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In the mornings and afternoons there’s a stream of bike commuters on Eastlake. They go south in the morning and north in the afternoon.

We have a number of bicycle commuters in our office. It’s a great way to start and end the work day. It shouldn’t be a risky proposition. But driver inattention and malaise can make bike commuters feel like moving targets.

A recent article in the Seattle Times brings these risks into sharper focus:

A bicyclist was struck and critically injured Thursday afternoon by a hit-and-run SUV driver on a heavily used bike route in the South Lake Union area.

The accident occurred at 3:44 p.m. on one of the city’s main bicycle thoroughfares — Dexter Avenue North, which links downtown to northwest Seattle. The crash occurred at Thomas Street.

It was the fourth recent car accident on the street, according to several people who work in the area.

Last week in Kirkland, a 49-year-old Connecticut man was killed while riding his bicycle on Northeast Juanita Drive.

Most bicycle commuters also have cars. It’s vital to purchase as much uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as you can afford. Even though the coverage is under your auto policy it covers you while you’re on your bike.

If the person who hits you doesn’t have enough insurance (the state minimum coverage is only $25,000) your UIM kicks in.

If the person who hits you doesn’t have any insurance your UIM covers that too. And, like in the accident on Dexter last week, if you’re the victim of a hit and run your UIM will provide benefits for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, loss of enjoyment of life and disability.

Update:

The Shoreline paper ran a follow up story about the victim of the Dexter Avenue hit and run.

I will admit being biased. But I think some of our finest citizens are bike commuters.

It’s terrible when people who contribute so much are killed by people who contribute so little.

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