Bicycle Accident Attorneys

What you Need to Know About California Assembly Bill from a Bicycle Accident Lawyer’s Perspective

Posted on by Rahman Law PC

California Assembly Bill Number 122 was introduced in December of 2020 but has undergone some amendments in March and May of 2021, as is typical in the lifecycle of an Assembly Bill.  Here’s what you need to know about Assembly Bill 122 to limit bicycle accidents from a bicycle accident lawyer’s perspective. 

First, it’s important to know that more than a dozen bicycle advocacy organizations support the Bill across the state of California, including MCBC (Marin County Bicycle Coalition, an organization focused on bicycle safety which we support).  Also, other states already have similar vehicle codes in place, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Arkansas, and Delaware, which means AB 122 is not a new concept. 

What does AB 122 Change?

If passed, California Assembly Bill Number 122 would change the vehicle code in California to allow bicyclists to treat Stop signs as they would a Yield sign.  This increases bicycle rider safety and decreases bicycle accidents, which has been demonstrated in studies in Idaho (who was first to create the stop-as-yield law) and Delaware.  In 2008, an investigation was conducted locally by the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which has added to the data on this subject.  In 2009, a study of Idaho conducted by J. Meggs at UC Berkeley showed a decrease of 14.5% in bicyclist injuries after the passage of the new law. 

As bicycle accident lawyers, we support new systems which reduce the rate of bicyclist injuries. 

What does AB 122 Not Change?

California Assembly Bill Number 122 is not a free license to blow through stop signs all the time or every time.  Bicyclists will still obey red traffic lights and treat them as a full stop.  Bicyclists will also still give the right-of-way to pedestrians who always have the right of way.  And bicyclists will continue to stop at stop signs when there is traffic with the right-of-way.

Intersections are Dangerous for Cyclists

While according to the NHTSA, most bicyclist fatalities occur away from intersections in 45- and 55-mph zones, most bicyclist injuries occur in 25-mph zones where intersections and stop signs are most prevalent.  Bicycle accidents do often happen at intersections and the UC Berkley study calls intersections the “most dangerous zone” for bicyclists.  Reducing injury rates by 14.5 % would be a great step in the right direction. 

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Winter Cycling Safety Tips

Posted on by Shaana A. Rahman

winter cycling in San Francisco 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 will eventually 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)

If you would like more rules of the road for California, download our free Cyclist’s Quick Reference Guide here.

Winter Bike Checkup

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.

Have Us On Speed-Dial

Our final winter cycling safety tip for this article – keep us saved in your phone.  Save our contact information into your phone now so that in the event anything happens, you won’t have to  look very long to find help.  Our consultations are free.  We also have a free guide available on what to do in a vehicle accident available here.

Rahman Law’s Contact Information:

Contact us in our San Francisco office at 415.956.9245 or in our Paso Robles office at 805.619.3108

5 Rules Every Parent Should Know Before Letting Your Child Ride Their Bike in San Francisco

Posted on by Rahman Law PC

San Francisco bicycle accident attorneySchool is back in session and just like you, your child is a commuter.  You may drive your child to school and give them a quick tuck-and-roll drop-off, or they may ride the bus, but some still pedal their way among the throngs of cars, pedestrians, and other cyclists.  Or, you may have children who only cycle at home afterschool and on weekends.  In either case, we wanted to share with you 5 rules every parent should know when letting their child ride their bike in San Francisco.  Children under 14 accounted for 37% of all fatal bicycle accidents in 2015 and San Francisco is still in the top 13 cities in the entire United States for bicycle fatalities with motor vehicle collisions.  It is important for parents to be vigilant.

1: Urban Cycling Ends at 6:00pm

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis looks hard at fatal bicycle accidents and tries to find patterns.  One that they have found to be consistently true is the spike in bicycle accidents resulting in fatalities between 6:00pm and 9:00pm during any season. If your child has extracurricular activities keeping them out, make sure they are home with their bicycle before 6:00pm.  If they have come home and gone out for a ride, the same rule applies.

2: Ride with Traffic

Ride in the same direction as traffic in the bike lane.  Use the travel lane (the vehicle lane) when needed to avoid obstacles and always signal your actions with your hands to tell the drivers and other cyclists what you are doing.  Children under the age of 13 may ride on the sidewalk in San Francisco (CVC 21560, San Francisco Transportation Code Sec. 7.2.12).

3: Always Wear an Approved Helmet

Cyclists and passengers under the age of 18 must wear an approved helmet.  Parents – set a good example, be safe, and wear one, too!  Also be sure the helmet is properly fitted.  Many children will wear their helmet too far back away from the brow.  In addition to a helmet, adding extra reflective gear is beneficial.  Elastic straps that go around the ankles with hook-and-eye closures can catch headlights and give extra visibility.

4: No Surround Sound

Headphones may not be in/cover both ears (CVC 27400).  Many children like to listen to music while commuting, but they may not have both ears covered while operating a bicycle.  A hands-free device is permitted in one ear, but this may cause further distractions if a child tries to answer a phone call while navigating an urban area.

5: Obey the Lights and Signs

Children who have not yet learned to drive often don’t know to stop or yield in the right locations for signs and crosswalks which can potentially lead to bicycle accidents or collisions.  When on a bike, operators must obey the same rules as a car, which means they must stop at a stop sign and wait their turn.  If your child is commuting on their bicycle, consider riding their route with them a few times to help explain the lights and signs to them.  DMV booklets contain road rules and can be picked up free of charge.

Talk to Your Child to Prevent a Bicycle Accident

These are 5 rules we think every parent should know before letting their child ride their bike in San Francisco.  In California, the law regarding riding on the sidewalk varies from city to city, but the other rules are beneficial for adults who ride and parents with children who ride throughout California.  As bicycle accident attorneys in San Francisco with a second office in Paso Robles, we talk to a lot of parents with concerns after an accident or a close-call who are looking for what they can do to prevent a bicycle accident.  In the urban landscape of San Francisco, children need extra help learning about bicycle safety and constant reminders to ride safe.  We hope these 5 rules will help you talk to your child about bicycle safety.

If you would like more information about the rules in California, you may download our Ride Safe Reference Guide here.  It has these and other rules of the road for bicycle safety in California.  And if you would like to talk to one of our bicycle accident attorneys in San Francisco or Paso Robles, contact us for a free consultation today!

Resources for Parents about Bicycling with Kids:

Kidical Mass

Safe Routes to School

Walk & Roll to School Day

http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/

Is Your Demographic Most Likely to be in a Fatal Bicycle Accident?

Posted on by Rahman Law PC

fatal bicycle accidentIt takes a long time for data to be compiled and released.  In March of 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis released their data from 2015 with comparisons going back to 2006.  By gathering data over the years, the statistical team has sought to find patterns: is there a most fatal time of day for bicycle accidents with motor vehicles, or perhaps a demographic most likely to be in a fatal bicycle accident?

There is a difference between causality and correlation: a demographic might be found in a pattern but that in no way points to an immediate cause.  Something we talk about frequently is the immediate blame placed on pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and motorcyclists when an accident occurs; we blame the victim.  When a bicycle accident is fatal, the victim has lost their ability to speak which is one of many important reasons why they should not be immediately placed in the wrong.  All avenues must be explored.  So when a demographic is found to correlate to fatal bicycle accidents, we must explore that, too.

So, is your demographic most likely to be in a fatal bicycle accident?

Gender

Gender can rule out roughly half of the population.  Men are more likely to be killed in a bicycle collision involving a motor vehicle than women and it’s a fairly significant difference (4.40% men v. 0.74% women).  Men were also much more likely to be involved in a bicycle collision with a motor vehicle resulting in an injury without a fatality (229% men v. 54% women).

Age

Both men and women shared their top-tier category for the age with the highest number of fatal bicycle accidents (ages 55-59, 92m/16w) while men had their second-tier follow in age (50-54, 87), women were not as significant in difference for their second-tier apart from their third-tier (65-69, 13; 50-54, 12; 20-24, 12).  Women also have the most reported bicycle accidents with injuries (not fatal) at 20-24 years of age.  Men in their 50s and women in their early 20s or late 50s are all in the demographic that appears to be significant for bicycle accidents involving motor vehicles.

Region

As bicycle accident attorneys, we have offices in Paso Robles and San Francisco, California assisting with bicycle accident and personal injury cases.  California was the first in the nation for pedestrian and bicycle fatalities for the longest time (as advocates to reduce those numbers, it felt like an eternity).  Per the Traffic Safety Facts report, California is now second in the nation to Florida.  It is a big win for our state as we have a larger population.  In 2015, Florida had 150 pedalcyclist fatalities while California had 129.  For other readers trying to determine if they are in an at-risk demographic, these are the only two states to have more than 100 fatalities in 2015.  Texas is the third highest with 50 fatal bicycle accidents.  Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Rhode Island, and Wyoming are the safest states for cyclists with none (and that is the list we really want California to be on!).

So why California, Florida, and Texas?  The areas with the highest bicycle injury and fatality rates are the urban areas.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has compiled city data and the cities with the highest resident populations are most often the ones with the highest total bicycle fatalities.  The total fatal traffic accidents of San Francisco including fatal bicycle accidents and fatal motor vehicle collisions with pedestrian made up over 10% of the entire country’s traffic fatalities for the year.  Other urban regions with dense populations and high cyclist fatality rates here in California include Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose.  Los Angeles, CA was the city with the most fatal bicycle accidents in 2015; New York, NY, was second.

Ride Safe

California cyclist guideIf you would like to read more about the demographics collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, you can download their Bicyclists and Other Cyclists Traffic Safety Facts report here.  But knowing that your demographic is more or less likely to be in a fatal bicycle accident is not the end of safety precautions when riding.  We want you to ride safe each and every time you go out there and that means proper gear, visibility, and knowing the rules of the road.

Download our free Ride Safe brochure here or pick one up the next time you see as at an event.

 

If you or someone you know has been injured in a collision as a pedestrian or while riding a bike, contact our bicycle accident attorneys today.

Rahman Law PC Attorneys Sponsor San Francisco Pedalfest, Answer Bicycle Accident Questions

Posted on by Lacey

Bicycle Accident Attorneys pedalfest

SAN FRANCISCO, California, July 17, 2018 – (Digital Journal) – Rahman Law PC announces their sponsorship of Bike East Bay’s Pedalfest 2018.  Pedalfast is in its eighth year as is a free event to celebrate bikes and cycling with music, food, and art for the whole family to enjoy.  Bringing in an estimated 25,000 attendees, the event is an opportunity for the bicycle accident attorneys at Rahman Law to support Bike East Bay’s mission to make bicycling “safe, fun, and accessible” through advocacy, education, and community engagement.

Principal and founder of Rahman Law, Shaana Rahman, is a member of Bike East Bay and has sponsored Pedalfest all eight years as a bicycle accident attorney and advocate for bicycle safety awareness inclusive of improvements to bikeways and streets, which is a shared vision of Bike East Bay.  While much of Pedalfest revolves around the joy of bikes with amphibious races and a bicycle rodeo for children, there is still a commitment to “improving access to biking, walking and transit” while also “increasing the number of people who ride bicycles safely, confidently and knowledgeably” from Bike East Bay.

The team of bicycle accident attorneys at Rahman Law attend as many bicycling community events like Pedalfest in San Francisco each year as they can, to talk about bicycle safety, City advocacy measures, urban bicycle accident hazards, and answer common questions from cyclists.

“We want to get out there and talk to cyclists to help raise awareness on topics that could prevent catastrophic injuries,” said Ms. Rahman.  “We support Vision Zero for San Francisco and a big part of that is education.”

Last year, a common safety topic the public asked the bicycle attorneys related to bicycle lighting. The team at Rahman Law is happy to talk to cyclists again this year and free consultations are available for those who cannot make it to the event at rahmanlawsf.com.

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 lawyers 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 bicycle accident attorneys 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.