My wife had a MVA that involved a man in a bicycle. She was turning right on a green light and as she made the turn the bicyclist smacked into her car with speed right at the passenger side front fender. The dude was wearing no helmet, no light in the bike, and he was riding in the sidewalk. He was complaining of pain but refused medical assistance. Cops where called and even though my wife had the green light and the man struck the vehicle, the police blamed her and gave her a traffic ticket for not yielding to pedestrians. 

I believe he was not a pedestrian as he was on a bike and bicyclists have to comply with traffic laws just like vehicles but he was on the sidewalk. I will research more but what do you guys think about the cops decision? We plan on fighting it.

Pedestrians are like Sailboats...almost always have the right of way.

Is there a camera at the intersection or one that may have caught it? If it shows her in the crosswalk first, she should be o.k.

I once saw a drunk guy on a bike slam into the front fender of a car (the driver's name was Michael Jackson! lol) and even though it was in a crosswalk, the cops blamed the biker. I stuck around as a witness just in case, but they didn't even need me.

In NJ a person on a bicycle is not a pedestrian, they are a pedacyclist. 

NJSA 39:1-1 Words and phrases defined

"Pedestrian" means a person afoot. 

This is a good resource when researching NJ MVA issues:

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/accident/pdf/NJTR-1CrashReportManual12517.pdf

NJ is so screwed up and it is not just gun laws.  Throughout Morristown they now have painted bicycles on the road and have signs up that bicycles are entitled to take the entire lane and it is illegal to pass them.  Are they crazy out of their minds?  So if a guy on a bike is going five miles per hour he has the right to backup traffic throughout the entire town?  This is crazy.

1 hour ago, Howard said:

NJ is so screwed up and it is not just gun laws.  Throughout Morristown they now have painted bicycles on the road and have signs up that bicycles are entitled to take the entire lane and it is illegal to pass them.  Are they crazy out of their minds?  So if a guy on a bike is going five miles per hour he has the right to backup traffic throughout the entire town?  This is crazy.

That, and those pedestrian crossing that are 15 feet apart.

He was a pedalcyclist. Fight it. You will win. She had the right of way.

 

 

I hate f*^king bike riders. They think they own the road.

It's even worse by the GW bridge when they're out in packs of 30+ holding up traffic

wearing their aerodynamic spandex suits as if going 3mph has some challenge to the wind

 

Bicycle is treated as a vehicle, vehicles should be using the vehicular traffic lanes not sidewalks.

"39:4-14.1 Rights and Duties of Persons on Bicycles. 
Every person riding a bicycle on a roadway is granted all the rights and subject to all of the duties of the motor vehicle driver."

I ride bicycles all the time and nothing bothers me like seeing other cyclists ignoring the rules of the road.  Well, getting hit or harassed by idiots in cars--when I am legally operating a bicycle in accordance with NJ law--that bothers me more.

6 hours ago, Howard said:

NJ is so screwed up and it is not just gun laws.  Throughout Morristown they now have painted bicycles on the road and have signs up that bicycles are entitled to take the entire lane and it is illegal to pass them.  Are they crazy out of their minds?  So if a guy on a bike is going five miles per hour he has the right to backup traffic throughout the entire town?  This is crazy.

I do not think it is illegal to pass, but most states have laws that you must give a safe passing distance.  Usually it is three feet.

I generally ride as far to the right as is safely possible.  However, if there is no shoulder--such as crossing the route 37 bridge to Seaside--I will take the entire right lane.  In that case there are three traffic lanes but no designated bike lane.  The lanes are very narrow, and if I stay to the right some idiot will try to pass me within the lane and likely kill me.  If I take the entire right lane it forces drivers to change lanes and pass safely.

5 hours ago, PK90 said:

He was a pedalcyclist. Fight it. You will win. She had the right of way.

 

 

I hate f*^king bike riders. They think they own the road.

Spandex warriors, Lycra lions, leMans losers, etc?

6 hours ago, PK90 said:

I hate f*^king bike riders. They think they own the road.

It is a great way to travel.

It's one thing to take the entire lane when there are multiple lanes, it's entirely different when there is only one travel lane.  I really think bikes should stay on the sidewalks - a lot less risk to pedestrian vs bike versus bike vs car.  Roads are for cars.

6 hours ago, Howard said:

It's one thing to take the entire lane when there are multiple lanes, it's entirely different when there is only one travel lane.  I really think bikes should stay on the sidewalks - a lot less risk to pedestrian vs bike versus bike vs car.  Roads are for cars.

Illegal in most places, sidewalks are for pedestrians, not vehicles.

Most roads have plenty of room for automobile, motorcycles and bicycles--even in NJ.  Generally, for training, I try to find roads with less traffic for cycling.  It is just more enjoyable that way.  But I also use it all the time for errands--grocery store, gun range, visiting people, getting to work.  Sometimes you can't avoid roads with traffic

6 minutes ago, leahcim said:

Most roads have plenty of room for automobile, motorcycles and bicycles--even in NJ.  Generally, for training, I try to find roads with less traffic for cycling.  It is just more enjoyable that way.  But I also use it all the time for errands--grocery store, gun range, visiting people, getting to work.  Sometimes you can't avoid roads with traffic

Have you ever clubbed a dog with a tire pump? Why do you clip in clip less pedals? Do you have the prostate hole in your seat? Do you like the way your shoes sound when you get a banana and Gatorade at the deli?

59 minutes ago, Zeke said:

Have you ever clubbed a dog with a tire pump? Why do you clip in clip less pedals? Do you have the prostate hole in your seat? Do you like the way your shoes sound when you get a banana and Gatorade at the deli?

I don't like those long frame pumps. They make decent, high pressure pumps now that fit in your Jersey pocket. I just outrun the dogs.

Clipless is a bit of a misnomer, the term came about because the old style straps back in the 70s were called toe clips.

What's a prostate?  ;-/

And yes I do love the clickety clack of my shoes. Makes me want to start tap dancing.