Could you please use a more accurate construct for this kind of horrible incident. Saying that "the bicycle he was riding collided with a car" implies that the cyclist took the action. Since both vehicles were traveling in the same direction on Canada, it is quite likely that the cyclist did NOTHING but get killed since an overtaking vehicle (the car in this case) is always responsible for safety.

A more accurate wording would be "the bicyclist was struck by a car". This reflects the situation and the humanity of the fact that the flesh and blood of a human being was mutilated by a 2 ton machine operated by another person.

"the bicycle he was riding collided with a car" ?

NO.

Whether these words are in the CHP report or in your paper, you must think about the language.
Are you assuming the cyclist was at fault?

Us cyclists drive cars too, but few motorists ride bikes, and some believe that bikes on the road are an inconvenience. We know our vulnerability and take precautions to be safe but we are helpless when an inconsiderate, impaired, or ignorant driver lets their 4000lb, 200hp, power steering, windows rolled up appliance drift or race into us. Tell me who should be the most attentive, responsible actor on the public roads?

Very sad to hear of this collision and the fact that there was a fatality. And collision is what it appears to be since none of us were there to witness if either vehicle was at fault.

Thank you TR and stuart. There is a definite 'slant' to this article that implicates the bicyclist for being at fault ... for having the audacity to ride near Filoli, perhaps?

I, too, agree with TR.

This is tragic.

I have been riding this route for years - sometimes alone or with a group. In theory, the road is one of the safest roads to cycle on in San Mateo. Canada Road is is very straight road with long sight lines so any automobile driver would be able to see downrange for long distances. Additionally, the bike lane is very wide and clearly marked and the route is a favorite for recreational cyclists, triathletes, time trial specialists, racing cyclists, bicycle commuters, and general fitness enthusiasts. Consequently, if one was driving a car on Canada Road, one would see that it is a preferred cycling route based on the number of cyclists who use the route every hour of every day. There is a cycling calculation called "The Composite Safety Index" and the variables in the calculation include the width of the bike lane, number of cars per hour, road surface quality, road straightness, length of sight lines, number of intersections with other roads, steepness of inclines and declines, etc. When you plug in the numbers for Canada Road, it reveals a very high Composite Safety Index. In fact, it's one of the safest roads in the county. When I drive my car along the road, I anticipate that a cyclist might leave the bike lane and enter the roadway (especially when passing another cyclist), so I always slow down, and veer left so that I am giving the cyclist plenty of space - just in case a cyclist executes a dangerous maneuver (and some, unfortunately, do). I never use my phone, radio, or car computer when I am driving on any road because a distracted driver is a dangerous driver. I have taken several advanced driving courses to qualify for car racing (on a racetrack) and the goal of advanced driving is to look down the roadway 1 to 2 miles while calculating car density and spacial relationships out in front so that one can effectively avoid any dangerous situations that might be developing. My point here is that good drivers can operate safely near bicycles. This is a tragedy.