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Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

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Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#41

Post by tylermac1 »

Terretta wrote: post #22
joonix wrote: post #6

When will we stop tolerating the flagrant waste of life that occurs every day as a result of our addiction and worship of the automobile?

Probably the day after we stop tolerating the even more egregious waste of life that occurs every day from mass over consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and, well, food.[1] Accidents are only 7th in the top 10 killers, and automobile accidents are a fraction of that category[2]. If we want to tackle major causes of death, this is the place to start: 1. http://www.policymic.com/articles/24365/9-leading-causes-of-... 2. h…

Exactly this. Alcohol is linked to over 75,000 deaths per year [1] while bicycle related deaths are around 700 per year [2]. There needs to be much more focus on alcohol/tobacco related injuries than deaths.

1. http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm

2. http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/bikeinjuries.ht...

Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#42

Post by frobozz »

josh2600 wrote: post #31
technotony wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Glass?

That's a really interesting comment. I think there are battery limitations, but maybe you could design Google Glass with an App that triggers on abrupt physical displacement (IE a collision). I wonder if that would help. You definitely couldn't stream continuously because of battery and bandwidth limitations.

On collision is too late. You need to know the lead up to an accident, not the flight of the device through the air afterwards.

Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#43

Post by betterunix »

tylermac1 wrote: post #14
joonix wrote: post #6

When will we stop tolerating the flagrant waste of life that occurs every day as a result of our addiction and worship of the automobile?

When we can find a viable, safer alternative. The automobile has been a staple of growth of modern society since it's invention. There's no other current form of transportation that can be a drop in fit. But in reality, no matter the form of transportation, there will be deaths involved, be it accidental or not. It's a fact of life. Sad, but inevitable.

"But in reality, no matter the form of transportation, there will be deaths involved"

Sure, but:

1. This was a hit-and-run, a problem that is unique to automobiles. Buses and trains do not have a significant hit-and-run issue; they are operated by people whose job is to operate them, and they are on regular, organized schedules.

2. Automobiles are among the most dangerous forms of transportation.

On the whole, though, I agree with the sentiment: Seth's death would be just as terrible if he had been hit by a bus, train, or airplane. This is not a story about how terrible cars are, it is a story about a man's tragic death.

Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#44

Post by thwest »

Terretta wrote: post #22
joonix wrote: post #6

When will we stop tolerating the flagrant waste of life that occurs every day as a result of our addiction and worship of the automobile?

Probably the day after we stop tolerating the even more egregious waste of life that occurs every day from mass over consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and, well, food.[1] Accidents are only 7th in the top 10 killers, and automobile accidents are a fraction of that category[2]. If we want to tackle major causes of death, this is the place to start: 1. http://www.policymic.com/articles/24365/9-leading-causes-of-... 2. h…

Personal consumption is a completely different realm than dangerous systemic infrastructure decisions. I'll give someone the right to die fat and drunk on their own, but I absolutely abhor how our roads make murderers out of us.

Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#45

Post by notatoad »

dusing wrote: post #34
antr wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A camera mounted on the bike/helmet is the best solution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqSp4XZX0CU

Funny how the video also shows them running a stop sign. I think you have to follow lights and stop signs even in the bike lane, right?

Not necessarily. In some regions cyclists are legally allowed to treat a stop sign as a yield sign.

Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#47

Post by eddieroger »

eterm wrote: post #33
Terretta wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably the day after we stop tolerating the even more egregious waste of life that occurs every day from mass over consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and, well, food.[1] Accidents are only 7th in the top 10 killers, and automobile accidents are a fraction of that category[2]. If we want to tackle major causes of death, this is the place to start: 1. http://www.policymic.com/articles/24365/9-leading-causes-of-... 2. h…

But if you were to sample leading causes of death among 18-40yr olds then car accidents would be top. Smoking is abhorrent but it still tends to kill the older, car accidents kill young people.

Smoking kills people slowly, whereas bike accidents are faster. That doesn't make either better or worse, and if anything, not really comparable.

Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#48

Post by xanderstrike »

tylermac1 wrote: post #14
joonix wrote: post #6

When will we stop tolerating the flagrant waste of life that occurs every day as a result of our addiction and worship of the automobile?

When we can find a viable, safer alternative. The automobile has been a staple of growth of modern society since it's invention. There's no other current form of transportation that can be a drop in fit. But in reality, no matter the form of transportation, there will be deaths involved, be it accidental or not. It's a fact of life. Sad, but inevitable.

The bicycle could have been, and is in many cities (see Copenhagen or Amsterdam). The decision to include the automobile as "a staple of growth in modern society" is the reason it isn't a drop in fit. We designed our cities around dangerous, pollution producing power tools, and in doing so squashed out any hope of implementing something better.

If you think about it, the only reason the bicycle isn't a safe alternative is because there are cars on the road. I don't have statistics on this, but you almost never hear about solo bicycle accidents resulting in fatalities, only ones involving cars.

We're on our way back now, but it's a long road (so to speak).

Re: Seth Vidal, creator of yum, killed in hit and run accident

#49

Post by jwoah12 »

moskie wrote: post #32
bti wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The U.S. is huge and spread out. Not everyone has the luxury of having all their needs within a 10 minute bike ride. We need that automobile infrastructure to get places so it makes sense that it is prioritized.

But you've got it backwards. The point is that the "spread out" nature you're talking about was created with the idea in mind that everyone will have a car and will drive. That was a conscious decision, and not a necessary one. Also realize that it was by design that you don't view having a car to be the luxury.

I'm fairly certain that the US was large and spread out well before cars were invented.
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