I hate these stories... these stories are too common

child hit and killed while riding her bicycle to school
the driver did not see her
www.sltrib.com

13 year old boy hit and killed riding a bike
mention of no helmet... no mention of the car speed
www.boston.com

and then an adult
hit by a professional driver... if only professional drivers drove like professionals
http://abclocal.go.com

story one... the driver did not see her...
this is not a shock
the drivers are not looking for bicyclists or pedestrians
the drivers are focused on their immediate world and not the world around them

cell phones... texting... arguing kids in the back seat
these things can all be so distracting
but really... when driving it is up to the driver to prioritize the tasks at hand
driving needs to be the main focus when driving

it is upsetting to me how people drive

when driving if I see a pedestrian or cyclist ahead I alter my attention and decrease my speed
if that pedestrian has a child with them... I pay extra attention to that child
already decreasing speed and ready to take my foot off the gas and put it on the brake
ready to respond if something were to happen like that child tripping on the sidewalk and falling into the street or whatever
the same goes for a jogger... a dog walker... and of course a cyclist
anticipation instead of a panicked reaction

it is hard to believe that people do not touch their brakes for anything
never looking far enough ahead to anticipate anything
responding too late
expecting to swerve around the situation rather than braking

this needs to change