It has been 2 years now since California has enacted the hands-free law that makes it illegal to text or talk on a cell phone without a headset while driving. The law is still new, but the mind behind it, Senator Joe Simitian, is already pushing to expand the law’s power. If passed by the California Senate, the hands-free bill will hold bicyclists accountable the same way as drivers, just with a lesser penalty.
The decision of passing the bill, however, won’t be easily made, and debate surrounding this proposal questions whether this is premature expansion of the law and…
A San Pablo, California motorcyclist was killed in a motorcycle accident last Wednesday evening, April 7, when a drunk driver illegally turned in front of him on the road.
The drunk driver fled the scene and his truck, leaving the rider dead and stuck under his running vehicle on the street. The driver, who fled by foot to his home, was found by police later that night and admitted he had hit the victim and ran because he had been drinking that night.
While vehicular accidents and DUI crimes are always serious, the emotion behind this case is further escalated…
Google Maps is not new, but its mapping service specifically for bicyclists is. The new service aims to increase biking popularity and decrease the number of bicycle accidents.
After a reported bombardment of requests for a Google mapping service catering to bike riders, as of March 10, Google has delivered. And because California has such a great population of cyclists, areas such as San Francisco and Los Angeles will both likely benefit from and pioneer the new mapping service on their trails.
So far Google has mapped out 12,000 miles of biking trails with more work underway. The system plots…
Let me see if I have this straight: the Highway Loss Data Institute, which sounds like a legitimate institution, but is actually another sham insurance organization posing as an “Institute,” looked at accident rates before and after cell phone bans took effect in New York, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, and California.
Before I go any further, I should disclose that I have a long-standing problem with this “Institute.” Some of you may remember that in 2007 this same “Institute” manipulated accident data in order to push its agenda against “supersports motorcycles” by claiming that those motorcycle accidents “have the…
Last month I wrote about bike helmets for kids and how important they are to bicycle safety. You may recall that studies show 75% of bicycle related deaths are due to head injuries.
Because of the seriousness of a head injury while bicycling, most parents are beginning to insist that their children wear a helmet. What most people still haven’t considered is the dangers posed by skiing without a helmet. This is now being addressed by California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco). Senator Yee has proposed a new ski helmet law for anyone under 18 on the slopes…
