Fresno cyclists demand respect from drivers after road rage incident

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A radical of cyclists successful Fresno accidental the city's drivers request to brushwood up connected the rules of the roadworthy aft 1 of their members was sent to the infirmary pursuing an incidental betwixt the cyclist and the operator of an SUV implicit the weekend.

On Saturday, a subordinate of the Madtown Rippers cyclist nine was enactment successful the infirmary pursuing what his chap members accidental was a driver's roadworthy rage. According to Fresno Police, the unfortunate was riding with the radical astatine astir 2:40 p.m. successful the country of Chesnut and Balch Avenues successful Fresno. Group members accidental the operator deed the cyclist intentionally.

"This is simply a precise traumatic situation," Steve Dunnigan with the Madtown Rippers said. "His son, helium rides with america to it. He's got to woody with that too."

According to Dunnigan, the radical is each astir promoting harmless and enjoyable rides portion pursuing postulation laws - but helium says drivers successful Fresno person go progressively assertive and unwilling to stock the road.

"This is starting to go a trend," Dunnigan said. "People request to beryllium patient. Because of the share-the-road laws. They request to look astatine america conscionable similar if we were motorcycles."

According to the DMV Handbook, bicyclists person the aforesaid rights and responsibilities arsenic different drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration backs up Dunnigan's statement, explicitly saying that for drivers "sharing the roadworthy begins with the knowing that bicyclists and motorcyclists person the aforesaid rights arsenic you."

Dunnigan says the Madtown Rippers question crossed the authorities with ample numbers of riders of each ages; he's disquieted that the continued inclination of roadworthy rage tin instrumentality distant each that they've worked to build.

"He conscionable got connected the motorcycle unrecorded for a small implicit a twelvemonth ago," Dunnigan said. "This could enactment a damper [on that], helium mightiness not adjacent privation to thrust with america again."

Dunnigan says it boils down to having respect for cyclists, obeying the laws and taking the clip to unbend during stressful drives.

"We each rush, but we've each got radical to get location to."