CALIFORNIA BICYCLE NEWS AND CYCLING SAFETY TIPS BLOG

After almost losing his life to a cycling accident last summer, a San Diego man has made a public statement thanking the YMCA for helping aide in his recovery. Juan Vinolo was riding with a group of 20 people when a driver under the influence of methamphetamine and alcohol rounded a blind corner, hitting Carlos and critically injuring him. The aftermath of the accident was a grisly scene, leaving Juan with a punctured lung, a lost kidney, dislocated shoulder and broken ribs. Worst of all, the accident paralyzed Juan from the chest down. According to police, the impaired driver of the car that hit Juan also hit 10 other cyclists. After hitting the group, she exited her car and started behaving erratically. She was taken to the hospital when police found a bag of methamphetamine. Several hearings have been delayed until the mental competency of the woman can be assessed….
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Cyclists are always in danger from negligent drivers. In response to the threat, California lawmakers passed a bill requiring drivers to give them at least three feet of room. Passage of the bill made California the 24th state to enact a three-foot passing law. California’s three-foot law was certainly needed, as 150 cyclists died in 2012 from car collisions. How Does the Three Feet for Safety Act Work? In addition to providing room to cyclists, if traffic is too dense to give cyclists a safe distance of three feet, drivers must slow down to a reasonable speed to wait until passing the cyclist is safe. Vehicles that do not give three feet of room or slow down to wait before passing a bicycle can be fined $35. The fine increases to $220 if a vehicle hits a cyclist and the driver is found to be in violation of the law….
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Tales of inspiration and resilience against terrible odds can serve as a reminder to those who have sustained catastrophic injuries in bicycle accidents that it is possible to undertake great milestones. Thirteen years ago while cycling downhill in San Clemente, Beth Sanden hit a pothole in the road and crashed her bicycle, crushing two vertebrae and sustaining a spinal cord injury. Being told by doctors she would never walk again did not stop her from trying. After 18 months of therapy and learning to use a walker, and later a cane, Sanden was able to regain some mobility. Sustaining a SCI did not stop Sanden from partaking in cycling marathons, as she found a way to use her arms to pedal a handcycle. Sanden has cycled her way through six continents, spanning 28 marathons and 35 triathlons. Next on the menu for Sanden is Antarctica, the frigid continent that attracts…
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