A University of North Carolina – Greensboro professor and bicycle advocate faces at least six weeks off the bike after he was struck by a text-messaging motorist.
Mark Schulz is lucky. He could be dead. The motorist struck him at about 35 mph, knocking him to the ground. He suffered a concussion, shattered kneecap, crushed vertebrae, broken ribs and a broken sternum.
Police said Schulz was doing everything right when he was hit at 10 p.m. on March 26; he wore a reflective vest, helmet, and front and rear lights. That doesn't help if the driver isn't looking.
No texting laws
The text messaging motorist was cited for failing to reduce speed. North Carolina is not one of the two states that bans text messaging while driving for adults; motorists under 18 are prohibited from talking on cell phones while driving.
Peggy Holland, Greensboro's coordinator of bike and pedestrian programs, told the News-Record:
“The bicyclist can be absolutely perfect, but there are still drivers out there who aren't paying attention.”
State laws
California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington, as well as DC and Virgin Islands, have jurisdiction-wide rules prohibiting driving while talking on handheld cell phones.
Further, Washington and New Jersey ban text messaging while driving.
Except for Washington state, all those laws are primary enforcement, meaning police can ticket without noticing any other violation. In Washington, a motorist has to be breaking another law before he or she can be cited for using a cell phone.
Some states, such as North Carolina, prohibit cell phone use by younger drivers.
Insult
A video report on Greensboro's WXII12.com adds insult to injury by idiotically closing their report with a list of “bicycle road safety” tips.
Maybe the TV station should consider motorist road safety rules instead, since the bicyclist was blameless and the motorist wasn't even watching the road.
Thanks to Ken for passing this along
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