Ghost accidents
Tuesday, October 9, 2007

In the Trib’s article on “ghost bikes” — the bikes placed around the city where cyclists have been hit by motorists — the reporter noted that it “is not clear if bike-car collisions are increasing in Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh police said they have not noticed a rise, and city police officials did not have statistics available Monday” “‘Ghost bikes’ remind drivers to be aware,” Oct. 2 and PghTrib.com).

It’s not clear if they are increasing because police often decline to make proper reports of accidents involving cyclists and motor vehicles, rendering their “statistics” useless.

In at least two recent instances in the city that I know of, police at the scenes of motor vehicle-bike collisions opted not to make accident reports despite obvious property damage and possible injury.

The more serious and disturbing of these accidents involved a Port Authority bus. The lack of a police report makes it difficult to redress injuries caused by the accident; indeed, it makes it possible to deny that the accident even occurred.

Many police officers and citizens appear to share the view — mistaken as a matter of law and unfortunate as a matter of policy — that a collision between a motor vehicle and a cyclist is less of a car accident than collisions involving only cars. Police will have reliable data regarding accidents involving bicycles and motor vehicles only if they collect them.

As for the ghost bikes, I’m grateful for efforts to raise motorists’ awareness of the lethal danger they pose to cyclists who aren’t protected by seatbelts, airbags and crumple zones.

Joshua Siebert
Lawrenceville

The writer is an attorney and a cyclist.