Archives

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Cops say car driver was painting her nails :mad: (http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=290935&src=109)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Fatal_Motorcycle_Crash.jpgRussell Lissau – Daily Herald (dailyherald.com) – May 2, 2009

I wish the driver had removed Herself from the gene pool. -- Ed. #1 :mad:

Damn it, this pisses me off. God Speed to Anita and my condolences to her family... :ccry: -- Ed. #2

As she rode her motorcycle in the Lake Zurich area Saturday afternoon, Anita Zaffke stopped for a yellow light.

The motorist behind her didn't, police said, because she was painting her fingernails.

Zaffke, 56, of Lake Zurich, suffered fatal injuries when she was struck by a car about 5:30 p.m., Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said.

The accident happened on the southbound side of Rand Road after Zaffke stopped her 2007 Honda Shadow for the light at Old McHenry Road, Lake County sheriff's police said.

Lora L. Hunt, 48, of Morris, also was headed south and crashed into Zaffke, police said.

Hunt told police she was painting her nails as she drove and didn't see Zaffke until after the crash, police reports indicate.

Zaffke and her motorcycle were pushed forward a few hundred feet by the force of the crash, Keller said... http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=290935&src=109

Maybe this needs to be a News Article.

If this account is accurate, she needs to do a long manslaughter term.

Same story in Tribune (http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/05/motorcyclist-killed-by-driver-painting-fingernails.html) with comments

I am a motorcycle rider myself. I live in the city and my head is always on a swivel. When I stop or planning to stop a a traffic light or stop sign my eyes are on the rear view mirror as much as what is ahead of me. I was hit in the back before waiting for a traffic light. When I see drivers texting, on the phone or doing something else it scares the heck out of me. The $100 fine for texting or being on the phone is a joke. Not because it is only $100 dollars but the chicago cops ignore people on the phone.

Charges are pending.:mad: As if they need to investigate more. :confused: - Dale

Charges are pending.:mad: As if they need to investigate more. :confused: - Dale

If the woman was hypermiling, the angry mob would have already gathered outside the courthouse, torches and pitchforks waving with rage.

It is manslaughter, plain and simple. Maybe charges are pending because they want to go after criminally negligent homicide or other charges. I think they have to investigate and get all the charges lined up before the arraignment.

this has nothing to do with hypermiling, it has to do with stupid people doing stupid things while driving.... who the heck told that stupid ...... that she can paint her f....g nails while driving??:mad::mad:

People need to re-arrange their priorities.

I do a motorcycle awareness module in our driver improvement classes at work. This is the main thing I tell them, that when you are behind the wheel, safe driving must be the top of your list of priorities, not the bottom.

I hope the woman with the pretty finger nails keeps them looking nice in prison. Because safe driving was the last thing on her mind, someone had to die. It's BS.

And this is also why I tell bikers to quit wearing black from head to toe. Do something to catch motorists' eyes, and at least give yourself a better chance out on the mean streets.

"Kill a biker, go to jail," shouldn't just be a bumper sticker. It should be reality. Maybe then people will re-arrange their priorities.

Harry

PS: in my old age, I've taken to wearing my hi-viz vest while riding a lot more than I used to, and I always wear a white helmet and use my high-beam to help other motorists see me. Good guys do not wear black, contrary to what Willie Davidson tells the masses.

this has nothing to do with hypermiling, it has to do with stupid people doing stupid things while driving.... who the heck told that stupid ...... that she can paint her f....g nails while driving??:mad::mad:

Exactly my point. Driver inattention and recklessness causes these senseless fatalities. Yet Abaddon's Automotive Authority has "consultants" who advise against inflating tires above placard pressure because of the danger of exploding tires or loss of control, and they question of legality of driving without shoes on your feet. But when you paint your fingernails while driving, or read a newspaper, or shave, or apply makeup, they are strangely silent.

I lost two close family members - one to a driver who had too much to drink and one who was too old to be driving. Senseless losses, as they could have been avoided by people having the judgement to decide they were incapable of driving due to their compromised conditions.

So my hypermiling remark was motivated by the observation that some in the media extol the dangers of driving for better fuel efficiency, but do not seem to see the dangers in speeding, road rage, drinking after having just a few, or octagenarians driving when they potentially can't see past their windshield or react quickly to emergency situations. I don't know of anyone killed by a hypermiler, but I read articles every day about people killed by speed, inattention, and other selfish behaviors.

"Zaffke and her motorcycle were pushed forward a few hundred feet by the force of the crash"

Sounds like the crasher was so intent on Nail Therapy, that she never even saw the light, let alone the lady biker. That's a lotta momentum. The crashee would have been in some serious whiplash trouble, even in a small compact car (never mind the potential of getting hit from cross-traffic).

This was probably not the first time the crasher had practiced that Nail Therapy, either.

A big part of defensive driving is to always check your mirror whenever you slow down or stop. You need to know what is going on around you at all times, in all directions including behind you, just like a fighter pilot in combat. Our roads are a war zone, due to careless or psychopathic drivers like the woman doing her nails.

One way to spot a bad driver: when you are waiting at a light and it changes to green, what does the driver in front of you do? Does that driver's head swivel left and right to check for traffic before proceeding, or does the driver simply proceed without looking? People also run red lights every day, and you have to be ready for that, too. Most drivers go without turning their heads at all, without looking for red-light runners...

Harry

The story is not about hypermiling, but the polar opposite - distracted driving at high enough speed to send the biker hundreds of yards. :(

The story is not about hypermiling, but the polar opposite - distracted driving at high enough speed to send the biker hundreds of yards. :(

Hypermilers are actively searching out traffic lights, spotting red lights ahead, or "stale" green lights about to go red so that they can glide up to the light with minimal braking required.

The woman doing her nails was the opposite: she blew the red light and killed someone.

AAA where are you? Strangely silent on this one, as usual.

Harry

Hi All:

___Chris made mention of Hypermiling in jest because if the automobile driver was and creamed somebody like this, the mob would have appeared pitchfork in hand and demanding a head. Because she drove like everyone else, 15 over the limits, distracted doing whatever and basically not giving a damn, "Oh well" according to those that should be giving a damn :mad:

___Not only did she run over Anita but continued on for several hundred feet before coming to a halt. WTF, was she doing 80 mph? Old McHenry road has a Speed limit of 55 mph max IIRC and this lady was completley oblivious.

___This story really raises my blood pressure knowing this death was so avoidable :ccry:

___Good Luck

___Wayne

my condolences to this woman and her family. Some people live obviously not knowing how the world works except for their own little lives. I guess it doesn't pay to be self-centered.:mad:

It's better is people give a **** about others to begin with, but for the rest make self-obsession like this hurt.

I have often been called a cold hearted son of a biscuit eater.

Sorry, but I think she deserves the death penalty.

I have often been called a cold hearted son of a biscuit eater.

Sorry, but I think she deserves the death penalty.I'll partially endorse this to the extent that if people actually thought their driving could result in capital punishment in instances like this, they might behave.

I might go with life for her.

I'd settle for 5 years in the State Pen. That won't bring the victim back, but it would put a serious dent in the perp's life, and send a clear message to all that driving with a reckless disregard for others will result in serious jail time.

Harry

Hi All:

___This story is still making news on our local affiliates and the nail painting driver is not only NOT in jail, she has so far only been charged with failure to yield or some other such minor traffic offense. Can you ******* believe this!!!! WTF!!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I got on the American Motorcyclist Association website and notified them of this story.

They have a "Justice for All" program, and I hope that woman with the pretty nails is the subject of their next effort to get justice. I did notify them, and included a link to the story.

http://www.amadirectlink.com/justice/index.asp

Harry

There you go Harry. Hopefully they pickup in time to get some real justice for th victim rather than the sham that seems to be going down thus far

I can't believe she will walk with a slap on the wrist...they HAVE to make manslaugher/homicide changes.

For some reason he can't post, so here it is...

What's worse in this case is that this lady was southbound on a heavily traveled road KNOWN for that light being red. There are long jams there during rush hour, and otherwise it is clear but known to stay red.

I went through that intersection the same way that afternoon. Clear, clean and smooth with long sightlines. You couldn't ask for a clearer intersection. This lady paid NO attention whatsoever.:mad:

This is a tough one for me. Yes she needs to be punished., but does it raise to the level of a premeitated murder and the death penalty, It was not an accident, if was negligence but not a willful act to kill the woman. She needs to be punishment and give restitution somehow.

I am not a fan of prison. I think prision is a punishment that should be used only for violent offenders or for those who won't submit to other punishment. So I am not sure where I fall on this. That is a different subject I know.

By the way the comments on the article are piling up, and are getting heated and they are having to delete most of them.

I can't believe she will walk with a slap on the wrist...they HAVE to make manslaugher/homicide changes.

That is what I'd think, but local (Seattle area) experience shows otherwise. In a cell-phoning case where the State Patrol recommended four counts of vehicular homicide or manslaughter, the prosecutor called it a civil matter, and let her off on reckless driving for under $500. Unrelated, of course, she was married to a person of local standing, while the deceased were European immigrants with no other relatives in the country. And an unrelated court decision meant that the only persons with standing to sue for wrongful death, died in the fire.

By the way the comments on the article are piling up, and are getting heated and they are having to delete most of them.This is a sad commentary on the human condition

I've said in the past that people do the darndest things if they don't have to show their face....on the phone to an extent, on the road, and on the internet.

We have a senseless tragedy from a criminally neglent driver. Then we have highly insensitive reader remarks to add insult to this.

Since it was deleted, I can't validate this, but reading from context, I bet it was something like this:She was riding a motorcycle and was asking to get killedA relative of the deceased protested and those comments still stand.

One of my pet peeves is this "blame the victim" mentality. The force of the impact probably would have killed her even if she had been in a car. Even if it's not so, motorcycles are legal and the biker had done nothing careless. Who is to say the insensitive commenter could be in a vulnerable situation and snuffed out in a similar manner? That the bereaved have to read such trollbait is appalling.

Just thinking out aloud, but being autonomous is the reason spammers and trollers cause so much trouble. I wish it were legal for a newspaper to not only delete the offensive comment, but in this case, disclose the contact information so the trollbaiter would likely face people in person and see how much he enjoys the baiting. Again, I doubt the tasteless remark would have been made if he was face-to-face.

Well there seems to be no shortage of commentary on this one, but i'll throw mine in for good measure.

To me it's nothing less than a shameful tragedy - for all involved. The victim and her family (my thoughts and prayer to them) and for the driver of the car whose careless and inattentive driving (I agree with the vehicular manslaughter - seems appropriate) has now devestated both families.

Everyone loses this one.....

Please be careful out there people - we all can - have - AND WILL lose our focus from time to time, lets use this as a wake up to redouble our efforts and be safe.

I ride a bike and getting rear ended is what I am second most concerned about when riding, right below someone turning or pulling out in front of me. I had a tractor turn left in front of me while passing him about 25 years ago. I was lucky I had room to go to the left and lay the bike down instead of hitting him or going under the tractor and being run over. He never looked to see if anything was behind him or passing before starting his turn. Then the idiot had the nerve to tell me "this is the second time this has happened to me today". Anyone that stupid shouldn't even be allowed on the road.

One of my pet peeves is this "blame the victim" mentality.

In some countries, motorcycles outnumber cars. In the US, many people have an animosity towards motorcyclists. I sense that part of this is from men who would like to ride, but are afraid to, and this comes out as hostility. Many people seem to want to hit a motorcycle just to prove that motorcycles are dangerous. At least they act like that is their agenda.

Harry

Many people seem to want to hit a motorcycle just to prove that motorcycles are dangerous.

HarryPeople who don't ride don't realize how quick a motorcycle can stop and generally get too close to them in fast moving traffic, as a rider you always have to leave an out and that is hard to do with selfish motorists gunning for a better spot up ahead.

There are other considerations that "cage drivers" don't consider because it's not as dangerous to them. Think about how loose gravel washed into the road after a hard rain can make riding more treacherous, usually on curves in rural areas. Bikes have to slow down without getting run down.

A car's length is too close to a bike when moving, things that don't endanger cars are deadly to bikes. Dogs, dumb@$$'s and debris are a daily hazard to a biker. We could prevent a good percentage of these perils.

All drivers education should include motorcycle education and commercial truck awareness classes. To teach kids how to drive without making them aware of the limits and capabilities of other types of vehicles is sending them out to make deadly mistakes. If you knew how dangerous it is to be in front of a fast moving concrete truck on the highway approaching congested traffic or on it's right side when it's making a fast left hand turn. :eek:... (ever seen an overturned concrete truck?)

Most bad drivers regardless of the vehicle they use regard others not as fellow transporters but as obstructions that must be overcome or reviled for being in their way. They get mad if they are too slow, too fast, blocking their path, cutting them off and more often for just being there.

These things are going to occur and you just have to face it, if you live in a populated area it's going to happen everyday on nearly every street. Getting mad at traffic never makes it better, finding a better route, that is safer, less stressful and uses less gas is the most intelligent alternative.

Changing my goals from how fast can I get there to how much gas can I save certainly helped me to deal with stressful driving conditions, the conditions didn't change but my outlook on my circumstances improved when I no longer had to "work" to get past others.

It's being so intense in getting there the quickest that you don't realize that your working too hard to go nowhere but if you can stop the race, take a deep breath and really look at your surroundings you will be better able to see a less resistant path.

Go with the flow. A girl I dated years ago told me this when I asked her how she got to be so cool. She said she would go with the flow and if she didn't like where it or people took her she got out of the way. It made sense and we are still friends.

The girl who hit the motorcyclist was too self absorbed in getting her nails done to actual control her vehicle and because of this lack of judgment and the fact that she hit a motorcyclist that biker died. I'm sure she didn't want to hurt anyone but regardless she made a fatal mistake with someone else's life.

About three years ago I rear ended someone with my car. I hit them while they were stopped 100's of feet behind the next car at the closest intersection, she was not familiar with the area where she was driving and was thinking about where she wanted to go, so she stopped in the middle of the road to choose her lane.:eek: I was not paying attention to the road in front of me for 1 or 2 seconds, I hit her doing about 40mph. No one was injured but if she had been riding a motorcycle I would have killed her just like that girl did that biker. It was my fault for not paying attention and I totaled my car and did $2500 worth of damage to hers. I was lucky it wasn't worse.

You can see pictures of my totaled car here: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/z/drimportracing/ , I don't ever want to forget that driving safe is the most important goal. Not getting there faster or doing something that detracts from being a safe driver. - Dale

Many people seem to want to hit a motorcycle just to prove that motorcycles are dangerous. At least they act like that is their agenda. :confused::mad:

:confused::mad:
Yours was more to the point. :D - Dale

I had a guy barge out onto the road from a gas station on my left, heading in the same direction as me. I didn't know if he was coming into my lane, and I had a curb/sidewalk on my right, with no where to go. If he had come all the way into my lane, I would have collided with his car. He used the centerlane, and didn't collide with me. At the light, I asked him why he didn't just wait 5 seconds for me to go by before pulling out. His response? "You shouldn't be riding that damned motorcycle, it's dangerous!"

The story in this thread made the national news on TV yesterday. The American Motorcyclist Association got back to me and assured me there is a lot of interest in the story, and that are monitoring the situation. They thought that "charges are pending."

Harry