At the end of 2023, California Governor Gavin Newson signed into law SB 413, making it illegal in California to park within 20 feet of the approach of any marked or unmarked crosswalk, whether or not there is a red curb painted or a sign.
What is the ‘California Daylighting Law’ is all about?
The new law (SB 413 or the ‘California Daylighting Law’) amends Section 22500 of the California Vehicle Code, adding a new section to the law prohibiting stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk or within 15 feet of any crosswalk with a curb extension. For now, cities can only issue a warning if the law is violated, unless the area has already been painted red or a sign erected. On January 1, 2025, violators can be cited.
Daylighting, or removing visual barriers within a minimum of 20 feet of a crosswalk or intersection, makes everyone on the street easier to see.
Why do we need this law for pedestrians?
Until AB 413 was passed, California was one of only 10 states that did not have a law restricting parking near crosswalks, despite the high rate of pedestrian injuries and fatalities. The law allows cities to implement a pedestrian safety concept called daylighting which increases visibility for both pedestrians crossing the street and drivers approaching an intersection. With daylighting, pedestrians no longer have to edge into the intersection to try and peek around parked cars for approaching traffic. Daylighting increases safety for drivers too as it gives drivers a clear view of the intersection, allowing them to see if someone is waiting to cross, well before they reach the intersection. This also helps drivers more readily identify children, who are less visible at intersections behind parked cars, who are waiting to cross the street.
Preventing fatal pedestrian injuries
Some cities, like San Francisco began implanting daylighting in 2015, after adopting Vision Zero, a nationwide movement putting safety first to decrease traffic deaths to zero by 2024. San Francisco started their program in some of the high injury network streets where there are the most concentrated numbers of severe and fatal pedestrian injuries. By 2019, San Francisco had implemented daylighting in the collection of intersections throughout the city where more than two-thirds of all severe and fatal traffic crashes happen.
Won’t this California Daylighting Law remove parking spaces?
In moving cities toward a new mindset where streets are shared by pedestrians, cyclists, transit and cars there will always be trade-offs between safety and convenience. The reality is at some point during an average day, most of us will be a pedestrian, whether we define ourselves that way or not. Whether you drive and park your car to run and errand and cross a street, or are car-free and walk everywhere, you are a pedestrian and now there is a law in California that will help improve the chances that you can get from one side of the street to the other safely.
Recently, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Pilot Proposal Contributors, through its SFNext project, posited an interesting idea to revitalize downtown San Francisco. (“Could this idea for pedestrian-friendly streets bring new life to downtown S.F.?”, San Francisco Chronicle, 11-13-23; https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/pedestrian-streets-downtown-18457711.php) The post (and some pre) pandemic issues plaguing San Francisco from Civic Center Plaza to the Financial District have been much talked about, making local headlines on what seems like a daily basis. The Chronicle Contributors boldly suggest that the solution to revitalize these areas of the city can be found in the creation of the “Big Wiggle”, which they liken to a “cousin” of the Wiggle on the west side of town, a route for cyclists from the Panhandle through Golden Gate Park. The Big Wiggle as imagined would instead be pedestrian focused, carving out car-free and enjoyable paths for pedestrians from Civic Center Plaza to Embarcadero Plaza, an idea that is particularly timely in light of the Governors Highway Safety Association report showing the U.S. is at a 40-year high for pedestrian fatalities.
The idea of creating safer, more enjoyable spaces for pedestrians is not a new one in our town.
Non-profits WalkSF and Livable City have been advocates for safer pedestrian access to city streets, and effective conduits to making necessary changes in partnership with the City and County of San Francisco. The concept of the Big Wiggle seems to build on the years of pedestrian advocacy work, initiatives like Vision Zero and the renewed dialogue surrounding the use of public spaces. As the Chronicle Contributors gently walk us through the turn-by-turn descriptions of what pedestrians would experience traipsing through the Big Wiggle, you can feel the ideals of renewal and rebirth in places that now seem forgotten by those in charge of governing our city. The Big Wiggle is more a reimagined landscape for our city, rather than a stodgy public works project and would entail buy-in not only from city officials but by the private sector, and of course residents. The idea is a bold call to action directed at the powers that be in San Francisco government, but the call is not to tackle this as an en masse project, but to use it as a guiding principle to start minor projects focused on a few pedestrian-only streets.
While the call for even small-scale pedestrian friendly car-free spaces is often met with a chorus of complaints about traffic congestion, lack of parking and the increased “burdens” to drivers, in reality San Francisco has carved out such spaces, and done so successfully at various points and times. The question now is will San Francisco meet the moment, not with band-aid fixes of intermittent street cleaning and SFPD sweeps for grand conventioneers and political royalty, but with a thoughtful plan to re-imagine San Francisco for its residents and regular folks visiting to enjoy the brilliance of San Francisco? Time will tell.
I can still remember my first ride on a two-wheeler. It was a hot, sticky summer day in New York and my brother and I were out in the front yard, my brother tooling around on his Evel Knievel big wheel and me riding in circles on my prized possession-my very first bicycle, a pink number, with training wheels, a sparkly banana seat and rainbow-colored ribbons coming out of the handlebars. For weeks, I had pestered my mom to take the training wheels off of my bike and it was on this summer day she finally capitulated and carefully unscrewed those little wheels. When the deed was done, I took hold of my new and improved bike, swung my leg over the seat and got ready to start racing the big kids on the block up and down our stretch of jutted sidewalk. Before I could put my feet on the pedals, my mom gently explained that this was like a new bike and I had to learn how to ride without training wheels. She suggested we practice riding with her holding onto the back of the seat to help me. I found this to be a ridiculous notion, and tried to tell her that I was big enough to do it by myself and didn’t need any help—that was for babies. She ignored my protests and wordlessly took hold of the back of my seat and told me I could start pedaling.
With the first stroke of the pedal, I felt something different than usual in my well-worn bicycle. It felt wobbly and unsteady. I wasn’t sure I liked this. I was used to a smooth, unadulterated ride. It was then that I started to feel afraid. Without those two extra little wheels, my world was unbalanced and I would have to learn on my own how to stay upright. I yelled to my mom that I wanted to stop, that I was going to fall, but my bike kept moving forward, and after a few seconds, the wobbling stopped and I was cruising along the sidewalk. The fear dissipated and all I could think about was how far I could go now. I yelled back at my mom that she could let go now, but I could no longer hear her behind me, or smell her perfume. When I realized she had already let go, there was a distinct moment of panic that was overcome by the newfound freedom that comes with navigating your own way.
And it was in that way that cycling always seemed to mimic the contours and challenges of life from childhood to the transition to adolescence and finally adulthood, and somehow the milestones of my own life transitions are marked by memories of biking.
Long after I outgrew my wonderous banana seat bike, I began to covet my older cousin’s sleek, baby blue Schwinn 10-speed. By then, we had moved out of the city and into the suburbs on Long Island, with wide, flat, tree-lined streets, nature preserves, a bike route to the beach and of course, shopping malls. As a pre-teen (what we call “tweens” now), oh how I thought a 10-speed would change my life. With it I could travel great distances far and wide on this island we lived on, no more begging rides from my mom or failing that, the dreaded slow pace of walking to get to where I needed to go. And then one day, the unthinkable happened. My cousin came over to our house, gliding into the driveway, already swinging one leg off the bike of my dreams before it had come to a stop. She gave the kickstand a whack, so I could get the full view of the bike standing tall in all its splendor. She told me the bike was mine if I wanted it. Mind-blown, I couldn’t even stammer out a proper thank you before I climbed up on it and asked if I could take it for a spin. She started to explain to me how the brakes were different than on my bike—they were on the handlebars! And that this bike had gears. So much information, much of which was important, I would later learn, but I waved her off. I know, I know. I can do it myself. And with that I pedaled out of the driveway and down the street. I tried to remember how my cousin would hunch down low over the handlebars, gripping the curved bars, with fingers fluttering over the brakes, just in case. I adjusted my position, into something that seemed like what I had seen, and gave the brakes a little tap to make sure they worked, and then pedaled flat-out. The speed at which I travelled seemed faster than a car and it was glorious. This was the bike that I would ride with my friends down to the mall, to the beach, to school, to wherever we could go that was away from our parents to our own world. This was the bike that ushered me into my teenage years and allowed me the freedom to explore. I loved the simplicity of this freedom. Just grab your bike and go out into the world—no plans, no responsibilities, no limits on what you could do.
Many years later, after I moved to San Francisco and became a lawyer, I was bike-less and living in a concrete world, with hills like mountains and traffic that was unrelenting. It didn’t particularly seem like a hospitable place for riding but I saw bikes all over. When I decided to buy a new bike, I was certain that I would ride only within the safety of car-free trails, too afraid of the traffic congestion, but once I got on my new bike, (and put on a helmet, of course) it was like being transported to childhood—a few minutes of riding released my worries and made me feel free from the heaviness of my day-to-day obligations. I slowly started venturing out on short rides close to home, and then farther, plotting out my routes to take advantage of the growing number of bike lanes, and minimizing my interactions with the dreaded MUNI busses. It was a different kind of riding, one that was less care-free, but energizing, nonetheless. It was then that I got involved with the local bike coalitions, and began representing cyclists injured by drivers. The work felt important, as each case made small changes to the way the driving world viewed cyclists and the ways in which cities decided to prioritize traffic. 20 years after my first bike ride through San Francisco, the cycling infrastructure there is a pure amazement, connected bike routes, segregated bike lanes, and people ditching their cars for bike-only living.
After moving to Paso Robles, I had to readjust my riding once again. Riding through the rural areas of North County is serene, with horses, cows and farms replacing honking horns, truck exhausts, and angry bus drivers. I still get surprised when a grape harvester passes me by or when I have to slow down for my neighbor riding her horse in front of me. It reminds me of the peacefulness of my teenage riding days on Long Island. In town, here and there, I see the glimmers of bike advocacy creating change in the form of bike lanes, and marked share lanes, but we have a long way to go before catching up to the work that has been done in San Luis Obispo, with the help of Bike SLO County. I’m looking forward to someday being able to bike to my office in downtown Paso through a secure, connected network of bike lanes.
Since its inception, UBER has walked a fine line between
maintaining they are just a tech company, not a livery service like taxis, and
promoting how “safe” it is to use UBER.
Their website now sports a dedicated tab called “Safety” where they
proudly tout their commitment to safety, all the while cleverly sidestepping
the issues of how they ensure their drivers engage in safe driving practices
and what, if anything, UBER does to even evaluate whether the influx of UBER
drivers adversely affects the safety of vulnerable users of roads like
pedestrians, cyclists, the disabled or the elderly. UBER’s answer to safety appears to be a new
addition to the UBER app called “Ride Check” which is supposed to be used by
riders and drivers in the event of a crash.
Sadly, UBER guards the information collected by this feature more
fiercely than a momma bear guards her cubs, to make it almost impossible for
accurate statistics to be generated on how many rides end up in crashes.
In California, UBER’s purported safety conscious image has
been inadvertently protected by state agencies tasked with collecting crash
data. Vehicle injury and fatality
accident statistics are, in large part, gathered from the California Highway
Patrol database, which obtains information from local police reports. CHP then organizes this data so that items
like how many injuries or fatalities occur within a city during a specific
period of time, and the cause of the collision (a vehicle code violation) can
be tallied. Since there is no formal
method for an investigating police officer to indicate that a transportation
network provider like UBER or Lyft was involved in a collision, statewide
collision statistics cannot be compiled.
Further compounding this problem is that as a private corporation, no
one has required UBER make such information available to the appropriate
government agency or the public.
But the secrecy doesn’t end with the crash. Once someone injured by an UBER driver seeks
lawful compensation for their injuries from UBER, UBER then forces the injured
party to enter into a settlement contract that contains confidentiality clauses,
essentially gag orders, as a condition of compensating the injured person for
the negligent acts of their drivers. By design, the use of such confidentiality
clauses and gag orders protects the illusion that UBER remains a safe way to
get around. Making all injury and death
settlements secret also has the added benefit (to UBER) of keeping the volume
of injuries and deaths caused by UBER drivers shielded from public view.
Despite all of UBER’s efforts to hide behind a wall of secrecy, researchers from the University of Chicago and Rice University recently published a study that correlates an increase in fatal car crashes with the launching of UBER or LYFT in cities across the United States. Using historic crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for traffic fatalities researches found that by 2010, the year the ridesharing services began to expand, the number of traffic fatalities had decreased to its lowest level since 1949, only to begin rising after 2010. The researchers indicate in their paper that “[t]he arrival of ridesharing is associated with an increase of 2-3% in the number of motor vehicle fatalities and fatal accidents.”
If UBER cared, even a little, about how its business model
affects the safety and health of the public at large, it could take affirmative
steps to make the crash data collected available for use by those who could
fairly evaluate whether UBER has helped us…or hurt us. Every aspect of the UBER business models
rejects transparency. The goal is for
UBER to tell us they are committed to safety and for us to suspend disbelief,
open the door of a stranger’s car and hope to god our ride isn’t the first time
the driver has ever navigated the streets of San Francisco, New York, Chicago
or anyone other bustling city. But if
you’re a pedestrian or a cyclist, no UBER app is going to protect you.
Before we talk about numbers, it’s important to know that there are differences between riding in urban and rural areas when talking about bicycle safety. Urban areas see 60%-71% of bicyclist fatalities across the nation and California is still in the top three states for cyclist fatalities. California’s ranking for cyclists fatalities might have something to do with having the largest population of any state and 87% of those nearly 40-million people living in urban areas (Stanford).
Then speed limit
where most bicycle fatalities occur in rural areas is 55 mph.
This speed is the zone with the second most bicyclist
fatalities overall; however, for urban riders, 55 mph is only the sixth-ranked
speed zone for fatalities. The approximately
29% of total rural cycling crashes with fatalities occurring in a 55 mph zone
is significant.
The speed limit where
most bicyclist fatalities occur in urban areas is 45 mph followed closely by 35
mph.
Because most bicyclist fatalities occur in urban areas, the
data gathered shows urban cyclist collision fatalities can occur in most speed
zones from 25 mph to 75 mph with the majority falling between 35 mph and 45
mph. Interestingly, the same speed zones
show the most urban pedestrian fatalities, too.
Speed Limits Are
Different Than Speeding
The information we just presented comes from speed limits, not speed travelled. Reports vary on the percentage of bicyclist fatalities resulting directly from speeding because being the leading cause is different than being one of several causes and can be difficult to separate. A 2010-2015 report found only 8.6% of bicyclist fatalities resulted directly from speeding (NHTSA, FARS, & ARF). But don’t think speeding isn’t a problem – in San Francisco, speeding is the leading cause of traffic collision deaths (SFPD 2010-2014) and is a leading contributor to traffic collision fatalities nationwide.
This report also found most fatalities for cyclists were
occurring in non-intersections. This
makes sense when the speed limit with the most fatalities for riders in urban
and rural locations combined is 45 mph followed by 55 mph; these speed zones
will have fewer intersections and crosswalks than zones with lower speeds.
Bicycle Safety Starts
With Awareness
Knowing what factors can lead to or increase the chances of a cyclist fatality can help riders and drivers be more aware of their surroundings. The bicycle accident attorneys at Rahman Law support Vision Zero for San Francisco and we look forward to the day when no cyclist or pedestrian will become a fatality statistic.
Most cyclist fatalities in urban and rural areas occur in 45
mph zones (link to other blog on fatalities); however, the likelihood of
sustaining a survivable injury as a pedestrian or cyclist in a 45 mph zone is
not the same.
What is the same is
the speed limit where the most injuries occur: 25 mph.
Part of the reason most injuries occur for cyclists and
pedestrians in 25 mph zones is the survivability factor. The likelihood of sustaining a serious or
fatal injury in a collision with a vehicle as a pedestrian or cyclist goes up
dramatically from 18% at 20 mph to 77% at 40 mph (AAA Foundation). Another reason for more cyclist and
pedestrian injuries at lower speeds is the increased exposure as there are
likely going to be more pedestrians in a 25 mph zone than a 75 mph zone.
The speed limits where the most cyclist and pedestrian
injuries occur according to the NHTSA are 25 mph, 35 mph, and 30 mph (in that
order). This data is combined for urban
and rural areas. Keep in mind that the
data for injuries comes from serious injuries which are reported. There may be more injuries occurring than
what are reported and would likely be in lower speed zones because of the lack
for the need of medical care.
Speeding is Also
Responsible for Cyclist and Pedestrian Injuries
The information gathered by the NHTSA, NCSA, FARS, and ARF between 2010 and 2015 relied on speed limits to assume speed for much of their data. Speeding (going over the speed limit) factors into approximately 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities in the United States and is the leading cause of about 8% of pedestrian fatalities. The most common speed limit zone for pedestrian and cyclist fatalities to occur as a result of speeding is 35 mph. Specifics on the number of cyclist and pedestrian injuries that were a direct result of speeding was not published; however, 35 mph is the zone with the second-most injuries for both pedestrians and bicyclists, making it likely that there are a portion of injuries occurring as a direct result of speeding. The unfortunate reality is that speed kills.
Pedestrian Safety
The California Legislature enacted the Pedestrian Safety Act in 2000 which includes new requirements for driver education on pedestrian safety among other items. California Vehicle Code sections 21950-21954 provide legal measures for pedestrian safety and protection, including that drivers have a higher duty of care than pedestrians. And in San Francisco, pedestrian safety is going even further with Vision Zero to bring the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities to zero. These measures are looking to increase pedestrian safety through more awareness and enforcement in California, including speed-related pedestrian safety issues.
As bicycle accident attorneys in San Francisco and Paso Robles, we talk to a lot of cyclists and we ride, too, so we know all too well that the short days of winter won’t stop you from riding. Many of us ride because we absolutely love it and don’t consider it a seasonal hobby. Others ride as a means to get to work and need to ride year-round. However, in the winter months there are some extra precautions cyclists need to take.
Let’s start with the basics; the five most common types of collisions between bicyclists and motor vehicles are:
A vehicle making a right turn across the cyclist’s lane of travel
A vehicle turning left at an intersection
Dooring
The failure of a motorist to stop at a red light or Stop sign
A vehicle or cyclist passing on the right
This bit of knowledge can help you be more aware in those environments and situations year-round. In the winter, people may be trying to get in and out of their vehicles faster due to cold weather and rain increasing the chances of a dooring. A cyclist is permitted to ride in the travel lane without going at the speed of traffic to avoid a hazard (CVC 21650; San Francisco Transportation Code Sec. 7.2.12). Signal and move over if you need to avoid a door that might open.
Here are Some Winter Riding Hazards and Our Winter Cycling Safety Tips:
Cycling When It’s Wet
California may not get a lot of rain, but it willeventually rain and that rain can flush debris into your bike lane including piles of slippery, wet leaves. Rain can also hide potholes underneath less conspicuous puddles.
Our winter cycling safety tip – Riding through a puddle is essentially riding into the unknown, so it is safer to avoid them.
Also, road surfaces can be the most dangerous just after the first rain in a while or after rain has just started because oil begins to surface. A rainbow-y sheen on a road can signal the dangers of an oil spot. These are most commonly found at intersections. Slick patches in the road can make it difficult to stop and/or turn.
Our winter cycling safety tip – Treat intersections with extra respect in the winter as they are already dangerous places for cyclists but the added element of oil can compound the problem. Treat patches with a rainbow sheen as a road hazard.
Remember what we said about avoiding doors – the same rules apply to any hazard in the bicycle lane and you may use the travel lane to avoid them. Remember to signal as the vehicle traffic may not expect you to come over if you see the hazard before they do.
Cycling In the Dark
We can’t say this enough: as riders it is important to be seen. The lights and reflectors required by California law are a great start, but more is better in this case. Fluorescent clothing can aid visibility during the day, but it’s lights and reflectors that make the biggest impact on your visibility at night.
Our winter cycling safety tip – Add reflective tape to your helmet, put lights in your wheel spokes, and/or wear a jacket with reflectors to boost your ability to be seen in the dark by others.
Some riders like to switch to yellow lenses in the winter to help them with glare. After you’ve outfitted yourself to be seen by others, make sure you can see them clearly, too.
Our winter cycling safety tip – If your usual riding glasses have a dark tint, explore other anti-glare options more appropriate for cloudy days; these might be clear, yellow, or even pink.
When riding at night in California, the following items are required:
Forward-Facing Bike Light: A white headlight is required. The light both makes you visible to others and illuminates your path. It needs to be visible from at least 300 feet forward. It may be attached to the bicycle or the rider. CVC 21201(d) & CVC 21201(e)
Rear-Facing Reflector or Light: A red reflector at the back is the minimum requirement, but a solid or flashing red bike light with a built-in reflector visible from 500 feet is also allowed. CVC 21201(d)
Side-Facing Reflectors: White or yellow reflectors are required to be visible on each side of the bicycle in three locations (forward, center, and rear), but there are multiple ways to meet this requirement. Side-facing central reflectors can be on the bicycle pedals, or on the shoes or ankles of the rider. There should be additional reflectors forward and rear of the central reflectors on each side of the bike like on the spokes, reflective tire sidewalls, or on the frame of the bicycle. CVC 21201(d)
Fixing ANY tire in the cold and wet is no fun. Add dark into that mix and, well… it gets complicated. Do yourself a favor and give your bike a winter checkup (even if you don’t ride a lot during the winter, seasonal checkups are a good rule of thumb for everyone). You’ll want to do everything you can to give yourself the ability to stop quickly when needed and avoid stopping for a fix in the rain.
Our winter cycling safety tip – Check your air, replace aged tubes, upgrade your chain lube or reapply it, and even fit your bike with a set of new brake pads before you go out into the winter weather.
When someone talks about holiday traffic and safety in California, they often focus on “the” holidays in November and December, but for bicyclists and pedestrians, the summer holidays like The 4th of July and Labor Day can be quite hazardous, possibly more so than the holidays at the end of the year because there is more cycling and walking to do in the summer when it’s so beautiful outside! We want to share three important things you should look out for this summer we’ve learned as bicycle accident attorneys working in San Francisco and Paso Robles where the summer is a great time to get outside and ride.
One: Summer Tourists Don’t Expect You
We do a lot as bicycle accident attorneys to advocate in San Francisco and San Luis Obispo County for safer conditions for cyclists. Some areas are beginning to have better lane markings and even separated bike lanes, which is great! But despite better conditions where available, at any time a tourist is unfamiliar with the road in a new place and doesn’t know to expect a bike lane or a bicyclist. They don’t know the road they are on is a local favorite for riding. They also may not have their eyes fully on the road as they look for their next turn, or at the beautiful scenery. Summer is here and so are the tourists. As a bicyclist or pedestrian, we must all be paying attention to the traffic around us at all times (and remember – we are all pedestrians at some point during our day!).
How much should we be paying attention? Not just to one car here are there, but to all of them! The San Francisco Travel Association said 25.5 million people visited San Francisco City in 2017. Not all tourists come with a car or rent one, but many do. And if you live or have been to San Francisco, you know there are many narrow and one-way streets to pay attention to. The 13% of roads in San Francisco where 75% of collisions with pedestrians are occurring are located in areas where tourists want to be (see the map and click on it to see the live version) bringing up concerns for pedestrians and bicyclists now that summer is here and has brought with it an influx of heavy tourism. This is not to say that tourism is bad – tourism is a good thing for local economies. But as bicycle accident attorneys we know first-hand the hazards cyclists face.
Two: Summer DUIs are Rising
A lot of bicycle accidents are caused by vehicle drivers who are under the influence. In California, DUIs are rising. Drivers in collisions resulting in a fatality who were impaired by drugs or alcohol rose from 26.2% to 42.6% between 2005 and 2015 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). In San Luis Obispo, bicycle collisions have been decreasing (down 11% from 2015 to 2016), but DUIs have been increasing and in August of 2017, a cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run collision. The alleged driver was 17-years-old and intoxicated. California State as a whole appears to have seen a decrease in annual DUIs, depending on which report you read; however, holiday DUIs always show a spike which is why we want to remind pedestrians and cyclists to be careful during the summer and especially during the holidays. The 4th of July holiday is the deadliest holiday due to collisions with the most fatalities over any other time period during the year (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). As the Thanksgiving holiday has the most traffic, alcohol and drugs have to be questioned with the 4th of July. DUI-related collisions can happen at any time, but statistically are more likely to be fatal starting after 8:00pm, peaking between midnight and 3:00am (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Remember to add extra lights to your bicycle if you plan to ride at night to give yourself as much visibility as possible. While tourists can possibly be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as they’ve been out partying, the locals can be to blame on this one, too. This is why we suggest keeping the phone number of a good bicycle accident attorney in your phone (hey – like us!), just in case something happens and you are unsure of what to do next.
Three: New Drivers and Teens on Summer Break
If you are the parent of a new driver, you may have heard of the “100 Deadliest Days,” but if you’re a cyclist or pedestrian and haven’t heard this term, you need to know about this. The 100 deadliest days for teen drivers fall between Memorial Day and Labor Day as these are the days when the most fatalities involving collisions and teen drivers occur. In 2016, there were about 10 people killed per day by a teen driver in this window, which was a 14% increase from 2015 (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety). Of these 100 days, there are 10 considered the most deadly (9 falling between May and August) and are believed to be so dangerous due to teenage drinking. With or without substance abuse, new drivers are out in full force during the summer. The risk for them is highest at night (considered after 9:00pm by AAA) and/or if they are speeding. If you have a new driver, be sure to talk to them about the added risks of substance abuse, speeding, and reduced visibility. If you are a cyclist or pedestrian, be extra alert during these summer months.
Need a Bicycle Accident Attorney?
We want you to be safe and have fun this summer, but if things don’t go as planned and you think you might need a bicycle accident attorney in San Francisco or Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo, give us a call! We are happy to provide you with a free consultation. We also have two helpful free downloads you might want to save now for future use to keep in your phone, glovebox, or bike-bag:
THE PROPERTY DAMAGE DEMAND TOOLKIT: How to get the Insurance Company to Pay you for your Damaged Bike After a Crash
SAN FRANCISCO, California, 4/3/2018 – ReleaseWire – San Francisco Injury Lawyers Rahman Law PC are pleased to announce their repeat sponsorship of Walk San Francisco’s annual Walk to Work Day. The event will take place Thursday, April 5th between 7:30am and 10:00am with participation expected to exceed last year’s 10,000 pedestrian commuters.
Walk to Work Day raises awareness that everyone in San Francisco spends a portion of their day as a pedestrian. By expanding on-foot communizing times, people become more cognizant of the streets and sidewalks around them and why organizations like Walk San Francisco and their advocacy efforts are important to keep pedestrians safe from injury and keep San Francisco a walkable city.
Shaana Rahman, an injury lawyer and the principal and founder of Rahman Law PC, is on the Board of Directors of Walk San Francisco. Ms. Rahman believes in advocating to keep San Francisco safe for everyone and as an injury lawyer in San Francisco she has seen firsthand how dangerous the high-injury corridors can be to pedestrians. These corridors are the 6% of streets in San Francisco where 60% of pedestrian collisions occur which can result in injury or death.
Rahman Law PC is both sponsoring Walk to Work Day in San Francisco and will be volunteering at a Work Day Hub. Work Day Hubs will be available throughout San Francisco for pedestrians to get coffee, enter drawings for prizes, and pick up additional swag from sponsors. Ms. Rahman will be at the SFMTA Hub at Market Street and Van Ness Avenue if you would like to meet a pedestrian injury lawyer advocate in-person and learn about current advocacy efforts in San Francisco to keep it walkable.
About Rahman Law PC
The personal injury lawyers at Rahman Law PC are powerful advocates for people who have been injured through no fault of their own. What makes Rahman Law PC different from other personal injury law firms is they care about what happens to their clients; they aggressively advocate for their clients’ interests and have a personal relationship with each client, taking the time to listen and figure out solutions that make sense from a legal point of view but also from a human perspective. By providing the highest quality legal services to those who have been injured or have suffered wrongdoing at the hands of other individuals, corporations, or public entities, the personal injury lawyers and trial lawyers at Rahman Law PC have a proven track record of results and have successfully recovered millions of dollars for clients throughout California. Rahman Law PC offers clients attentive service backed with big firm experience, making them ready to take on any opponent. To learn more about the personal injury lawyers at Rahman Law PC, visit http://www.rahmanlawsf.com or call (415) 956-9245 in San Francisco, (805) 619-3108 in Paso Robles, California.
SAN FRANCISCO, California – /ReleaseWire/ 3/12/18 – Rahman Law PC announces their renewed selection to the Top 20 Personal Injury Lawyers in San Francisco by Expertise. Rahman Law PC was among the top of the list in 2017 and is pleased to announce their standing on the list a second year in a row as a San Francisco personal injury lawyer professional among more than 25 variables in this coveted, hand-picked list.
Expertise reviewed 189 personal injury lawyers in San Francisco utilizing five categories in selecting Rahman Law PC as one of the top personal injury lawyers in San Francisco: reputation; credibility; experience; availability; and professionalism. Expertise reviewed Rahman Law PC’s customer satisfaction ratings and recommendations, accreditations, awards, education and experience of the team, responsiveness to both clients and new business, and dedication to quality. As personal injury lawyers, Rahman Law PC has a proven track record of customer service and client dedication, which is reflected in their review. Rahman Law PC’s principal and founder is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, was recognized as a Top 40 and 40 Attorney and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer, named an AV Preeminent Woman Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell®, and has been a tap-rated personal injury attorney with Super Lawyers® for Northern California since 2012. Currently, Ms. Rahman and Rahman Law PC hold several distinguished titles of professional excellence, including Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent Peer Review Ratings™ for the Highest Level of Professional Excellence and Avvo’s Superb Rating as a Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney. All of these awards and ratings contributed to the review conducted by Expertise.
Expertise is a Seattle, WA based company. They will not accept money to include a business and utilize proprietary research including a manual review process to make their selections covering 85% of the United States. They aim to provide their users with the “confidence to find and connect with exceptional businesses that are objectively qualified and authentically well-reviewed” (expertise.com).
“Our team will continue to put our clients first,” said Ms. Rahman. “As personal injury lawyers in San Francisco, we work with bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. We have a company philosophy of treating our clients with respect and advocating within our community for their rights and safety. Being named as one of the best personal injury lawyers in San Francisco by Expertise two years in a row means a lot to us; it shows us our clients feel taken care of.”
Rahman Law PC also launched a new website this year to better serve potential clients. The website includes two free PDF downloads, a free consultation request form, and insights from the team from their blog about various topics on personal injury rights, bicycle and pedestrian safety, motorcycle awareness, and advocacy events.
About Rahman Law PC
The personal injury lawyers at Rahman Law PC are powerful advocates for people who have been injured through no fault of their own. What makes Rahman Law PC different from other personal injury law firms is they care about what happens to their clients; they aggressively advocate for their clients’ interests and have a personal relationship with each client, taking the time to listen and figure out solutions that make sense from a legal point of view but also from a human perspective. By providing the highest quality legal services to those who have been injured or have suffered wrongdoing at the hands of other individuals, corporations, or public entities, the personal injury lawyers and trial lawyers at Rahman Law PC have a proven track record of results and have successfully recovered millions of dollars for clients throughout California. Rahman Law PC offers clients attentive service backed with big firm experience, making them ready to take on any opponent. To learn more about the personal injury lawyers at Rahman Law PC, visit http://www.rahmanlawsf.com or call (415) 956-9245 in San Francisco, (805) 619-3108 in Paso Robles, California.
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. RAHMAN LAW PC is unable to identify which statute of limitation will apply without a thorough review of your potential case. Therefore, the information contained on this website does not constitute legal advice. Statutes of limitation change as new laws are passed. You should consult with a lawyer immediately to fully evaluate your case.
You should not act or rely on information in this website without seeking the advice of an attorney. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.
RAHMAN LAW PC does not offer any guarantee of case results. Past success in litigation does not guarantee success in any new or future lawsuit. The information contained within this website does not constitute a guarantee, warranty or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.
To the extent the State Bar rules require us to designate a principal office and/or single attorney responsible for this site, RAHMAN LAW PC designates Shaana Rahman as being the attorney responsible for the site. Ms. Rahman can be reached at 177 Post Street, Suite 750, San Francisco, California 94108, 415.956.9245.
By sending an email through this website (rahmanlawsf.com), you are providing us with your email address and permission to contact you via email. You may unsubscribe to our email communications at any time using the link provided in the email communication.
As 
Download the free guide here:
