Ballard News-Tribune tribute to a road racer and commuter, Kevin Black, who was killed riding on 24th Avenue Northwest in Ballard the morning of Feb. 5.
It’s still unclear what exactly happened, and we’ll update you as the police conclude their investigation. Riding in any metro area is perilous, but my observation from years of commuting is that the roads are more dangerous today. A number of factors contribute, but the overall issue is impatience. People are in too much of a hurry and make snap decisions while driving. Partly this is because drivers, especially younger ones, feel invulnerable due to air bags. They know they can walk away from any accident, no matter what happens to the pedestrian or bicyclist or other vehicle they hit.
In general I’ve found Seattle drivers to be mostly courteous and accommodating when it comes to cyclists. But I’ve also had my share of close calls and just plain rudeness. The goal as I once put it: To become uninvisible. Kevin Black fell tragically short on that one.
We could all do with slowing down — cyclists included.