A new kind of danger stalks the streets

An accident is about to happen here.

 A viral news clip of an e-bike rider being pulled from beneath a VW Beetle by people who rushed to help inspired RideApart managing editor Janet Jitchotvisut to hammer the news station, and local police, for blaming the e-bike rider for the accident. 

She wrote: 

"Watch this video the entire way through, and you're likely to get whiplash from how quickly the newscasters and the police start trash talking the e-bike rider, simply because she's riding an e-bike. They're quick to say the VW was making 'a legal right turn,' and then talk about how this e-bike rider just comes 'speeding up on the shoulder' before crashing into the car. 

"While it's true that the e-bike rider could have been more vigilant about their surroundings, shouldn't the VW driver have been, I don't know, using their side mirror to check that there was a cyclist or a pedestrian or anyone else to their right before executing that turn? Is using your mirrors just not a cool thing for drivers to do anymore?" 

I do not lack sympathy for the injured rider of the e-bike, but I disagree with Jitchotvisut, because I think she may have missed two important things.

First, the video shows the original Beetle has no right-side mirror.

More importantly, look at the speed at which the e-bike rider approaches to pass the Beetle on the right.

My point is that a new type of accident has become likely on our streets: fast moving electric two wheelers moving up on the right.

Here is how I responded, in a RideApart comment:

"To my eyes the clip was not as negative about e-bikes as I had expected. As a driver I now DO look back hard to the right when making right turns, because we've had these kind of accidents in our community.

"This IS something new.

"Yes, it could have been a pedal bicycle at extreme speed, but that isn't the sort of accident we're seeing. The e-bikes are FAST, faster in general than a bicycle that is doing anything except racing, which is rare.

"I know that legal definitions don't necessarily agree, but an e-bike, to me, IS a motor vehicle. Riders should be trained, tested, registered and insured, if required in their state. If required they ought to have helmets. And, for the sake of common sense, they should not be in shorts, T-shirt and flip flops as many are."

Do you blame that VW driver for not fitting a right-side mirror, required or not? Well, did you know that U.S. cars still are usually not required to have right-side mirrors (although new ones usually do)?

According to Car and Driver magazine:

"Federal regulations today require a rear-view and driver's side mirror, and a passenger mirror if the inside mirror does not meet specific field-of-view requirements. State regulations vary but most agree side mirrors are only required if the center mirror is obstructed. All agree that objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

Presumably, legal regulations lag the advent of this new kind of accident.

Cars should have those mirrors, and drivers should check them and drivers should look back hard to the right when turning right, to avoid this new danger.

E-bike riders can increase their own safety by being mindful of what motorcyclists already know: we are invisible to other drivers.