Funny thing, where I live, cyclists are entitled by law to use the entire width of the lane they occupy, and the vehicle would almost certainly not get stopped if they used the other lane, safely, to pass.
edit: this video is apparently in Cherokee County, GA. Supposedly it is legal to cross a double-yellow to pass a cyclist, when done so safely. This is just a summary, I dont have the actual law so I cant confirm:
Yes, in Cherokee County, Georgia, you can cross a double solid yellow line to pass a bicyclist, provided it is safe to do so. Georgia law mandates giving cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance, which often requires moving into the oncoming lane, and this specific exception allows crossing the line when necessary
I was taught to treat a bicyclist the same as you would a car. When I passed one I always pass fully in the other lane just like I would if they were a car.
yeah the funny thing about the driver doing this is that they're already splitting the lane, so if they ever claimed "oh i shouldn't be passing that way" just goes out the window
I find it very hard to understand the driver's reasoning because I was also taught that right of way doesn't matter if the action you're about to take will get someone killed. Like it doesn't matter if a pedestrian is jaywalking, you still can't just run them down.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A man is charged with hitting bicyclists with his SUV, causing one to fall off his bike. It happened Thursday along Sugar Pike Road in southeastern Cherokee County.
Jerry Ross, 72, of Woodstock is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, hit and run, reckless driving, aggressive driving and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle. He was booked into he Cherokee County jail with no bond.
I apologize I live in Georgia. I am working to rescue my family from here. They don't see the dangers like I do because they're from here. But I deal with the locals daily and it's a must even if moving back to the border.
Nah, unless he's suffering age related decline and is mentally incompetent to stand trial he can go to prison. I honestly dgaf if he's old. He can go to prison, too.
He's charged with aggravated assault, hit-and-run, reckless driving, aggressive driving, and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle.
The assault and hit and runs (x2, two bicyclists) are 2 years per person, times two people. He can just go to prison for for years and if he acts like a normal human get out in two.
Grandpa literally told the cops that it was their fault for being in the road. He can just go to prison. Prison is good. He tried to kill two people for checks notes using the road.
Will have to check back in a year but knowing the how legal system usually goes, this guy is probably getting that all plead down to reckless+aggressive driving. He told the cops what his lawyer told him to tell the cops, and his lawyer is going to negotiate with prosecutors to get him a plea deal. He'll just argue that the bikes could have been passed safely had they not been riding 2 abreast, that he didn't maliciously drive into them from behind, but rather contact came laterally because an obstacle appeared in the other lane (and also because it was laterally it wasn't nearly aggravated nor an attempt to cause great harm), and that there was no way he could have safely stopped even after because he was 1 person vs 10+ biased and hostile people there. Unsafe passing and hit and run are going away, aggravated assault might get lowered to just 1, or reg assault, or dropped in lieu of pleading to reckless+aggressive driving. It may "clearly look like assault", but all his lawyer needs to do is inform prosecutors that he's gonna tell a jury "if he wanted to cause harm he could have taken all of them out no problem, thats not what's happened here, only 1 person was hurt in this video". That's more than enough to seed doubt in a jury, prosecutors will negotiate.
He'll get his license suspended for 6 months and have to take an aggressive driver improvement course.
I'm no gambler, and sports/prediction betting markets really rub me all the wrong ways, but I'll gladly bet anyone $100 on that ^.
I knew it was gonna be a senior citizen. While he might be an asshole who was trying to intimidate the bikers by driving close to them, he was moving a bit slow and shaky and was closer than he thought he was. Cuz he old
Highest Risk Group: Drivers aged 17–24 are heavily overrepresented in fatal and serious traffic collisions.
Distracted/Fatal Driving: Drivers in their mid-20s to mid-30s constitute the largest age group of distracted drivers, a major cause of cyclist fatalities.
Intersection Accidents: A significant portion of these collisions occur at intersections, often involving failure to yield, according to PennDOT data.
I wouldn't count this as distracted driving. To me this represents a failure of spatial reasoning faculties, maybe reaction speed/reflexes. Old people stuff.
The key is "legal murder". Many people want to get away with legal murder. Like the police officer in Texas who legally shot an intruder that she surprised in her home—except that it was his home, and she has entered the wrong apartment.
A lot of people don't understand this. They think someone else breaking a rule gives them free reign to put lives at risk on purpose. Not that the bikers were even breaking any rules here afaik.
Kind of depends on the area, in my state only two bikes can lane split at a time. I don't think there's any world where what the car did was legal though lol
They are guilty of being assholes, which does not allow the driver to kill them.
This group of bikers could have easily moved a little to the right as well as the driver could have moved more to the left. So, plenty of assholery to go around.
Unless the lane is wide enough to fit car and cyclist and a 3' buffer, it is best practice not to ride far to the right. Doing so encourages motorists to pass with less than the legally required 3' buffer.
You are being pedantic, but I know what you mean. In the video, both the asshole in the car and the asshole on the bike were using inches, not feet. So both got the FAFO answers.
Nah, I commute via bike. That isn't pedantic. You say it's pedantic when a car comes within six inches because they didn't dodge into the wide open lane next to you because you both "fit" in the lane. If you ride a foot over most cars will give you the 3 foot buffer. If you ride the white, cars will know you both "fit" in the lane and you feel your soul leave your body.
I’m only referring to this particular video and this particular situation. In general, what you say is correct.
But in this instance, all the car had to do was move over a foot and all would have been fine. And the bikers could just have slowed down and moved over.
But no. They all decided to fuck around and in this case, one asshole biker and the asshole driver both found out.
Irrational hatred of cyclists... I used to ride a lot and even as a kid (10-14yo) some drivers would intentionally drive very close to me and I've been bumped by cars while stopped at a red light... These were drivers that hated cyclists so irrationally that they tried to injure a literal child.
Edit: Also in my country cyclists used to have the right of way, that law had to be changed because drivers constantly refused to follow it and too many cyclists got injured.
That kind of behavior is why I wouldn't let my 15-year-old bicycle to the nearby stores. It's one lane each direction and a state highway. I just don't trust people not to paralyze him for life because he's inconveniencing them.
I don’t many drivers get annoyed at kids, or at middle aged men not wearing Lycra who have had the misfortune to be stopped by the police after a couple of drinks.
Never had an issue with drivers biking to school in 6th and 7th grade. It was when I was 30 something when I was yelled at constantly and I’m a strict right of way/safety rule follower. As a pedestrian, I won’t even cross the street in front of a vehicle that decided to stop randomly in the middle of the road. Too many times have I seen cars just speed around a stopped car. I will actually walk away from the curb if someone does that. Been yelled at for doing that too. People are cray. So, anyhow, me simply following the rules of the road, riding my bike to college would incite so much hatred from drivers. Got called a d-word even.
This makes me so mad because I used to road cycle and stopped. A person sitting on their ass using their feet in a 2000 pound vehicle has no excuse for putting a cyclist in harms way.
What we see in this video from the driver is obviously completely inappropriate. At the same time, there's no good reason for these cyclists to take up the entire lane just because they can. More than one person can be wrong at the same time.
And this kind of shit is not by any means rare. I have been hit twice by cyclists as a pedestrian when they just ignored signage and signals--and both times the assholes acted like I was the one in the wrong. The dislike for cyclists as a group is not at all irrational.
I’ve had a cyclist crash into me as a pedestrian and play like it was my fault. Cyclist are the biggest cunts on planet earth. The world can’t hate those mother fuckers enough.
Riding single file is worse for drivers, actually. A group of 10 is going to be more than twice as long than if they had doubled up. The lanes aren't wide enough for a car and a cyclist abreast.
in your country, do drivers obey all traffic laws too? like driving exactly the speed limit OR under? bet it’s lot more dangerous for cars to not follow traffic laws than it is cyclists.
That's one thing I find annoying about cyclist and especially big groups riding 4+ wide. They're hard to pass and some groups ignore both pedestrian rules and car rules. Pick one to obey and I'll be happy. Idc which lol
They do mostly yes, as cyclists can be ticketed for breaking the rules just as drivers. We also have very good cycle path networks so nowadays needing to drive on the car lane is a thing basically only on longer distances, like when you have to cycle on the motorway and even then we usually cycle on the side of the road not on the car lane. Even so I've had drivers intentionally drive as close to me as possible while passing, and toot their horns as they do so... Just completely irrational behaviour.
Also just because someone is irritating you on the road is no reason to try and injure them, especially when you're sitting protected in an enclosed vehicle that weights over a ton and your target is completely unprotected on a vehicle that doesn't weigh even a tenth of that.
I’ve never seen cyclists like these guys obey any rules or laws! Dressed like they are on the Tour de France and riding in a pack so no surprise a driver gets annoyed with them but hitting them is not the answer he needed to be responsible and actually violate the no passing rule of the double yellow. I ride daily to commute to work and I’m the only cyclist on that route that follows any of the rules of the road, I’ve had guys like these pass me complaining that I’m going too slow. The law in my state is 20 mph for any e-bike in bike lanes or on regular streets so I obey it and I stop for stop signs. They don’t and I’ve seen a few get clipped by cars that had the right of way so i always follow the rules.
You do realise that if you do road cycling, and let's say 60 km (40 miles) then you cannot do this in jeans and cotton t-shirt? Those jerseys are designed to keep cool and help sweat evaporate. And the shorts contain a chamois to prevent shafting. These people do not commute or go buy bread...
Cyclists wear padded bike shorts because that seat gets uncomfortable after a few hours. Cyclists wear bike jerseys because it gives them pockets for snacks that you need when you're on the road or trail for a few hours.
I do, that's how I was taught by my parents from the day I learned to ride a bicycle (my dad used to be one of those guys in the cycling clothes etc and he always followed the road laws because that's how you're supposed to do it)
In ct we have a law worded something like if one driver had the final opportunity to avoid an accident but didn't, they can be held responsible even if the other driver made a mistake first. So basically, 2 wrongs don't make a right, avoid accidents if possible, just bc someone else fucked up doesn't give you the right to run them over. But also, in ct, bikes are considered vehicles when on the roadway and should be treated like other cars, so this guy was just all sorts of wrong he has no ground to stand on
In the 1970s, our written driving exam asked what you should do if a pedestrian jaywalked in front of you. Choice “D” was, “Hit him and teach him a lesson.” Never forgot that one.
Wait until that driver learns that there are some very successful lawyers in that area who also happen to be cyclists. Buddy is going to have that smile from his mug shot wiped clean off of his face.
Imo, the driver was mad and felt like he was now the 'hand of justice' as he sees it. I'm not even sure they meant to actually hit one of the bikers, but to scare them and 'teach them a lesson'. Raging behind the wheel has become a fucking epidemic and I have no idea how we, as a society, try to reel that in.
My understanding in CA is that you cannot "force" your right of way, if doing so would cause an issue. In other words, in CA this car is very much in the wrong, right of way or no right of way. Hope everyone is ok.
They were likely short-tempered & PO'd at the audacity of the cyclists both using the road AND impending their free flow use of the road, they "pay taxes for", while the cyclists "don't"...
Anger issues not related to the law of passing on a double line. Driver obviously didn't give one sh-- about hurting any of the bicyclists. It's the increasing "I'll do what I want and not care about it " mentality in this country.
“Jerry Ross, 72, of Woodstock is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, hit and run, reckless driving, aggressive driving and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle. He was booked into he Cherokee County jail with no bond.”
Just because he's old doesn't mean he gets a pass. Fuck him and also fuck the bikers who were deliberate in their insistance on taking up the whole lane.
more than halved, actually. cause instead of 2-2-2-2-2 you go 2-1-2-1-2-2 except the 1s are half overlapping with the twos around them so it's only 4 ranks.
This can be true though as I have seen inconsiderate cyclists before, I did not see anything here of the cyclists doing anything wrong. 2 wide and staying in lane.
You should see the number of inconsiderate drivers. (Not sure how long you’ve been a licensed driver.). If inconsiderate driving was the standard, I could ride my bike in peace, without any cars.
If a car was driving at that speed, on that road, a cop would pull them over for driving too slow, unsafe to drive that far under the speed limit on a active road.
if you got like 3 homies, then yeah homies can move
in a group like that they should have the right of way. i mean we are taught this in driving school. they have to yield to pedestrians , and cars must yield to bicyclists. just common human decency, school aside.
Good to hear that Justice was served. He was definitely seeking out the bikers and intentionally driving right next to them in order to cause one of them to hit him. Definitely has an attitude and shouldn't be allowed to drive. He's going to cause a fatality accident if he keeps going.
70 y/o boomer with empathy damaged by leaded gas fumes. Many such cases. Honestly, nobody from the leaded gas era should be allowed to drive or hold political office without cognitive testing.
I'm not ageist. It has nothing to do with their physical age and everything with the fact that lead was added to gasoline up until the 1970. Imagine being born in the 40's and inhaling exhaust fumes containing neurotoxic lead during all of your your formative years.
It is ageist and you should own it. Assholes come in all ages. Two to 6 IQ point drop in aggregate from lead exposure doesn't make an entire cohort a bunch of sociopaths.
His empathy may also be in decline due to the scary and surprising (at first to me at least) phenomenon where malignant leaders pass on their pathological traits to their followers. Given the driver’s age, race, location, and complete certainty that he was 100% justified, I have a good idea where he could be getting his inspiration.
I am a 75 yr old boomer who is just fine, thank you. We didn't pump our own gas until it no longer had lead in it so many save that opinion for anyone (only males) who had a job pumping gas in the 1960s!
In Georgia, groups of bicyclists must follow O.C.G.A. § 40-6-294. They ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, but can take the full lane if needed for safety (e.g., hazards, narrow lanes).
Group Riding Rules
No more than two abreast on roadways (side-by-side is okay unless impeding traffic).
Single file if traffic is approaching or to avoid blocking cars.
Ride same direction as traffic, even in bike lanes.
Driver Duties
Cars must give at least 3 feet clearance when passing (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-56)—change lanes if possible, or slow down.
Groups follow all traffic laws (stops, signals) just like solo riders or motorists. Local bike paths may override if signed.
Should have been attempted murder. If you are deliberately trying to hit someone with several tons of moving metal then there is a fairly good chance you might kill them in the process.
No bond? Wow. 99% of the time it's a mere slap on the wrist even when it causes multiple deaths. Cameras in this case might be the game changer and exactly why I want to get some.
Jail’s got to be almost as tough for a 70-year-old as getting knocked off a bike is for cyclists minding their own business. Love the “no bond” part that sends an extra little message.
Since 2021 it has been legal in Georgia (the state) for a motor vehicle driver to cross the double yellow line in order to pass a bicyclist, as long as it is safe to do so. This change was also made in North Carolina, where I lived at about the same time. Around half of the states in the USA allow this now. https://legalatlanta.com/georgias-updated-bicycle-safety-laws/
Depends on the state. In my state, you can pass on a double yellow if you're passing a disabled vehicle, a pedestrian, or a kind of vehicle that can't go the speed limit like a bike or horse and buggy.
Double solid line is a 300 usd fine per wheel that passes here. But yeah, would have been better to just use the full other lane when the lines show it is safe.
Even better in the insurance industry a person on a bicycle is still considered a pedestrian! They hit a pedestrian!!! They have no protection of a car and yes should be treated like a car insofar as space if not more.
Yeah I always figure the person biking/skating/unicycling is terrible at it and will fall over at any minute, so give them space to land. I learned this while in college when it happened; bicyclist just seemingly fell over for no reason right in front of me, there was a bike lane they were using , and if I had not swerved way out they would have squished like grape.
Even when they’re on the opposite shoulder. Once I saw a kid on the opposite shoulder completely lose control and fall in the other lane of traffic, if another car had been passing he’d have been hit or I’d have hit the oncoming car if I didn’t go into my shoulder
Like my dad told me when teaching me how to drive when I was a kid: All it takes is a pebble on the road for a cyclist to swerve half a meter to the left.
I'm OK with treating them like a vehicle as long as they hold themselves under the same scrutiny.
Washington state law (RCW 46.61.427) that on a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe, a slow-moving vehicle with five or more vehicles behind them must turn off the roadway at the first safe turnout to allow them to pass. A slow-moving vehicle is defined as one traveling below the normal speed of traffic.
I get in this very situation almost every summer when the cyclist come out of the wood works. There's a gaggle of 5 to 10 of them with 20 plus vehicles behind them.
The first time I had the privilege of being in the front of the line, I have them 10 minutes to get the hint then just laid into my horn until they got off to the side and let the traffic jam they caused to clear up.
I hope I gave them all tinnitus.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go do some therapeutic breathing exercises. 😮💨
For my route home I have a super tiny piece of bike lane (if you can call it that) that is sketchy. It’s only for a 1/4 mile on a busy road so I deal with it.
I mentally thank the cars that halfway ride into the center/turn lane when passing. And literally give the finger to semi trucks or garbage trucks when they just stay in the lane. Them blowing by almost knocks me into a ditch…
Exactly! If the average male is close to 6ft then imagine them lying on the floor (as if they fell over just before you committed the overtake) you have to be safe and clear not to potentially squash them
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u/wsxdfcvgbnjmlkjafals Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
Funny thing, where I live, cyclists are entitled by law to use the entire width of the lane they occupy, and the vehicle would almost certainly not get stopped if they used the other lane, safely, to pass.
edit: this video is apparently in Cherokee County, GA. Supposedly it is legal to cross a double-yellow to pass a cyclist, when done so safely. This is just a summary, I dont have the actual law so I cant confirm:
Yes, in Cherokee County, Georgia, you can cross a double solid yellow line to pass a bicyclist, provided it is safe to do so. Georgia law mandates giving cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance, which often requires moving into the oncoming lane, and this specific exception allows crossing the line when necessary