Monthly Archives: January 2018

How Bicycle Safety Advocates Use Ghost Bikes to Memorialize Fallen Cyclists

You may have seen white bicycles attached to street signs, trees, fences or outside of businesses while traveling about Southern California. These “ghost bikes” are placed to let you and others know that a cyclist died at that location. Like tombstones, ghost bikes may also be adorned with flowers, candles, personal photos and other objects left by family and friends. In 2003, a bike mechanic created the first ghost bike after witnessing a fatal bicycle accident in St. Louis, Missouri. After the accident, he painted a bicycle white and placed it where the cyclist had died. The idea has spread to dozens of US cities and foreign countries. Thousands of ghost bike memorials have been placed around the world. Ghost Bikes, an organization that places these bicycles, has chapters in Southern California. Many members of Ghost Bikes have lost loved ones and friends to bicycle accidents. In recent articles published by…
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Five Tips for Increasing Cycling Visibility in Southern California

Some bicycle accidents occur when motorists fail to spot cyclists in time to avoid collisions. Motorists may not be scanning the road for cyclists, so it is important to adopt methods that can help you stand out. Visibility is paramount to your safety as a cyclist. Our five tips could help you decrease the odds of being involved in a collision with a vehicle. Wear bright clothing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluorescent clothing can make you visible to motorists from further away during the daytime. Fluorescent clothing is even more useful when used on moving parts of the body, such as the legs. Bright retroreflective clothing could improve your visibility at night. Use reflective tape. You could attach reflective tape to your clothing, helmet or bicycle. Reflective tape can bounce light off oncoming vehicles. This is a good tip if your clothing does not already…
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Can a Cyclist Roll Through Stop Signs in California?

California is one of the most popular states for cycling and also a state with a high number of cycling-related injuries. From 2010-2016, fatal cycling accidents increased by 43% in the Bay Area alone, states the Mercury Report. With such high numbers, it seems logical that California legislature should be enacting cycling laws that can lower the amount of accidents on the roads. However, it seems the legislature has yet to agree on whether cyclists will be able to utilize the “California Roll,” known otherwise as the “Idaho stop,” while traveling through the city. The California Roll The colloquial term refers to a cyclist rolling through a stop sign. This means that the cyclist would be traveling towards a stop sign and, instead of slowing to a stop, would observe their surroundings for any pedestrians or vehicular traffic first. If none of these were present, the cyclist would be free…
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