Los Angeles Considering Law to Protect Bicyclists from Road Rage-Related Accidents
A new law proposed by the Los Angeles transport chief promises a series of measures that will impress bicycle safety groups and California bicycle accident attorneys. The law has been proposed by the Chairman of the City Council’s Transportation Committee, Bill Rosendahl. Under the law, it will become an offense for motorists to harass bicyclists. The proposed law is on the agenda for a bicycle safety session of the Transportation Committee to be held soon. Other items on the agenda include an increase in bicycle parking provisions in new developments, and an increased rollout of sharrows or “share lane” arrows. The committee will also look at bike sharing schemes in the city, as well as conflicts between cyclists and motorists. Tension between motorists and cyclists has been a special point of concern for California bicycle accident lawyers , especially in the light of a bicycle accident trial last month. The trial concluded with the conviction of a Los Angeles doctor in a bicycle accident fueled by road rage. In that accident, the doctor allegedly pulled out his vehicle in front of the two cyclists, in an attempt to injure them. He later allegedly admitted to police officers, that he had pulled out in front of the two cyclists in order to teach them a lesson. The issue has focused nationwide attention on the safety of bicyclists in California, and the increasing competition between motorists and cyclists for their share of the streets. These ongoing tensions were also seen this month during the Los Angeles Critical Mass.
The Los Angeles Police Department has come under fire for its report in a bicycle accident, involving a bike rider taking part in the Critical Mass and a Hummer driver. The LAPD report says that the accident was caused by the bicyclist who ran into the Hummer, while evidence shows that the bicyclist was struck from behind. The Hummer driver struck one bicycle, and then drove off with a second bicyclist entangled in the front of his vehicle. In the wake of all these hostilities, the recent move by councilman Bill Rosendahl is highly commendable. His motion says that the city of Los Angeles is working to improve safety for bicyclists in the city, and to encourage more people to ride bicycles. The motion makes note of the fact that there is increased tension between cyclists and motorists, and that cyclists often feel that they are at the receiving end of such hostility. Very often, this hostility, as in the case of the Los Angeles doctor Christopher Thomas Thompson, results in verbal and physical assaults. Rosenthal proposes that the Los Angeles Department of Transportation along with the city attorney, prepare an ordinance preventing the harassment of bicyclists, and prosecuting such offenses. Laws preventing the harassment of bicyclists, exist in the rest of the country. States like Louisiana currently have laws in place that make it an offense to taunt, throw things at or yell at bicyclists. It’s great to see Los Angeles officials taking a deeper interest in bicyclist safety and accident prevention. It’s too early to say if there will finally be a law protecting cyclist from harassments, but Rosendahl’s proposed move is an encouraging one to Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyers . The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bicycle accidents . Please visit our website at trlglaw.com . If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us . The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.
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Los Angeles Considering Law to Protect Bicyclists from Road Rage-Related Accidents