87-year-old cyclist dies after being hit by car in Shiga

An 87 year old lady riding a bicycle at 3.30 am?? Well it must have been unexpected.

In Japan, bicycles are rarely fitted with both front and rear lights, so I'm surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.

Having a reflector on the back simply isn't enough, and some reflective clothing wouldn't go amiss, either - especially considering the wanton disregard cyclists over here seem to have for their safety.

I feel bad for the driver. I am guessing that it was dark and he couldnt see the lady who probably wasn't equipped with lights. I am also wondering if she may have been one of those senile ladies like the ones around my place who will just randomly ride out of any side street without a care or go down the middle of the road swerving left to right again.

Was she "killed after being hit" by a car? A double crime?

Maybe she died after being hit by a car, sadly, yes.

Surely though she was "hit and killed" by a car.

I also feel bad for the driver. An 87 year old woman riding at 3:00 a.m. is a recipe for disaster. I am willing to bet she had no lights on her bike, was weaving around the road (as many elderly do, though usually on the sidewalks), and likely careened in front of the car at exactly the wrong time. I feel sorry for the woman as well, of course, but I have little doubt it was her fault.

Poor driver. If she was cycling like the babas are me, she was all over the road, no light and not paying attention.

"If she was cycling like the babas are me(sic?), she was all over the road..."

BLAME THE VICTIM!

For all we know, the driver is the victim. Not enough details. Traffic laws here are largely ignored by cyclists and the driver is always at fault - even when they aren't.

Its a good thing she was not riding on the sidewalk, breaking the law.

Could have been much worse!

BLAME THE VICTIM!

What a tired old canard. Being dead or injured does not necessarily make somebody a victim.

The anti-cyclist hate here is absurd. She was hit from behind. In Japan, and lots of other places, you're responsible for what's in front of you. A rear light would have helped, assuming she didn't have one. But to make the driver out to be the victim? Please.

It was a straight road with good visibility. Although there was a sidewalk on the side of the road she was riding on, it is unclear whether there was a sign allowing bicycles to use it. In general, in the absense of a sign giving permission for bicycles to travel on the sidewalk, bicycles are supposed to travel on the road.

The police are investigating whether the driver was perhaps not looking at the road when the accident happened. I agree with Nessie that the responsibility is on the driver to be looking at the road situation in front of him. When passing a bicyle, automobiles should slow down when necessary and move over to the right side when it is safe to do so and pass the bicycle.

Unless the bicyle jumped suddenly from the sidewalk onto the road just as the car was coming, it is hard to see how the woman on the bicyle was at fault.

The anti-cyclist hate here is absurd.

I'm a cyclist and face horrible cyclists on the road if I'm biking or driving. I am sick and tired of crazy cyclists AND crazy drivers.

I am willing to bet she had no lights on her bike, was weaving around the road (as many elderly do, though usually on the sidewalks), and likely careened in front of the car at exactly the wrong time.

There is no requirement to have a light in the rear of a bicycle. It is only required that there be some sort of reflector, which most bicycles that I have ever seen have. As to weaving around the road and careening in front of the car at the wrong time. Well, a driver approaching a bicycle must pass the bicycle safely. This is a legal requirement. The driver must pass at a speed and distance from the bicycle that is reasonably safe. I have seen lots of cars carreening into the opposite lane when passing other vehicles or bicycles and the drivers seem completely oblivious to any and all oncoming traffic.The driver having seen this woman from behind would have been or should have been aware that she was elderly and exercised even more caution because of it. This is especially true if the woman was weaving around the road or careening around the road. I have come across many such elderly on bicycles and one should slow down and pass with extremely caution in case they lose their balance.

I feel sorry for the woman as well, of course, but I have little doubt it was her fault.

The police seem to think the driver may not have been looking where he was going. In that case, it would be the driver of the automobile's fault. The driver came from behind and should have been able to see the situation ahead and judged a cautious and reasonable speed and distance to avoid any possible trouble. Of the two, a car moves much more rapidly than a bicycle.

Slum, I hope you never are hit by or hit a cyclist that is clearly braking the rules and then you being blamed for the accident. I know far too many people here who have stories of crazy cyclists breaking laws and causing accidents and then the driver gets blamed.

Yes, it is sad that a woman was dead but there are not enough facts to deem who is at fault here. Sorry but cycling in the dark at the time is just asking to be hit - and I say this as someone who commutes by bicycle but stops in the winter because it is too dark and drivers and cyclists are idiots. It's not safe. Even when lit up like an Xmas tree.

I hope you never are hit by or hit a cyclist that is clearly braking the rules and then you being blamed for the accident.

What rules was this 87 year old breaking that you know of? I don't know of any. What I do know is the driver was behind her and could see her, or should have been able to see her, better than she could see him. If it turns out that she was wrong, fair play. I have seen people come darting out of side streets on bikes and in cars and they are obviously in the wrong. This is the case where it was a straight road with a clear view. I have been in this situation with elderly people on bicycles in front of me weaving and wobbling in front of me and I can assure you that I slowed down to a virtual crawl and made a wide path for them as I passed them. They were so totally unpredictable.

I know far too many people here who have stories of crazy cyclists breaking laws and causing accidents and then the driver gets blamed.

I absolutely and without any doubt believe you. I also think it is very possible that this is not one of those cases.

Yes, it is sad that a woman was dead but there are not enough facts to deem who is at fault here.

In this case, there are enough facts to assume the driver may be at fault. There are less to assume that the cyclist was. The driver was behind the cyclist. The driver had the advantage of seeing what was in front of him with the aid of lights. This was not a highway, but a regular road.

Sorry but cycling in the dark at the time is just asking to be hit

It is not illegal to cycle at night. Perhaps at 87 she thought it was safer than driving. Who knows why she was out at that time of night. But, it was her right to be there and she did not deserve to die for it.

If the law does not mandate the use of a rear light at night, then, put simply, the law is wrong. The purpose of fitting lights to a bicycle is not to see, but to be seen. Unfortunately, the Japanese authorities are too myopic to understand this.

Always fit your bike with front and rear lights when travelling at night. It may not be the law, but it sure is common sense.

What rules did the driver break? Do you know of any? Do you know the driver could see her? YOu sure she had a rear reflector and wasn't dressed all in black? There are clearly not enough facts to decide the driver is at fault - hence the comments.

No one is suggesting she "deserved" to die. Calm down.

What rules did the driver break?

The rule against hitting someone from behind. The rule against inattention in driving. The rule that you're responsible for objects in front of you. The driver is at fault. The only question is, are there any factors to mitigate SOME of that fault.

Do you know of any?

Yes, I believe hitting someone from behind is against the law. If you are walking minding your own business and I run into you from behind, it is my fault not yours. I should be looking where I am going. You do not have any obligation to have eyes in the back of your head.

You are obiligated to have rear reflectors on a bicycle. We don't know if she had any. We have no idea if the driver was paying attention or not. The cops here blame drivers here for everything even when cyclists are ignoring laws. Lord help both of you if you ever suffer frm a cyclist not following laws and you get the book thrown at you. You might "get" my objections to always defending the cyclist.