To the Editor:
When a driver is distracted a cyclist or pedestrian can die.
Last October, Gerard Malavenda was cycling on Hinesburg Road when a truck crossed almost three feet to the right of the fog line and ran him down.
On April 6, the driver was cited with “grossly negligent operation with death resulting,” the investigation took almost six months. There were questions about phone use at the time of the crash — this is no accident. The Other Paper reported that the driver had deleted all call and text logs. After being served a subpoena, AT&T was not able to supply the information.
I personally find Malavenda’s death particularly terrifying. I am the same age now as he was when he was run down by that truck in October. I cycle on the same roads around this area, it could have been me.
I am a cautious rider; I stay as far as possible to the right to maintain a consistent and predictable track. This strategy to minimize risk did not save Malavenda’s life. He is even reported to have been wearing a neon jersey and shoe covers.
The Other Paper story on April 20 (“Hinesburg man pleads not guilty in cyclist’s death”) stated that the driver saw Malavenda, and then he was suddenly right in front of the truck.
To be honest, this is not surprising, the speed limit at that location is 45 mph. Though the road is in South Burlington, it is controlled by the Agency of Transportation. The city had requested the speed limit be lowered, but the state refused. Malavenda died.
In a 2021 six-day traffic count near the site of this crash, the 85th-percentile speed was 63 mph. This means that 85 percent of the vehicles were going 63 mph or less, but 15 percent were going faster. A vehicle traveling at 63 mph is moving 92 feet per second. It is no surprise that the driver said that Gerard was suddenly right in front of his truck.
When we get behind the wheel, we carry a huge responsibility. Recognize that responsibility. Set an example for your kids when you drive. Take a moment to pull over to look at that text. 92 feet passes under your vehicle very quickly.
Doug Goodman
South Burlington
Goodman is a member of the South Burlington Bike/Pedestrian Committee, but the views expressed here are his own.
(1) comment
Cell phone use while driving is distracted driving. It is extremely dangerous and should be cited by our police. There is (some) evidence that it not enforced, i.e., willfully dismissed.
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