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Cycling fatalities through August match 2009 total

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on Sept. 2, 2011

cycling, fatalities

Two more bicyclists have been added to the list of those killed in crashes on Wisconsin roads, and the total for the year now matches the nine fatalities recorded in all of 2010.

Five of the cyclists killed in 2011 were struck from behind by motor vehicles. In the other four fatalities, the cyclists biked into the paths of cars, according to police reports.

The most recent fatal crash occurred on Aug. 19, in Kenosha.

Wayne Bricco, a 50-year-old electrician and handy man was headed southbound on 24th Ave. and crossed 60th St. into the path of a westbound car. He died the next day.

Roughly a month earlier in Milwaukee, Ell Nealy Jr., 56, turned into the path of a car while bicycling westbound in the 2200 block of W. National Ave. He was within a couple blocks of his home. Nealy suffered head injuries, and died on Aug. 2.

All of the bicycling fatalities in the state this year occurred after July 1.

Through August of 2010, the state Department of Transportation had recorded five cyclist deaths.

Joel Patenaude, the editor of Silent Sports Magazine, discusses the recent fatalities and his own close call in his column for the September issue. Patenaude also recommends Dave Schlabowske's recent post calling for more safety on the roads.

38 Comments for "Cycling fatalities through August match 2009 total"

  1. High temps, fatigue, sweat in the eyes, road construction distraction, all add up to tragic results.

    Diver Dan Sep 02, 2011 2:20 PM

  2. Dan, the drivers or cyclist. Two of my grandsons ride bikes pretty often and one even races off road. Last time I went for a ride with them we had every other car come with in a foot of us while riding on the county road. Did you know it the law to give a cyclist 3 feet of room when passing no matter what. We didnt break any laws that day but I would bet 20 - 30 cars did in that 10 mile ride.

    ksjc Sep 02, 2011 2:31 PM

  3. Is there any change in the amount of deaths attributable to cyclists vs motorists? That would be interesting to see as well. This year at least, there seems to be a fair number of each.

    Just this morning on my bike commute to work, I had a car pass within a foot of my bike. Eventually, he was stopped in traffic and I caught up to him, at which point he rolled down his window and yelled something unintelligible. I guess I just hadn't been pedaling fast enough for him and he got stuck behind me for a few seconds as oncoming traffic passed.

    JamJam Sep 02, 2011 2:36 PM

  4. I rode motorcycles from 12 years old until 27, got hit by a pick up once. I have no desire to ride a motorcyle today, way to many inattentive women texting while driving.

    Sep 02, 2011 2:43 PM

  5. Wasn't the mandating of cycling helmets supposed to eradicate these deaths?

    Aquitas Sep 02, 2011 2:48 PM

  6. Before this gets into a cars vs bicyclists diatribe I want to point out that it certainly appears that general traffic-related fatalities overall seem to be on the rise this year.

    Almost every day there is another article or two on JSOnline about motorists getting killed in crashes. This is without even factoring in the pedestrians , motorcyclists and bicyclists - even carriage drivers.

    I think it is a cultural thing here in WI and throughout the US. The fatality rates for auto-involved deaths is so much higher in the US than in other developed nations. Motorists in general in the US have a much more cavalier attitude about the responsibilities of driving cars that drivers in other parts of the world. There are many studies that confirm this.

    It is not just a car vs bike thing. It is a car vs car, car vs pedestrian, car vs horse drawn carriage, car vs stationary object thing.

    And before people jump to the conclusion that I am some spandex wearing, long-haired, tattoed, multi-pierced bicycling nutjob you should know that I drive my car roughly 30,- 40,000 miles each year for work. I am far more likely to be in an accident in my car than I am on my bicycle. The difference is that I have a much higher likelihood of surviving an accident in my car than I do on my bike.

    Bottom line - both bicyclists and motorists need to follow the laws and operate their vehicles responsibly and lawfully. Doing that benefits everyone in the end.

    BDWIRunner Sep 02, 2011 2:49 PM

  7. I agree with the whole women texting thing. I see them the most. I say something everytime I see somebody texting at a stop light. Especially when I am on my Harley. I don't care who it is. Most of the time I just say "Hey, you're driving a car...pay attention!"
    I was just rear ended by a F150 this week at a stop light in Brookfield while on my Harley. It was a woman, I'm not sure if she was texting or not but it wouldn't suprise me.
    Please be aware when you're driving your car/truck it doesn't take much to kill the people on 2 wheels......

    thebeef Sep 02, 2011 3:31 PM

  8. ..and then they feel they can blow red lichts and stop signs and not get ticketed.
    Please!!! Keep them on back roads and bike paths, not on busy county and state highways.

    Panzer Vom Xillo Sep 02, 2011 3:47 PM

  9. ...Red Lights and Stop Signs... Sorry for the spelling error...

    Panzer Vom Xillo Sep 02, 2011 3:51 PM

  10. Stay 3 feet away from cyclists! Its NOT THAT HARD TO DO! I had a dear friend who had 2 friends that were nearly killed last weekend by a truck and trailer who miscalculated how far away they were and the trailer slammed into them. Also, these girls were professional riders.. Ironwomen.. were wearing all the proper safety gear!

    The one thing that does tick me off.. is if you do not wear the proper safety gear, especially when riding at night, you are just asking for an accident! A nice white headlight mounted on your bike, a nice red tail light, a helmet and a yellow vest will go very far in making sure that you are safe! Even on the bike paths so that others can see you!

    Josivy Sep 02, 2011 4:34 PM

  11. BDWIRunner is correct. Cars in America kill other drivers at a rate that is 5 to 6 times as high of other comparable nations. It's mostly cars killing other people in cars. If the roads are safer for cyclists, they will be safer for cars. Most roads are not all that busy, which is why bored, inattentive motorists get distracted and smash into and kill other motorists, as well as cyclists and pedestrians.

    While I think this type of update is good, I think comparing it to motorist-on-motorists fatalities would be a better idea and it would wake drivers up to the dangers they put themselves and others into every day.

    Walktime Sep 02, 2011 6:22 PM

  12. Actually Thomas, I understand that a couple riding two wide in an "entire" lane are actually doing it legally. It's up to them to move over, or to motorists to pass on the left when safe.

    If it's really a blind corner, it's probably marked with a sign advising 25mph. Regardless, I don't think drivers should automatically get a pass for zooming around corners or cresting hills at speeds that make it impossible for them to avoid road hazards.

    FredCity Sep 02, 2011 6:48 PM

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