Beware Kids on Bikes....

I was driving on Clairborne today towards Safeway around 10:20am. A little guy maybe 10 years old if that came out on his bike from the walking path. Without stopping or even glancing for traffic, he went from the walking path onto the road. I had to swerve my car (and I was moving very slowly) and thank goodness there was nothing in the left lane. He then proceeded to the intersection of Clairborne and Waxpool. The light was red for those of us on Clairborne but that did not stop him from crossing over all lanes and making a left turn -again- onto Waxpool without bothering to look or stop even though a van in the left turn lane had to be blocking views. He could have so easily been hit by a car coming from Waxpool and turning left onto Clairborne and it would not have been the drivers fault.

This little blond haired guy was wearing black swim trunks with large hawaiian print flowers on them and sporting a back pack.

I know any of us would have difficulty living with ourselves if we hit a child on a bike but at the same time after observing first hand how this little guy paid no attention to traffic, I can see how tragic and unnecessary accidents happen.

The sad part is without knowing who this little guy belongs too there's not much one can do about it except post a warning here to be vigilant for the kids on bikes.

 

that is an important reminder- even kids who "know better" can become single minded when they are on their bikes headed for the pool or a friend's house, and forget every ounce of what we drill into their heads about safety.
my 7 year old who has been looking both ways since he could WALK, stepped out into the road right in front of a car recently because he saw the people we were meeting across the street. i was right there, getting out of the car and yelled his name when I saw his feet leave the curb. were it not for a vigilant driver going slowly and noticing what might happen, my kid would be biggest bug in his SUV's grill right now.

did you blow your horn and scare the heck out of him?

 

I thought about it but given there were other cars around at the intersection, I didn't want to scare him into having an accident! However I'm sure the drivers of the other cars must have been concerned for him as well.

 

I had a similar near miss yesterday on Village Drive. Same situation...a kid on a bike heading away from the SW pool cut across Village without looking behind him. I'm glad I noticed him and was going slow enough to stop.

 

a good scare is almost always what it takes to make kids realize what danger they put themselves in, otherwise they are completely oblivious to how close to serious injury they just were, and will do the same thing AGAIN. he might not be so lucky to have an attentive driver saving his life next time he rides that same route.

maybe i'd feel <a little> bad if a kid fell off of his bike when i honked but I'd feel worse if he was laying in a hospital because he continued to ride unsafely and had to learn the hard way to PAY ATTENTION when riding his bike across the road.

a little fear is a GOOD thing if you ask me... kept me from breaking bones and stepping into the street in front of cars more than ONCE when i was a kid. never forget stepping off the curb in a car's path as a kid and the driver made a HUGE show of slamming on the brakes, getting out and yelling at me that i could have been killed, wasn't i paying attention, etc. then asking me where i lived and going right up to my mom and telling her (calmly now, as one concerned mom to another i guess) that i stepped out in front of her car and almost got killed. i don't recall that she was THAT close to me but i was locked up in mortal fear- not of her car but of MY MOTHER! :^O

looking back now, being grounded was preferable to being a hood ornament- but man how i HATED that lady who narced on me... lol

 

I considered telling the boy how dangerous it was to cross the road without looking, but then I imagined waking up with eggs and toilet paper splattered about my house and a few windows of my car bashed in. I decided to keep my thoughts to myself...

 

Carol,

The swimsuit you described and the time of day means that the boy was on the swim team, probably riding home from the Southern Walk pool. Maybe other swim team parents can pass your message around to try to figure out who it was. Your description probably narrows it down to about 25 or fewer households. Unfortunately, the swim team just finished its year -- otherwise, I would have suggested that you stop by the pool to talk to the coaches.

That was definitely not a safe thing to do.

 

We are no longer in Broadlands now so I do hope this message would get passed on even if the teams have finished or alternatively perhaps a message of reinforcement/warning/rules of riding bikes to be published in the monthly newsletter? Okay...you can just call me the epitomy of the Mother Hen!

 

Question:

Should bike riders be on paths and sidewalks?

I have had some near misses.