Category Archives: Bike Safety

Police in Santa Monica have launched an operation focused on preventing collisions between pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles. According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), the operation will map out several areas where bicycle accidents have occurred over the last five years and what kinds of violations caused accidents. Over 870 bicycle accidents have been investigated by the SMPD in the last three years. Police will be looking for drivers who are speeding, making illegal turns, running through stop signs and committing other moving violations. California leads the nation in pedestrian and bicycle accident deaths, which is a reason why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given SMPD funds for this operation. Efforts by the SMPD raise an interesting question – how safe are bicyclists in California? In 2013, San Luis Obispo reported that despite its small population, the city had more bicycle accidents than cities twice its size….
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California’s Senate has introduced legislation (SB 192) that would require all bicyclists, including adults, to wear helmets and reflective clothing while cycling at night. Bicycle advocacy groups are shouting down SB192, saying that it has good intentions, but that it might turn people off to the hobby of cycling. What Do Lawmakers Hope SB192 Will Accomplish? What makes the intentions of SB192 good? Every year across the country, cyclists lose their lives or face long-lasting health problems from sustaining traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). States that have mandatory helmet laws for children have seen a reduction in the number of TBIs, and it is likely that California lawmakers in support of SB192 want to replicate that kind of success for cyclists of all ages. Research published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that injury rates were 20 percent lower in states that had helmet laws. How Will SB 192 Work? Existing…
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