One of our members was cycling with his daughter after refereeing a soccer match in Castro Valley. He was signaling a left turn with his left arm extended when an Acura TSX hit him and quickly accelerated away. We are working with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to ensure this incident is correctly cited even though the Investigation Report listed Recommendations: None. You can watch our time slicing video deconstruction of the incident below. This is a developing incident with details to follow.
Technical notes: Bright lights such as the sun seem much brighter in video than in real life due to how inexpensive camera sensors attempt to balance exposure. It’s best to watch the video in full screen mode.
One thing is certain: if our member cyclist did not ride with a camera absolutely nothing would be done to the assailant. The amazing thing is this driver says he is a cyclist. It reminds us that the driver in the Glendale Assault incident deconstructed on our home page also said he was a cyclist. How many cyclists has this driver hit and run prior to this incident? How many more would he hit and run and how many copycats might become emboldened if we do not collectively demand enforcement?
Please join the conversation by adding your comments below.
Please be sure to ride with a camera and submit all of your egregious near miss incident reports to our free Incident Management System so you can track, analyze, update, and map your incidents. Once your incidents are entered all cyclists will be able to search for those specific license plates to identify repeat offenders, hopefully before collisions occur!
We work with our members, law enforcement and government to establish legal precedents ensuring law enforcement accepts cyclist video evidence, without a collision, to cite and prosecute egregious near miss incidents such as the Glendale, California assault case on our home page.
Even if law enforcement refuses to enforce the many California Vehicles Codes and Assault and Battery in this case, our Incident Management System will always have highly detailed information on this incident in the event this driver repeat offends. It’s much more difficult for law enforcement to refuse to enforce the laws when you can supply a pattern of behavior.
OUTRAGEOUS! The driver at the very least violated the 3 foot law. In addition, CVC 21202(a)3 gives the cyclists the right to take the entire lane because this is obviously a substandard lane. Shouldn’t the local police be involved?
Thanks for adding your voice Scott.
Castro Valley is unincorporated so the California Highway Patrol has jurisdiction. CHP does however work with the Alameda County Sheriff as in the other case on our home page “Breaking News: Woman Cyclist Assaulted and Battered in Castro Valley by at least three people driving at 50 miles per hour.“
This is clearly a hit and run and should be charged as such.
I agree. The cyclist even yells that out in the video. It is bad enough that the driver actually hit the cyclist but much worse that he drives away without any concern for the victim.
People need to recognize that cyclist are legal users of our road system (just like cars) – even though many car drivers do not subscribe to that.
CHP and every law enforcement unit needs to step up and treat it as such.
Law enforcement needs more training since many officers do not know that bikes may use full lane. A CHP officer once tried to convince me to ride in the door zone to let cars pass more conveniently. He also suggested weaving in/out of parked cars to make more room for moving cars. I had an Alameda County Deputy try to run me over because I was using the lane. I have video. He had no idea bikes could use full lane. He later apologized but he should not have endangered my life even if I was wrong.
As a commuter cyclist, I unequivocally applaud your efforts, and I agree that video evidence is the surest way to invite proper and even-handed law enforcement procedure. I think this driver ought to, at least, be cited for reckless endangerment.
However, I also think this cause needs to be as reasonable in its assessment and publicizing of incidents as possible. Thus, I hope you will change the wording of your title of this incident. It incorrectly implies that both father and daughter were involved. They weren’t, as you know.
It would be helpful if you would post law enforcement contact information alongside each incident report so that we may know whom to contact to voice our concerns.
Thanks for your great work!
hbatten,
Thank you for adding your thoughts, comments and words of support for our work!
We respectfully disagree with your reading of our headline. We intentionally included a dash to separate that it was a father and daughter cycling – and there was a hit and run.
We not only deconstruct and time slice our member’s video evidence we also represent our members as their advocate to law enforcement. The best way for cyclists to share their support for this case, and all of our cases, is to leave comments under the post as you have here. That way all cyclists can see your thoughts and comments, and we can assure you that law enforcement reads these posts and watches these videos as well. We will hopefully be posting some law enforcement testimonials, one of which recently said our video deconstruction was phenomenal, to share the impact our work and your feedback can have.
Thanks,
CyclistVideoEvidence.com
Incredible. So great that he had a camera and it was on. I take it the license was readable and they knew who the driver is. For those who haven’t seen it, we had in Marin County a horrible crash videotaped by a passing motorcylist. Guy is in jail thanks to the camera. video isn’t public but here’s link to story: http://www.marinbike.org/news/road/west-marin-hit-and-run-update-driver-arraignment-scheduled-for-thursday-1026/
One other thing to note in this video. his daughter was not in the right place to turn left. She could have been wiped out if the car had swung to the ride to get around dad. I’m more and more convinced people have to wear really, really bright clothing and have lights on even in the daytime and have multiple taillights..Also, here, with such heavy traffic, it would have been better to find cross walk and walk bikes to other side of the road. I know that’s a sissy way for the ‘serious’ cyclists but parents of young children should always take the safest route. my daughter was killed biking to work so i know first hand that cars and trucks are killing machines.
Hi Steve,
The driver was immediately identified and interviewed for the Investigation Report.
The Marin crash was horrible.
In the video this is a single lane road with cars parked on the right so it wasn’t possible for a car to pass on the right.
We greatly respect your work to increase cycling safety on behalf of your daughter’s memory via the Sylvia Bingham Fund which is why we list your testimonial first on our About Us page.
Thank you for your support!
I am the adult cyclist in the video, Yes, this is a single-lane road with cards parked on either side, I signaled for a left turn and moved to the left part of the lane to prevent exactly this kind of impatient, dangerous maneuver. My daughter stayed in the right part of the lane to prevent the same on that side.
I did not even take the lane for any other purpose, we were riding single file until we prepared for the left turn This guy did at least the following (a) hit and run (b) crossing a double yellow line – he had to do this to even attempt to pass me (c) 3 foot violation (d) unsafe passing and (e) reckless driving. And yes – “recommendations – none”: If the guy had thrown a stick or used a rock it’s assault, but since he uses a car it’s – nothing???
And I am one of the few cyclist on the road with a camera. How often does this occur when it is NOT documented? And when it is documented…well?????
I serve on the Castro Valley Bicycle Transportation Advisory Committee, and we work on implementing a lot of things to make the road safer – sharrows, bulb-outs, sidewalk improvements…..but the #1 reason people don’t walk and bike is fear. Fear of selfishness and stupidity like this. We all know accountability produce good behavior. And as long as these behaviors result in little or no accountability such dangerous behaviors will continue. So the perpetrators will continue to fear – nothing – eve when they are exposed – and the rest of us will just continue to fear.
If only my assailant had used anything to attack me except a car…..he would have been arrested immediately. Law enforcement, can we not do better than this?
This is outrageous, disappointing and enraging! What’s in the mind of the CHP, to write in the Investigation Report that they can’t make any recommendations? I’m an every day commuter and I put my life at risk by taking the road, knowing that there are careless drivers, whose criminal behavior seems to be condoned by those who should be enforcing our laws. I had a couple of close encounters, so I’m buying a camera to protect myself, but if even with camera evidence, no action is taken I’m at a loss. What would take the CHP to take action? An innocent death?
The CHP needs to do their job, which includes enforcing laws that are meant to keep all roadway users safe. The driver clearly violated a number of CVC laws, and should be cited at a minimum. It would be helpful to know the standard by which video evidence can be used to identify and cite/prosecute aggressive and/or unlawful motorist behavior.
I don’t understand why the driver wasn’t cited. Did the driver run away or stop?
Also, I’m about to buy a camera. Do you recommend it be placed in the front or back of the Bike?
Hi Wendy,
It was a Hit and Run. We are working with CHP to hopefully get this driver correctly cited.
For a rear camera we recommend the Cycliq Fly6 because it’s inexpensive, $139, and a combination camera / bright led light so drivers can’t say they didn’t see you. Many cyclists ride with front and rear cameras. The Glendale assault incident deconstructed on our home page was recorded with a front facing camera and this incident was as well. The “Woman Cyclist Assaulted and Battered in Castro Valley by at least three people driving at 50 miles per hour” incident also on our home page was recorded with a rear facing Fly6 camera.
For maximum protection it’s best to have both a front and rear camera. There are some inexpensive front cameras from China, Cycliq has one and there’s GoPro as well.
Hello Wendy, I am happy with my rear facing Fly6, $139 at most places. I use it on every ride, no matter how short. I feel naked without it.
In addition, I just ordered a cheap ($30) front facing fake GoPro from Amazon. I will review it after I receive in in a week or so. There are lots of alternatives but I like this one since it “loops”. That means once the memory card fills, it starts again at the beginning and re-writes previous files. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074GYZB3B/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
The $30 fake GoPro turned out to have lousy picture quality so reading license plates is difficult. It might be useful for big picture stuff but not too great for detail. I use it on my daily bike so I don’t have to worry about theft.
The blatant disregard for human life it truly outrageous! How audacious! What was the driver thinking with this bold and dangerous move? How much time did he save? Is it worth maiming someone? What if he collided with the oncoming car?
It is particularly frustrating that law enforcement is so lackadaisical about the lives of those who chose to cycle. Because we are a minority, law enforcement seems to reflect a larger societal bias against people who cycle. Why does our culture so readily accept threats from cars but not guns? It is a puzzle, given that they are similarly deadly.
We also need to get Public Works to design safer roads for cyclists. Our roads are designed to frustrate drivers since they do not like to drive behind bikes. We need separation through bike lanes, especially protected bike lanes. Pedestrians are generally protected by a curb. We need the same for cyclists.