Thread started by Roadblock at 12.2.09 - 8:12 am

For you to get angry enough to do something about it?


And by do something about it I mean DO something about it. Contact politicians. Meet with police. Talk to legislators, appear at city council meetings.

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I'm meeting with councilman Rosendahl in person next week about hit and run law. Perhaps anyone and everyone who has been a victim of a hit and run would like to write a letter that I will PRINT and carry with me to the councilman. Email me your stories. Roadblock at midnightridaZZ dot com.



Roadblock
12.2.09 - 8:16 am

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I've been fortunate to have never been in a hit-and-run, but I'll help you anything you need, RB. This shit has got to stop.



BMFW
12.2.09 - 8:40 am

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Are the current laws any different for hit n run of a cyclist than for hit n run of a pedestrian or another automobile?



barleye
12.2.09 - 8:44 am

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Just last week wednesday i saw some Older Looking mexican guy lying on the floor with his bike smashed. this was on Victory and buena vista in burbank... paramedics where on scene...



pporras
12.2.09 - 9:15 am

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out of curiosity, what is the average penalty for a hit and run and what is the penalty for a first time DUI?

I just wonder if the penalties are similar, I feel a hit and run should be far harsher then a dui cause I would guess a good portion of hit and runs are DUIs trying not to get caught.



thegodofthor
12.2.09 - 10:05 am

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mexican huh?



mattspeed
responding to a comment by pporras
12.2.09 - 10:10 am

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28 and a half.



_iJunes
12.2.09 - 10:12 am

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Can we get our legal eagles on the case here.
We need to approach the pols with a solid proposition.

I say we need a state or at least county ordinance where a hit and run has a serious added penalty if the victim is a ped, or cyclist.

there are already added penalties for "serious injury". and other circumstances.

any hit and run that affects a cyclist will usually result in lifelong (physical and psychological) injuries even if the injuries are considered minor. (ie no broken bones).

A minor hit and run that is car on car usually ends up with somebody losing a few hundred bucks. they are very different circumstances.

The law is designed for cars.

There is a big incentive to stop if you hit a car. They can chase you.
with bikes the penalties for being "good" and stopping might be greater than trying to flee.

A dunk hit and run driver gets off easy even if he or she gets caught later because at least they don't have to deal with a DUI.

only when somebody gets seriously injured or killed does the system take it seriously
and i would bet that there are 10-20 minor hit and runs for every one that results in a serious injury.

most never get reported.



trickmilla
12.2.09 - 10:24 am

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By when do you need it next week, I was in a hit and run case and they never pursued it as a hit and run, and it's near impossible to get police to go back and change it.



feelingrandy
12.2.09 - 11:12 am

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i bet you the LAPD can't name the last bicycle hit and run driver convicted.



_iJunes
responding to a comment by feelingrandy
12.2.09 - 11:22 am

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that reminds me of something shocking i read here

963 hit and runs this year...just on the westside...not including sm. i wonder how many throughout the whole city. fucking hell.

From what i remember reading about hit and run laws in california when don had his accident, this is my observation:

on paper, the laws are strict and have harsh penalties for hit and run, however in practice these harsh penalties keep getting reduced further and further until it amounts to a slap on the wrist (or no criminal penalties whatsoever)

i.e. the driver is not caught at the scene or there are no witnesses, so they can say they weren't driving the car. at that point there's also no proof that they were or were not drinking. sometimes even with witnesses, they get it reduced. usually only in cases where the driver is caught by the police shortly after the incident do people face the tough penalties.

all of this creates an environment where it pays to run, and that's what needs to change. the problem is that it's one of those laws that has a lot of "reasonable doubt" already built into it. as soon as someone runs from the scene of a crime, it becomes that much harder to prove anything. it's gonna be tough to get anything changed but perhaps there can be even harsher penalties. perhaps any vehicle suspected of a hit and run can be impounded. take away their weapons. perhaps the owner of the vehicle loses their license too, even if they weren't driving until they give up who was driving (car theft excluded i guess) isn't that how red light tickets work?

i don't have any personal experience with hit and run, and i never hope to, but if you need help or letters or whatever, let me know.



cassidy
responding to a comment by trickmilla
12.2.09 - 12:34 pm

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^i meant red light camera tickets



cassidy
12.2.09 - 12:38 pm

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Hit and run law is contingent on the definition of what "serious injury" is. Even though my hit and run incident was violent - hit from behind at speed thrown 50 ft. Taken by ambulance to hospital- I didn't suffer injuries that the detective felt were serious enough to reccomend to the DA as a felony. Instead I had to lobby trutanich's office to make sure that at least a misdemeanor was charged. It's due in large part to this soft on crime approach that is keeping the streets dangerous.



Roadblock
12.2.09 - 1:35 pm

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Can we create some sort of template and contact list so that we ridazz can take this info and use it to make something change in our city?

ON THE OTHER HAND...

What about going outside the box? What can we do to influence drivers to respect bikes on the streets more? How can we change minds about the positives of bicycles on the streets instead of playing the endless bureaucratic / political game?

If the majority of people have more awareness about the needs and rights of cyclists, the less we have to deal with all these law maker types.



Joe Borfo
12.2.09 - 2:08 pm

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I like your thinking Borfosaurus. It's going to take far more than a bunch of people on bikes to change anything. We need to go on a hearts and minds campaign with auto drivers aNd home owners.




Roadblock
responding to a comment by Joe Borfo
12.2.09 - 2:12 pm

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