New York Times Op-Ed “Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists?”

By Sarah Ahmed - November 13, 2013

By DANIEL DUANE

Published: November 9, 2013

Read the New York Times Op-Ed!

Daniel Duane, a newbie to biking the San Francisco streets, decided to investigate what legal consequences befall a driver who kills a cyclist. What he found is this: In most states, and in almost all reported instances, there are almost no consequences. Unless you are driving drunk or completely recklessly, the punishment for killing a cyclist with your car often amounts to a slap on the wrist (often nothing happens, but sometimes drivers are fined or receive community service). Makes you think twice about wearing a helmet, huh? The central question the op-ed aims to answer is this: “Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists?” According to Duane, our justice system and the people who enforce its laws are giving everyone the impression that it is.

As you can imagine, the piece made the Internet explode with reactions from bike-lovers to bike-haters to bike-fearers to everyone in between.

(Summary by ADJUA FISHER at PhillyMag.com)