Matt Savener

Today in San Francisco I saw an ebike rider get hit very hard by a pickup driver who ran a red light. The biker was hurt badly and taken away in an ambulance but luckily was conscious and had movement in all extremities. I saw the truck run the light but only heard the impact (and immediately saw the aftermath). Bike totaled, truck had ... a broken headlight. Happened at Fell and Masonic (driver ran red westbound on Fell).

Every year I am more and more nervous about biking in the Bay Area, even as bike infrastructure improves. This intersection has a red-light camera, a resident told me, and this still happened. Oakland has no red-light cameras that I know of and I see people blatantly run reds almost every day.

Be safe, y'all, it's scary out there.

@BikeEastBay
#sf #bayarea #biking #cycling #bicyclerights

Apr 21, 2023 at 2:21amWeb
Show threadMatt SavenerApr 21, 2023

Also, even disregarding the driver's negligence, this accident was undoubtedly made worse by the design of the F150 pickup he was driving. Trucks today are rapidly moving tanks with a brick wall in the front. They hit harder and do more damage than smaller trucks of just a decade or two ago.

https://www.axios.com/2023/01/23/pickup-trucks-f150-size-weight-safety

How pickup trucks became so imposing

Small pickups have nearly vanished as Americans have bought into big truck lifestyle.

Axios
Show threadMatt SavenerApr 21, 2023
Oh one last detail I forgot: While we were all standing there as the paramedics tended to the injured biker, an RV tore the driver-aide mirror off the truck as it drove by. It just kept going.
Show threadChris BoeseApr 21, 2023
@msavener I was T-boned on my bike in a bike lane in the middle of a block by a full size SUV doing a u-turn in Brooklyn. I still can’t believe I survived it
Show threadMatt SavenerApr 21, 2023
@ChrisBoese That is terrifying. I'm so glad you're ok. My nerves were THRUMMING right after and I wasn't even the one hit (was on a bike though).
Show threadChris BoeseApr 21, 2023
@msavener Thank you!
Show threadlisa cApr 21, 2023
@msavener @BikeEastBay Terrible. I'm sorry it happened and sorry you had to witness it. Our streets are so dangerous.
Show threadCynthia loves masksApr 21, 2023
@msavener @BikeEastBay @webuiltthiscity At least the potholes and railroad tracks on Oakland streets don't add kinetic energy to the damage equation cyclists here have to work out every time they go riding. They still take their toll (ask my family how we know this), but they're not accelerating throwing their mass around like vehicles are. We saw somebody last year get hit at 27th and Broadway; they were biking erratically through the intersection. In this case, the cyclist was more at fault.
Show threadCynthia loves masksApr 21, 2023
@msavener @BikeEastBay @webuiltthiscity thankfully, there was a nurse driving to work at Kaiser Oakland who responded quickly before the paramedics and as far as I remember, both the cyclist and car driver weren't badly hurt.
Show threadTim MarcusApr 21, 2023
@msavener @BikeEastBay this is another horrible consequence of the lack of leadership and safety enforcement in San Francisco. As a cyclist one must anticipate cars not stopping because there’s no accountability - so why would they stop? I’m teaching my 4 year old about cycling and the mantra is “cars don’t stop”. Hope the cyclist is ok.
Show threadDM ME UR BESTIGORS Apr 21, 2023
@msavener my brother was nearly killed riding his bike in a hit and run near bernal heights. He had a brain bleed and required physical therapy after
Show threadMatt SavenerApr 21, 2023
@drudgesentinel Terrible. I'm so sorry. Biking in SF is great but the danger is enough to make one want to drive.
Show threadDoctor M. PopularApr 21, 2023

@msavener @BikeEastBay we have always had a lot of drivers running stop signs in the Mission, but I feel like lately I'm seeing a lot more drivers running red lights too. I'm constantly feeling at risk while on my bike, but even as a pedestrian, I get nervous about crossing at certain intersections where drivers like to run the lights.

It seems like a lot of these callous drivers are in big ass pick up trucks, but maybe I just tend to notice those more.

Show threadMatt SavenerApr 21, 2023
@docpop @BikeEastBay Absolutely. Agreed on all fronts