PERSONAL INJURY BLOG

The California Legislature is expected to soon pass a new version of a bicycling safety bill that requires drivers to give bicyclists sufficient space while passing. If the bill is approved, then California would join many states across the country that have passed similar bicycle safety laws. Bill SB 1464 has been authored by Senator Alan Lowenthal Democrat-Long Beach.

Governor Jerry Brown had vetoed a similar version of the bill last year. The Governor found that a provision in the bill that required cars to slow down to 15 mph when they passed bicyclists could be dangerous to both motorists as well as bicyclists. The Governor pointed out that on a street with a speed limit of up to 40 mph, allowing a motorist to slow down to 15 mph to pass bicyclists could actually help increase the risk of accidents, and cause safety problems for bicyclists.

The new version of the bill however, addresses the Governor’s concerns. In the new version, the 15 miles-per-hour rule has been eliminated altogether. The bill instead asks motorists in those situations where the 3-foot rule cannot be observed to slow down to a ‘reasonable and prudent speed’ given the traffic and roadway conditions, when they pass the bicycle.

The bill is not as stringent about giving bicyclist adequate space as Los Angeles bicycle accident attorneys would have hoped for. However, even in this weaker version, a bill requiring motorists to give bicyclists safe space to pass is better than no law at all. That's part of the reason why the bill has been welcomed by many bicycling groups, including the California Bicycle Coalition.

Many teenagers in California are putting their summer to good use. They are participating in initiatives that are aimed at increasing awareness about traffic safety, and the special risks that teenagers face on the road. May is being commemorated as National Youth Traffic Safety Month in order to educate teenagers, parents, schools and communities about the higher risks of accidents involving teenagers during summer and the rest of the year.

As any Los Angeles car accident attorney knows, hundreds of lives could be saved every year if states strengthen their teenage driving laws. According to federal agencies, in California, approximately 133 lives could be saved every year if laws governing graduated driver’s licensing programs were made tougher. Further, the state could save as much as $910 million a year by limiting accidents that involve teenagers.

This May, teenagers across California are participating in events that promote the safe driving message. From fashion shows to simulation programs that educate drivers to their heightened risks of accidents if they are using a cell phone at the wheel, teenagers are an integral part of these activities.

The National Youth Traffic Safety Month is promoted by youth safety groups, and is a student-driven initiative that relies on students spreading the message to other students. Los Angeles car accident lawyers believe that using teenagers to promote the safe driving message to teenagers is an interesting solution to what is one of the biggest challenges for transportation officials. Teenagers are notoriously resistant to safe driving messages. That is one of the reasons why these drivers are involved in such a disproportionate number of accidents, relative to their population. Depending on other teenagers to spread these messages in all forms, could be a more effective way of reaching out to these drivers.