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17-year-old U.S. national team racer Magnus White killed by driver in Colorado - Canadian Cycling Magazine

cyclingmagazine.ca 17-year-old U.S. national team racer Magnus White killed by driver in Colorado - Canadian Cycling Magazine

17-year-old U.S. national team racer Magnus White killed by driver in Colorado. XC and cyclocross was on a training ride

17-year-old U.S. national team racer Magnus White killed by driver in Colorado - Canadian Cycling Magazine

White is not the only high-level cyclist to die in Colorado in recent years. In 2020, Clif Pro Team racer Ben Sonntag was killed by a driver while on a training ride outside Durango. That driver was sentenced to serve jail time in late 2021. In 2021, U.S. masters champion Gwen Inglis was killed by a driver outside Lakewood, Colorado.

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  • So I am just trying to understand. Do you all bike on busy dangerous roads because you have the expectation no one will hit you, or do you just not consider how dangerous it is?

    Unfortunately, many of these crashes happen on NOT BUSY roads, like out in farm country and rural roads. Cyclists choose these roads specifically to be away from cars and "dangerous roads", but drivers who speed or aren't paying attention will kill you no matter where you ride!

    Riding in a large group can help to reduce risks, but it's not even an option for everyone, especially if you are commuting. And even that can simply result in multiple fatalities or injuries when an inattentive driver is close by.

    Without any alternatives, except to ride on a road, what other option would a cyclist have? Not ride?

    Build cycling infrastructure and it becomes safer. Remove cars and it's guaranteed to be safe.

    And when you consider that the majority of cycling (and pedestrian) fatalities occur in areas where cyclists and pedestrians are expected to be, including bike lanes or crosswalks, you really can't keep blaming them for causing their own deaths.

    • It sounds like you agree that cycling is extremely dangerous and that most fatalities happen in places where it’s expected that there are lots of cyclists.

      You have to admit that if it’s well known that cars are unsafe then cycling near them is also unsafe.

      Why is it that cyclists don’t have to consider their safety just because they are cycling?

      People driving cars should also be considering their safety and what’s at risk to them if they decide to drive a car.

      You’re responsible for own safety at the end of the day and making a decision to do something very dangerous comes with risks. It’s a risk factor like anything else. It just happens to be extremely dangerous and it seems like most people who make the decision to cycle on roads aren’t considering it, because if they did consider the actual risks I’d imagine less people would do it.

      As far as what do you do? Honestly I don’t know but if your decision is to say fuck it and do it anyway then your decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. You’re risking a lot by doing so.

      • It sounds like you agree that cycling is extremely dangerous and that most fatalities happen in places where it’s expected that there are lots of cyclists.

        Cycling is not extremely dangerous. Cars are extremely dangerous to everyone in or around them.

        Per capita, car driver fatalities are dozens of times more common than pedestrian or cyclist fatalities.

        Pedestrians and cyclists just happen to be killed by cars, not because walking or cycling is dangerous, but because cars are!

        You have to admit that if it’s well known that cars are unsafe then cycling near them is also unsafe.

        Should people just cycling indoors? I don't understand where you're going with this logic.

        Yes, being near cars is unsafe. Driving a car is also unsafe. Seems like maybe we should simply get rid of cars. But since we can't, we have to work with what's available.

        Why should any pedestrian or cyclist feel that they can't move freely in any setting, simply because cars are dangerous?

        Kids can't get off a bus because cars are dangerous; you can't walk across a crosswalk because cars are dangerous; you can't bike ride anywhere because cars are dangerous; you can't even stand at a bus stop because cars are dangerous.

        You’re responsible for own safety at the end of the day and making a decision to do something very dangerous comes with risks.

        Yes, I agree that personal responsibility is important. That's why I ride with high-viz clothing, lights, reflectors, a bike radar, use hand signals, ride defensively, ride in bike lanes, and do everything else that I'm supposed to do.

        And yet drivers in cars still go out of their way to put me at risk by speeding, not using turn signals, ignoring traffic signs/light, ignoring cycling lanes, passing dangerously, not passing when they have ample space, and by being distracted.

        When does my personal responsibility end and a driver's personal responsibility begin? We both have EQUAL legal access to these roadways, but it seems like there's a complete imbalance of responsibility for road safety.

        Should the person driving a multi-ton weapon not have a greater responsibility for operating that weapon, than the bystanders who happen to be in the same area?

        The reality is that people have to get groceries, or pick up their kid at school, or drop a letter off in their local post box, or walk to a friend's house, or get exercise, or simply to enjoy fresh air. They do this on foot or by bike.

        None of these activities should involve dying by car, and it's unfair to put the blame on victims who are simply doing low-risk activities which happen to be close to cars.

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