How Do We Change Driver's "Indifference"? This Impacts Us All

We've all seen this - texting while driving, driving while distracted, and rolling through a stop sign. Sure, we as cyclists are under scrutiny for stop signs and lights (an argument for another day) but let's be honest, the impact of a car/SUV/truck is much worse. 

CINCINNATI — Ninety percent of American drivers admit to risky driving practices, such as drowsy or drugged driving, running red lights, or texting while driving, according to new data released by AAA Thursday.

Ninety. Percent.

And it’s not just that they admit it, AAA said. It’s also that they don’t really care.

“It’s not that most drivers don’t know the difference between right and wrong, safe or unsafe,” AAA spokesperson Cheryl Parker said. “But there is a culture of widespread indifference, leading more and more people to pay a deadly price.

How do we change this?

Full article:

http://www.wcpo.com/traffic/aaa-study-finds-widespread-indifference...

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl on February 26, 2016 at 5:01am

Obviously education isn't the answer. The only thing that would seem to make an impact is accountability through increased enforcement. Without enforcement, drivers believe they can "get away" with their behavior.

Just this morning I watched as a driver let a passenger off in right turn lane at Elston & Logan. The driver then began inching forward, despite Elston having the red light. The driver then crept into the intersection and drove through, despite the light being red the entire time. He didn't get ticketed, he didn't get hit, he totally got away with it. 

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on February 26, 2016 at 5:50am

Steeper fines and greater effort on enforcement.

Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on March 1, 2016 at 5:23am

Steeper fines and greater effort on enforcement.

Thread/win

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 26, 2016 at 8:21am

I've lived in Chicago for most of my life. I've seen a major cultural shift from a stronger sense of community to people not caring about other people. It seems to go hand in hand with corporate consolidation, lack of job security, lack of job opportunities for many people and other societal ills. Unfortunately, this is hardly unique to Chicago.

Without enforcement, it's like the Wild West out there.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on February 26, 2016 at 7:21am

A thought - distraction caused by texting and phone calls might be solved with technology. Possibly find a way to either warn/require an opt-out to access (illegally) the phone so that passengers can use their phones or just prohibit it while the car is in motion. I realize this probably seems extreme but given the number of distracted motorists that end up causing crashes, the loss of life is even more extreme.

Permalink Reply by ReinaG on March 4, 2016 at 9:06am

I see this with GPS in vehicles.  Not  in all but where you can't modify or begin a route unless you're at a complete stop.  This isn't a bad idea!  Maybe something along the lines of your car recognizing the phone use if it's connected through USB or BT? 

It's tough not to be pissed when the car to your left is rolling forward at the stop while texting.  I'm happy to be next to them and not in front but damn.  I've recently tried to just let a lot roll off my back for the sake of not losing the joy riding brings me but it ain't easy. 

Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on February 26, 2016 at 8:02am

Well the only way I know to avoid their indifference is by infuriating them, and I know if they hate me, they can see me. 

There are probably fewer people who would willfully do murders than who cause distracted driving collisions. 

Permalink Reply by John Durham on February 26, 2016 at 11:11am

This is my method on narrower streets / lanes. The stretch of Division that runs past Humboldt Park comes to mind.  Two lanes, but not wide enough for safe travel with a car and a bike next to one another.

I ride in the center of the right hand lane and most (like 98%) of the drivers are fine, but every now and again someone is just livid that I'm am forcing them to change lanes, or more often the case, preventing them from accelerating wildly in the right lane to pass 2 cars and then swerving back to the left. But they do see me.

Permalink Reply by ReinaG on March 4, 2016 at 9:09am

Thank you for sharing this!! Every time I ride in that exact spot I contemplate day time lights and riding on the sidewalk (YUCK).  It never occurred to me to take the lane because I wasn't sure how successful I'd be. 

Permalink Reply by Brian aka "Lord Helmut" on March 7, 2016 at 11:26pm
If 98% of the people are cool with you legally holding a lane of traffic, count your blessings!

In the Phoenix, Arizona area, including supposedly bike friendly communities, you will likely NOT be tolerated legally holding a lane of traffic. Why? Because the bicycle population doesn't exist here the way it does in the great City of Chicago and people probably don't know the law and they don't care.

I was run into the gutter by a school bus driver, then after I caught up with him and basically asked him what the h-ll he was doing, he assaulted me with the doors of the bus which pushed me into the door of a car. Clearly, when there's no bike lane for me and the sidewalk is inconvenient or illegal, I should be able to sprout wings and fly or something.

Safe travels to all of the bicyclists of Chicago including ChicagoMan!
Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on February 26, 2016 at 9:14am

As urban cyclists, we are in a better position than most to notice texting while driving. We travel fairly slowly, generally sit up pretty high (except for Gene), and often pass (or are passed) close by cars. I have thought about phoning in obvious infractions, but maybe some public shaming with photo/video evidence (both the offender and his/her license plate) would work better.

As to Anne's observation about cultural shifts, I experienced the difference spatially instead of temporally on my recent trip to Mexico. I had the opportunity to walk and take cabs in and around Puerto Vallarta, and also ride a bike from Tepic to Las Varas in Nayarit. Many of the roads in P.V. are in bad shape, the streets are narrow, and there is a lot of traffic (including many buses and cabs), but everything just flows along nicely. In particular, nobody honks. I think in the week we were there, I heard one horn. 

Compare that with Chicago. On my way to work this morning (Evanston to the Loop), I'm sure I heard at least three or four horns honk, and that's with nearly half my commute on LFT. If you aren't Johnny-on-the-spot when the light changes, you can count on someone behind you honking. Nobody cuts anyone else any slack. By honking, they are saying, in effect, "Get outta my way! I have more important places to be than stuck behind some cretin like you!"

The ride from Tepic to Las Varas was mostly on Federal Hwy 76. This is winding rural two-lane road, in pretty decent condition, but with really no shoulders to speak of. White Line, Lane, Center Line, Lane, White Line. That's it. There is no paved shoulder at all. Well, maybe a couple inches. Still, cars were patient to pass us. Nobody honked. When I flatted and we were fixing the flat (George did most of the work), even though we were intruding on the lane a bit (remember, no shoulder), nobody got bent out of shape or yelled at us. Can you imagine the insults you'd get here?

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 26, 2016 at 11:15am

I'm glad you had such a good experience in Mexico.

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