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Bike accident on 98

Bobby J avatar
Bobby JBeach Fanatic
18,008 views
I was just informed a biker has been hit on 98 and bay drive. Does anyone have any information?
Please be careful this week people. Lots of bikers out.

Replies

55
Beach Runner avatar
Beach Runnerbeats on hood
#27
FHP has released the name:

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/rosa-41493-santa-south.html
Frankel was an assistant professor at Georgia Tech, not an instructor, much higher ranked. My son-in-law is an instructor in electrical engineering at Georgia Tech, and he's just in his first year of grad school there. Ditto for me as a calculus instructor at UF when I was 22. Assistant professors have Ph.D.s. Not that the life of a prof is more valuable than that of an instructor of anyone else, but just to set the record straight.

http://www.gatech.edu/directories/index.html?index=0&name=frankel,

RIP.:(
tistheseason avatar
tistheseasonBeach Fanatic
#28
So sad to hear! We passed another similar accident here in Atlanta yesterday. Man was biking with his adult son and got hit from the back. So many lives changed in a split second!
Teresa avatar
TeresaSoWal Guide
#29
I was checking out the "bike lane" on Hwy 98. it is no bike lane. why don't they put in a proper bike lane - there is plenty of room to do so. Even with a proper bike lane, I still think it would be a dangerous place to bike but at least there would be room to do so.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal Expert
#30
I was checking out the "bike lane" on Hwy 98. it is no bike lane. why don't they put in a proper bike lane - there is plenty of room to do so. Even with a proper bike lane, I still think it would be a dangerous place to bike but at least there would be room to do so.
I would like to see a separate bike path on 98, but that striped off lane with a long flat clear road is far better than most places people road bike without any problems.

Sadly the safety factor is mostly determined by how alert and aware drivers are - the biker really has little to contribute aside from wearing bright clothing and staying in their lane.
LuciferSam avatar
LuciferSamBanned
#31
I see cars on 98 momentarily drift into the bike lane all the time. I conclude that nobody should ever bike on 98 regardless of his right to do so. It's a bad idea. The bad drivers win.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal Expert
#32
It's not just 98 - few people seem to be able to keep in their lane - which is why I stick to the paths with bikes and crash tested vehicles with airbags for the roads.
sunspotbaby avatar
sunspotbabySoWal Insider
#33
http://www.newsherald.com/news/hospital-95008-identity-injured.html

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run collision that killed a bicyclist Sunday shortly before midnight.

Marija Kostova, 22, was waiting for friends on her bicycle on the north side of the eastbound lane of Cabana Boulevard when her bicycle was hit by an unknown eastbound vehicle, according to a news release from FHP.
futurebeachbum avatar
futurebeachbumBeach Fanatic
#34
I briefly rode my bike in the bike lanes of Hwy 98. I got off of 98 as fast as I could and I found the experience thoroughly unnerving to do again.

With the right-of-way that 98 has it seems like they could put in a small path 15-20 feet off of the traffic lanes without much issue. It wouldn't have to be wide or paved. They could just use crushed gravel.
Alicia Leonard avatar
Alicia LeonardSoWal Insider
#35
I was taught many moons ago to ride facing traffic and not ride with the traffic, least you get hit. Was that right or are cyclist taught to ride with the flow, not against it.
Zebraspots avatar
ZebraspotsBeach Fanatic
#36
You are supposed to walk against traffic and bike with traffic.
SneakyPeteBeach Lover
#37
I believe the law requires that cyclists ride with the flow of traffic and abide by the same traffic laws as all other vehicles on the road. I know it seems like riding toward traffic would give you a "heads up" of approaching danger, in reality, you wouldn't have time to react if a car were bearing down on you. I know there are other practical reasons for the law, but I'm not an experienced cyclist, so maybe someone will pop in to educate us!
Lake View Too avatar
Lake View TooSoWal Insider
#38
I believe, by law, if they are usiing a highway, they need to go with the traffic, and obey all the rules of the road. In answer to the poster who suggested a gravel bike path: no bicycler is going to use a gravel path. The reason they are on the highways in the first place is because of the smooth, straight pavement. I know it's sounds fanciful, but why couldn't someone just build a bicycler's parkway, somewhere out in the state forests somewhere, so that these people wouldn't feel compelled to tempt fate by attempting to ride so close to huge metallic boxes travelling at almost 100 miles per hour. The only way you're going to find me on one these crazy American highways is in a big metallic box with seatbelts and airbags and horsepower enough to try to avoid the crazies.
LuciferSam avatar
LuciferSamBanned
#39
I was self-taught to only ride on the sidewalk/bikepath, or on the road in areas of slow moving congested traffic where cars don't travel much above 25 mph. On narrow roads, there are definitely times that I will ride against traffic. I'll be the judge and do what I think is safest. I will never under any circumstances use toe clips.
Teresa avatar
TeresaSoWal Guide
#40
I briefly rode my bike in the bike lanes of Hwy 98. I got off of 98 as fast as I could and I found the experience thoroughly unnerving to do again.

With the right-of-way that 98 has it seems like they could put in a small path 15-20 feet off of the traffic lanes without much issue. It wouldn't have to be wide or paved. They could just use crushed gravel.

you are smart to get the heck off 98! I'm telling you, that is not a bike lane. It is very, very small and is almost sharing the right hand lane with traffic. Not good enough for a bike, imo. There is plenty of room for a safe and separate bike lane to be built.

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