that needs filling.
By mtalinm on Aug 13, 2010 | Reply
post of the year
By i love espresso on Aug 14, 2010 | Reply
John W., people united definitely bring about chagne. But what are some of the things these ‘other’ groups do to change hearts, minds, and behavior of all users of the road? it sure ain’t ‘critical mass.’
By John W. on Aug 14, 2010 | Reply
@ espresso: I’m not sure what you’re asking. Are the apostrophes in your post meant to be quotation marks?
If you’re asking what groups I namelessly referenced in my post, I’ll give a few: MassBike (which I named), Liveable Streets Alliance, Walk Boston, Boston Cyclists Union. These are all great organizations, they really are, but each one pursues an agenda that suits its focus and expertise. I think that’s great, and a smart way to get results. I want to belong to the group for the non-experts, the citizens that want 20mph speed limits on residential streets, increased pedestrian space, strict and strictly enforced school zone laws, rampant bike/walk to school programs (bike buses are great!), police patrols ON FOOT, bike racks on side streets, squares closed off to traffic more frequently so that families can walk and play in their neighborhoods without worrying about traffic.
You don’t always have to change behaviors; you change the rules, the possibilities of space and opportunity, and people adapt. You don’t have to explain to someone why they can’t drive down a closed street when it’s full of people.
Personally, I don’t have much of an opinion about Critical Mass. I’ve never ridden in one. What I like about it is something that often goes overlooked. Often it’s someone’s first “group ride”. Riding in a group offers the best bicycles have to offer us. Free, safe travel, fun, exercise, socializing–that’s the heart of these things. Critical Mass is a vestige of another city’s bike-boom. It seems useless (in its original form and purpose) in Boston. The rides aren’t big enough and the riders to follow the rides with persistent, organized action. Critical Mass is another reason another group is needed. Those riders don’t often fit into the established groups, but they’re people who show up. They’re the most important people! They friggin’ show up! An organizer’s dream!
Happy riding.
By bostonbiker on Aug 14, 2010 | Reply
john w: I think with a little checking of their various websites you will find that the groups you listed are working on almost all of those issues.
By Josh Greenberg on Aug 16, 2010 | Reply
Wonderful and thoughtful post and so needed. I cam across the most recent accident scene on my bike commute home from work and have been haunted by it all week.
I offer the following thought/suggestion from another part of my life. For several years, I was part of the City of Boston’s infant death review committee, which was tasked with assessing the factors and making recommendations about every infant death that occurred in the City (not sure whether still operating). It was staffed by the Public Health Commission, was a multidisciplinary group (e.g. a mix of internal “city government” and external “healthcare, policy, etc.” type folks.
We got access to a lot of information, could make recommendations in specific cases, and also point out larger policy issues to the city and state governments. Obviously, like with cycling, there were some issues that wound up beyond the scope of our ability to change them (e.g. poverty and domestic violence and parental substance abuse are bad for babies). But I do think that a thoughtful root cause analysis and follow up around specific incidents with the right group of people might allow for at least some incremental progress.
Just a thought.
By Ira F. Cummings on Aug 17, 2010 | Reply
This issue is definitely something that’s been on my mind recently. I was able to convince my wife that we should start biking together, and now I’m faced with her starting to ride to work on a regular basis. This is both wonderful—because I think it’s a really positive thing—but also frightening thing because I know that she’s not the most experienced cyclist. I also see more clearly from her perspective, as she must worry for my safety.
Really, I think it’s important to talk about these deaths with a seriousness and gravity that it warrants. Talking about them is the only way that things will change. Talking about them not just to our cyclist friends, but to our other friends, neighbors, family, anybody who will listen. It’s an easy issue to sweep under the rug for a lot of people. They drive to work, or they take the T all the time, and they certainly don’t bike to work. They don’t see what we see on a daily basis, and it’s near impossible for people to understand how perilous it is to bike in this city without doing it.
Lastly, since it hasn’t been mentioned yet, I do feel that it’s important to mention that the easiest way to affect change is for us to make the changes ourselves. I don’t claim to have a perfect record when it comes to following traffic laws, but I’m working on getting better. When I first started riding in Boston, it seemed like most people didn’t stop at lights. It was the exception rather than the rule when somebody obeyed the law, and so I felt that the laws didn’t really apply to me either. Now, it’s far more clear to me that riding safely—and legally—is just the smartest choice. I really hope to see a day when everybody I pass is wearing a helmet and stopping at lights, since we have no control over people in cars and what they do.