Monthly Archives: August 2017

Understanding California’s Bicycle Laws: What You Need to Know

With school back in session, we thought it might be a good time to remind San Diego of the laws regarding bicycling. Biking is becoming more and more popular as a means of commuting to work and to school, but unless you are already an avid biker, you may be unaware that some common behaviors are against bicycle laws and open you up to greater possibilities of injury. Common (Illegal) Bicycle Behaviors Rolling through stop signs is illegal. There have been recent efforts from lawmakers to legalize what’s known as the “Idaho stop,” where cyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as if they were yield signs, but to date the efforts have not gone through. Some studies suggest that legalizing the Idaho stop would actually reduce the rate of bicycle accidents. Where are you allowed to ride? California law requires bicyclists to use bike lanes when possible, except when…
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California Cyclist Dies Trying to Stop Hit-and-Run

A cyclist in Long Beach has died after trying to stop a driver from fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run accident. The cyclist was riding with a friend around 1 p.m. when his friend was struck by a 2000 Ford Expedition, which sped off after the accident. The other cyclist gave chase and jumped onto the Expedition’s hood to try and stop the driver. As the driver weaved and swerved trying to throw the cyclist off, the cyclist tried to reach into the vehicle to turn off the ignition. He stayed on the vehicle for a half mile before being thrown off. He hit his head on a curb and died as a result. According to authorities, the driver then looped around and paused to look at his victim. He then abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene on foot. The first victim managed to walk away with only minor…
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Bike-Counting Camera Troubles Making Trouble for City Planners

One of the ways that San Diego has been gathering data on bicycling in the city is through the use of cameras. The cameras are mounted at intersections, next to the stoplights, and are being used to help the city plan for future transportation projects. However, the cameras, purchased in 2014, are not always working as intended. They are supposed to use patented technology to count bicyclists and extend green lights to help bicyclists get through intersections safely. But the footage is telling a different story than the sensors. By looking back at the recorded footage and counting, by hand, how many bicyclists are coming through, city engineers have seen that the hand counts are different from the automated tallies. How different? The engineers would not say. They instead explained that the technology to distinguish between bikes and cars is still evolving and that the company who makes the cameras,…
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