Behold The "Helmet Of Justice," Wearable Tech For Bicyclists

Helmet of Justice

It seems that wearable tech will be the next-big-thing, what with the buzz surrounding Google glasses and products like the Jawbone Up.  Tech studio Chaotic Moon is joining the march toward the future with the "Helmet of Justice," wearable technology for bicyclists.  The concept is quite brilliant really:  Take a skate style helmet and fit it with seven tiny cameras that activate in a crash.  The idea developed as a means to create a video record should the cyclist be involved in a crash.

Locating the means to corroborate a bicyclist's version of events following a crash is one of the biggest challenges I commonly face representing cyclists.  Sometimes witnesses are available.  Often they are not.  Riding with a video camera is a great way to protect your rights should you be the victim of a careless driver.  A video recording may demonstrate just how a crash occurred.  It may capture the license plate of a hit and run driver.  However, a camera, even a small one, is just one more piece of gear you need to schlep with you when riding your bike.  A helmet is something many urban cyclists ride with anyway.  Having one that can preserve valuable evidence following a crash would be fantastic.  I am not aware of anyone testing the "Helmet of Justice," so I do not know if it will live up to its promises.  For it to be a truly viable option for the urban cyclist it will need to be light, comfortable, durable and reliably function as advertised.  It would also need to be reasonably priced.  The company developing the helmet expects it to sell for about $300.  Not bad. . . if it truly delivers.

LOOK! Chicago, Taking It To The Streets To Prevent Dooring

LOOK! Chicago Flier for
Saturday's "Safety Blitz"

Dooring can be prevented and a group called LOOK! Chicago is working to do just that.  This Saturday, March 2nd, the group will hold its first "Safety Blitz" in Wicker Park to draw attention to this type of crash which seriously injures, and sometimes kills, numerous Chicago bicyclists every year. The group will gather at the intersection of North, Damen and Milwaukee at 11 a.m. and hand out informational flyers to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians about how to prevent dooring incidents and what cyclists can do if they are in a crash.  We will proceed south along Milwaukee near the site where Dustin Valenta was seriously injured in a dooring incident on February 8th.  1st Ward Alderman, Proco Joe Moreno, has expressed his full support of Saturday's Safety Blitz campaign.

LOOK! Chicago was started in the fall of 2012 by wife and husband cycling enthusiasts, Katie Paffhouse Bussey and Aaron Bussey, in the wake of Neill Townsend's death in September, 2012.  Neill was killed when a careless driver opened his door without seeing Neill in the bike lane beside his vehicle.  When he swerved to avoid the door he was killed by large truck traveling next to him in the same direction.  The group's mission and organization has been facilitated by The Chainlink, a popular online portal for Chicago's bicycling community.  The group is, "Dedicated to promoting awareness and educating the City of Chicago to the dangers of car doors," according to its profile on The Chainlink.  Its mission, "Is reaching out to everyone to prevent dooring crashes and fatalities."

My law firm has represented many Chicago bicyclists who have been the victims of carelessly opened car doors.  On a nearly daily basis I see the terrible consequences these incidents inflict.  I will be out in Wicker Park on Saturday, with the rest of LOOK! Chicago, handing out fliers and helping to educated drivers and cyclists about reducing these crashes.

Doored Bicyclist Wins The Day Against Trucking Company That Demanded Payment For Broken Door

After a delivery truck driver doored a 27 year old bicyclist on North Milwaukee Avenue in August, 2012 the driver's company sent her a bill for the damage she caused to the heavy door, over two hundred dollar's worth.  Now, thanks to a resolution reached Friday, the delivery company will be paying the bicyclist a hefty sum for the injuries she sustained from the driver's carelessness.

The incident occurred just after 11 p.m. in front of a 7-Eleven store at 2403 North Milwaukee Avenue.  The woman was riding her vintage Schwinn home after a night working on her bike at West Town bike's Women and Trans' Night.  She was riding in the shared bike lane and wore a helmet.  Her bicycle was properly equipped with a light and reflectors.  As she passed the left side of the truck the driver suddenly threw his door open smacking the cyclist in the face.  The hard impact throw her into the street, and broke the door's metal hinges.  

The cyclist was rushed via ambulance to Resurrection St. Mary's Medical Center.  She would later hire my law firm to represent her against the driver and the delivery company that employed him.  She would undergo months of physical rehabilitation for her injured wrists and thigh, and endure an extended period of painful swelling and bruising to the right side of her face.  The delivery company asserted that its driver had looked before opening his door and that it had remained opened for several minutes when the bicyclist just rode into it for some reason.  After a diligent search we located another cyclist who was riding behind our client that night and who could corroborate that the door was thrown open suddenly just as she rode by.  With that witness's statement the company felt compelled to resolve the case in the cyclist's favor.

A Look At Why Bicyclists Should Take The Lane

During last week's interview on WGN Radio one caller asked me why bicyclists sometimes ride in the middle of the lane, blocking passage by faster moving vehicles.  I explained that in order to make themselves more visible to drivers and discourage attempts to pass dangerously close, bicyclists can and should take the lane.  The idea is to encourage motorists to change lanes if they wish to pass reducing the likelihood of a dangerous miscalculation.  More and more states are passing laws which prohibit drivers from passing too closely to cyclists.  In Illinois, drivers must give them at least three feet of space when passing.

Recently, I came across an excellent graphic produced by iamtraffic.org which effectively demonstrates why is is so important for a cyclist to take the lane when riding on a road where the lane width is insufficient for sharing by bike and car together:

Courtesy iamtraffic.org

WGN Radio | Just How Can Chicago Bicyclists & Motorists Co-Exist In Peace?

On Monday night I was invited onto the Turi Ryder Show on WGN Radio to talk about the Illinois Department of Transportation's recent decision to bar additional protected bicycle lanes in Chicago and to debate how cyclists and motorist may learn to get along.

Listen To The Interview

Donation Fund Set Up For Doored Chicago Bicycle Messenger

A donation fund has been created to help defray the costs of the extensive medical treatment needed by Chicago bicyclist, Dustin Valenta, who was seriously injured on February 8th in Wicker Park. The fund was set up by Cut Cats, a bicycle messenger company for whom Mr. Valenta works.  Those wishing to contribute can do so here: http://www.gofundme.com/21raks.

Meanwhile, additional details have emerged regarding the crash itself which left Mr. Valenta with 23 broken ribs, a fractured shoulder and shattered the base of his skull.  According to a description of the crash posted on the GoFundMe website, the bicyclist was riding along the 1400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue when a motorist carelessly opened a vehicle door into his path.  Mr. Valenta crashed to the street where he was then run over by a truck.  He was wearing a helmet which, according to his doctors, may have saved his life.

Though details have been slow to emerge regarding this terrible event, those that have trickled out make the incident seem eerily familiar to another cycling tragedy which occurred in October in the Old Town neighborhood.  It involved a young attorney, Neill  Townsend, who was forced to swerve into the path of a truck in order to avoid a flung open door along North Wells Street.  Mr. Townsend was killed when the truck was unable to avoid him.

Chicago Bicycle Courier In Intensive Care Following Collision In Wicker Park

A Chicago bicycle messenger is in intensive care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after suffering serious injuries in Wicker Park yesterday afternoon.  Dustin Valenta, who rides for Cut Cats Courier, was struck by a motor vehicle at around 12:30 p.m. on Friday fracturing all of his ribs, his pelvis and shattering the bottom of his skull, according to a post on Cut Cats' Facebook page.  The incident reportedly took place "around the 1400 block of Milwaukee Avenue at Wood Street."  Hospital physicians have expressed that Mr. Valenta's bicycle helmet may have saved his life.  He was not working at the time of the crash.

Cut Cats wishes to put together a benefit for their fallen comrade.