The times., 1897-10-31
ON BICYCLE ACCIDENTS.

About onc-third OF all the accidents nap
penirg 70 the cyclists Of the larger cities
aIe the esIlts of collisions between wheels
end horse-drIyen vehicles. Collisions lie
tween cyclists and pedestrians form the
next largest single division while bicycle
accidents, pure and simple, Ohose result
ing from breahares in machines reckless
ness in eoa>ting, defective FoadwRys, etc.),
average hardly more thar 10 per cent OF
the total-:L fact which SHOULD stand "a
tile best possible rebuke TO the common as
sertloi that the u,aa on the wseel is
re spouSihlr fOr vast MA iority Of all tie
casualties IN wricii he may have tart
II is not difficult TO understand the
large proportion OF accidents Whicn result
from violent contact bet ween wagons and
bicycles The very same perveTseness o1
spirit which encourages a driver To allow
his horses to loiter along in front of au
electric car, 10 tie annoyance uf the nlo
torman aid his passengers, often induces
him to ma ke tioabie tor the cyc!er. This
class of driver exercises his perveTsiry
more often with wheelmeu, because he
knows that tile latter is sure To be the
Chief sufferer in any collision, w'ile, If
the adversary be an electric car, it's re,
weight and speed ordinarily deter him
from inviting impact with it. On
country roads, the chances of accidents
bet ween bicycles and wagons are dbouU as
great as Oh the crowded streets OF the
cit les. The unimproved highway usually
affords very narrow space on which the
bicycle may be propelled with comfort, to
say not hing of Safety-;l fact which drivers
sometimes seem unable or unwilling To
Comprehend, when they crowd the rider
Off rs though lie had no legal right on the
road.
II the causes of all collisions between
| cycles an pedestrians could be investigated,
il is safe ID predict that more than one half
of the total ndmber would be found To be
due To the fact that pedestrians generally
step csrelesSly off of the side walks or
| paths, without the thought that bicycle
may he approaching in the same direction,
| and liable 20 come upon them unknowingiy
| Only bicycle users themselves understand
| Just what il means To have Some one on
/ foot step direCCly in front Of a machine, so
! suddenly chat no opportunity is afforded for
/ il to Swerve to one side or to materially
| slackyi its speed. Un'il the advent Of the
! bicycle, pedestrians We're warned OF the
! approach or any vehicle by the Gathering
| of boots on the pavement behind them The
bicycle, on the contrary, makes no noise.
and people who do not look behind then
| vixen stepping from "a sidewalk. are often
surprised TO discover their feet in Inid-air
| moment later, and the solid part of their
anatomy interningled with the framework
] of bicycle. They are Indignant, of course,
| for there is no deep and subtle philosophy
| in smarting shins and bruise d flesh; but IN
more than halt of such instances the fault
| is not che riders. OF course, he should
ring his bell when he las reason to eX
pect that pedestrian is near, but that fact
| is not always easily determined, and the
most strenuous objector to the continual
| ringing of a bell is very tfpt to be the
fellow who VIII step frofAla sidewalk 10
the roadway without glaneing behind
rhe next largest proportion of collisions
hetW cen bicycles and pedestrians may be
traced to the artful dodging which starts
with the pedestrian trying to get out of
the way of tie bicycle, and vice versa, in
which event the well-intending dodgers
are almost saIe to mee1fu q forcible eiIi-
brace, from which they gefierally arise with
q feeling none too friendly. The rider
wonders why the walker did not go straight
and the walker wonders why the rider did
not dolih cwise. and there the mat tier ends
IL, indeed, il does not degenerate to the
low level of physical force. 1t is pretty
safe r1le, however. for the pedestrian to
Keep on his way, and leave the dodgine to
the man ou the wheel who, seldom il ever
runs into an object which is tationary, or
of whose movements he can he certain. 1t
is the uncertainty about the pedestrians
movements which bothers wheelmen and
wheelwomen the most.
And then, too, the rider S responsibility
for the accidents In which he figures, though
not paramount, is by no means to be over.
looked. Sad to say, arrogance often takes
bicycle for his mount and this individual
will not turn Off of a straight line until
forced to do So for. his own safety. But.
since the danger Of injury to the wheelman
and his mount is far greater than that to
which the driver and his cart are ex
| posed. the cvclist who refuses to act care.