Bicycle Austin forum

I'm stickying this post to start making a list.

4/17/26 • 4100 S. Congress near E. Ben White • Seriously injured • 9:08am • CBS

This reminds me of Critical Mass.  A large group of students rode e-bikes together, causing the Sheriff's office to investigate, for some reason.

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/travis … n-roadways

I'm starting this thread as a place to post cases in which a driver received a lengthy sentence for killing someone.

First up:  In SC in 2024, Jamie Lee Komoroski was sentenced to 25 years for killing a bride and seriously injuring the groom as they left their wedding in a golf cart.  Komoroski was drunk more than three time the legal limit, and was going 65mph in a 25 mph zone.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/02/us/drive … ight-crash

Whether the sentence is long or short, it seems appropriate to revoke driving privileges.

4/1/26

The speed limit is 35mph but cars have been clocked at 60mph.

No charges so far, I doubt there will be.

As always, remember that bicyclists have to follow the law if they want respect.  (Applies only to bicyclists.)

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/round- … ng-student

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/round-r … ipal-says/

Reddit has had an anti-car subreddit for 10 years now.  Man, I'm behind the times.

I'm not in the habit of buying cars, so I didn't know that modern cars now come with a plethora of safety features for no extra money.

10-15 years ago, advanced safety features didn’t exist

5-10 years ago they existed, but only at the higher trims, or with an add-on ($$$) package

Most safety features are now standard.  Even the lowest Prius trims come with:

• Backup camera
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Blind spot monitor
• Safe Exit Assist
• Pre-Collision System w/Pedestrian Detection
• Lane Departure Alert w/Steering Assist
• Lane Tracing Assist
• Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
• Road sign assist
• Automatic High Beams
• Proactive Driving Assist

The only safety feature that's standard on the highest Prius trim (Limited) that’s not on the LE is parking assist, which is arguably not really a safety feature anyway.

Most of these features aren't mandated.  Here are the mandates and when they took effect:

• 2018: backup camera
• 2009-11:  Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• 2005-07:  Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• 1998: Airbags
• 1990s-2000s:  Anti-lock brakes (ABS)
• 1960s: seat belts (thank u Ralph Nader)

WaPo takes a deep look at the issue, with the nationwide Vision Zero effort to reduce pedestrian deaths, which hasn't resulted in fewer pedestrian deaths, though defenders say that's because it hasn't been properly implemented.

Of note is that after public outcry about a traffic calming measure that reduced the number of lanes on a roadway, officials restored the traffic lanes.  One of the vociferous opponents of the reduced lanes went on to accidentally kill a pedestrian on that roadway after the removed lanes were restored.

Also of note is a group that (illegally) paints in new crosswalks where they think they should exist.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business … ero-roads/

https://www.nj.com/news/2026/01/nj-e-bi … omers.html

Discuss.

We're all used to drivers getting slaps on the wrist, if even that, for killing pedestrians and bicyclists, even if they were drunk, and even if the crash was a hit-and-run.

The following case was NOT hit-and run, but the driver was still charged with Intoxication Manslaughter.  The fact that she got a serious charge is probably because the victim was another driver (not a pedestrian or bicyclist), and because the drunk driver is black.

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/woman- … in-airport

How many white drunk and/or hit-and-run drivers get serious charges for killing cyclists and pedestrians?  Without looking it up, memory says it's a vanishingly small number.

Yet another hit-and-run on a bicyclist.

What a world.

https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/austin- … t-and-run/