Category Archives: Bike Safety

San Diego bicycle safety best practices and California bike law information for help understanding the rules of the road for bikes.

What Are Vulnerable Road Users?

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Dudek Law Firm

We recently published a blog discussing how fatal accidents increased for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists in recent years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published the most recent statistics on these traffic accidents. All three groups are known as “vulnerable road users” or “vulnerable users”. This is a catch-all term to describe people who are not using motor vehicles. Other examples of vulnerable users include people on skateboards, mopeds, farm vehicles or in wheelchairs. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users have little to no protection when they are involved in accidents. Some states have laws that help protect vulnerable users from harm. California does have some laws that take vulnerable users into account, but there is always room for improvement. The League of American Bicyclists has three recommendations states can use while crafting vulnerable user laws. These recommendations include: Creating a “vulnerable user law”. This law would…
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How Bicycle Safety Advocates Use Ghost Bikes to Memorialize Fallen Cyclists

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Dudek Law Firm

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

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Dudek Law Firm

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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