I came across this story from a Wisconsin Fox affiliate about one of their photojournalists who is a cyclists and decided to start video taping his rides so police would believe him when he claimed motorists were acting aggressively. He was successful in getting a motorist ticketed in one instance but had the police try to blame him in another which was a complete contradiction to Wisconsin law. Cyclist have a right to the road and unlike in Texas, there is a 3 feet minimum passing distance requirement.
Wisconsin DPS is doing a training of officers in bicycle laws much like the proposed training of 100% of APD officers in the draft City of Austin 2020 Master Bicycle Plan. The Fox story ends with an anecdote from one of the classes. The instructor asked how many officers were comfortable with their knowledge of bicycle laws and not a single officer raise his hand.
So there you go. The people in charge of enforcing the law admit they don’t even know what the law is. Now you know why you don’t get any respect on the road and why motors who commit manslaughter run over cyclists get a slap on the wrist, especially if you’re a cop running over a 10 year old on a bike (warning, linked video is disturbing.)
Related posts:
- Asheville firefighter shoots cyclist over argument about safety ...
- APD continues the “There is no crackdown” crackdown on cyclists ...
- Millville, NJ cyclist beaten by police after riding on the sidewalk ...
- Local political blog pokes fun at cyclist/car interaction, Smart Cars ...
- Fox reporter charged with dragging cyclist four blocks in Central Park ...
on Mar 15th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
As a safety matter, the law needs to be changed such that no one can obtain or a renew a drivers’ license or be licensed as a police officer without knowing the basic principle that bikes belong and cars must yield the right of way.
I actually experienced a Montgomery County Deputy Constable, trying to bully me off the road with his pickup truck. Like the morons in the film clip, he opined that I was not permitted to be in the active traffic lane. I gave him a piece of my mind, dared him to give me a ticket. He declined until I wrote to his boss. I got a post-dated ticket, which the DA later dismissed, and now I intend to meet one on one with the elected constable.
(It helps being a lawyer).
on Mar 18th, 2009 at 11:45 am
[...] Wisconsin Fox News photojournalist and cyclist documents close calls with motorists – Why am I shocked to see that some in law enforcement believe that cyclists have no right to be on the road? Anyway, my favorite parts of the video are the montages of the dude shouting at cars passing too close. [...]
on Jul 20th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Having grown up in WI, I’m sadly not surprised to see the “legal opinion” issued to this man. For some reason, if you’re not going the speed limit or higher in WI, you’re bound to get tailgated or honked at, even when you’re in a car. It’s just the strange driving culture that’s developed there. It really leaves cyclists up a creek. Only now that I live in OR have I realized that that’s not normal.