bicycle injury attorney

State measures that would bolster protections for bicyclists and pedestrians is in jeopardy of losing critical elements, according to supporters in Southwest Florida.

House Bill 253, currently being weighed in the Economic Affairs Committee, while companion measure SB 332 , is pending a reference review before the Criminal Justice Committee.

They would amend F.S. 316.003, creating F.S. 316.0275, which would establish expanded definitions. They would also provide criminal penalties for certain noncriminal traffic infractions that result in serious bodily injury or death to a person to “vulnerable road users.” They would also direct law enforcement issuing citations for specified violations to note certain information on the citation. Bicycles would be exempted from provisions for passing a vehicle on the right under certain circumstances, and other exemptions would be granted to provisions for no-passing zones. There would also be a portion that would require motor vehicle operators to allow a group of bicycles to travel through an intersection in certain circumstances. Continue reading ›

Florida is the No. 1 worst place for bicyclists who prize their safety. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released statistics revealing the bicycle death rate in this state is 0.57 deaths per 100,000 people – the highest of anywhere in the nation. In fact, the state with the second-highest rate, Delaware, clocked in at 0.38 deaths per 100,000 people.

There are a number of issues, including the fact that we have an abundance of tourists, who are unfamiliar with the area and driving patterns. Distracted driving is a major problem, and we have cyclists year-round, so there are bound to be more crashes.

News-Press Reporter Janine Zeitlin noted all of this a few years ago, and quit riding her bicycle on public roads because of the risks. But then, as the number of bicycle-versus-car accidents continued to mount, as did severe injuries and deaths and light penalties for drivers, she began to aggressively report on the issue. According to a new article by the Columbia Journalism Review, with backing from her editors, Zeitlin not only delved into a long-term, in-depth progress on the issue, she helped set up a “Share the Road” page on the newspaper’s website, a community page on Facebook and engaged with bicycle safety advocacy groups across the region to raise awareness of the problem. Continue reading ›

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