No Helmet Obama, No Worries

A lot of people went berserk that President Obama did not wear a helmet while out bicycling with his children on Martha's Vineyard. Anyone reading this blog will recognize that I am a strong advocate of bicycling safety. I personally always wear a helmet while out riding in the city or mountain bicycling or anywhere else where it's reasonably foreseeable that I could crash and bonk my coconut. However, the conditions under which President Obama was riding last week could not have been safer if he were peddle-powering a cloud being escorted through the heavens by Saint Peter himself. He was peddling his hybrid, cruiser kind-a-bike along a smooth cycling path that I am guessing was closed to other bike traffic. There were no motor vehicles. He was surrounded by secret service agents who were not going to let anyone, whether pedestrian, cyclist or motorist come within 500 yards of the president. His chances of getting into a bicycling accident were probably as great as getting hit in the head by a plummeting asteroid. I feel comfortable saying that if you find yourself riding your bike under similar conditions, you have my blessing to leave your helmet at home.

A Better Approach For Illinois Bicyclists: Our Own Private Idaho

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In Illinois, bicyclists are required to stop at all traffic control devices such as stop signs and. . . Oh, why am I bothering? You're not going to do it, are you? As sure as the sun will rise in the east, bicyclists will not come to a complete halt at stop signs and motorists will hate them for it. This tension between bicyclists and motorists is dangerous, especially for those who bike in heavily trafficked urban areas. A pissed-off person behind the wheel of a 2,000 lb rolling chunk of metal is liable to hurt someone. Perhaps if the law changed in Illinois to reflect the way real people actually ride their bicycles, some of the tension between these two groups can be lessened. If the motorist knows that the law permits a bicyclist to merely "slow and go" at stop signs and lights, maybe some of that anger will dissolve. People, after all, tend to resent seeing someone get away with something.

Presently, Illinois law states that, "Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this Code. . ." 625 ILCS 5/11-1502. Not surprisingly, the Illinois Vehicle Code requires all vehicles to stop at all traffic control devices directing him or her to do so. 625 ILCS 5/11-305. I submit, however, that this law is impractical. Bicyclists are not going to halt at stop signs for two reasons: (1) As anyone who has ridden a bike will attest, momentum is vital. A bicycle is fun because of the freedom of movement it encourages. Gliding along the pavement without doors or walls or a roof, under one's own power is what makes it so enjoyable. Constantly, starting and stopping at every sign and light in the city is just a drag. Why even bother to ride then? (2) Though Illinois law treats bicycles as "vehicles" like cars, buses and garbage trucks, bicyclists do not see themselves that way. Bicyclists see themselves as something between a pedestrian and a "vehicle". Bicycles operating in the city can at times travel nearly as fast as a car. At the same time, bikes are not nearly as heavy as other vehicles. They have a light maneuverability like a pedestrian. What sense does it make for a bike to be required to lumber about like a CTA bus?

For those of you nodding your heads in agreement I have one word for you: Idaho. Since 1982, Idaho law has been unique in what it requires of bicyclists. When approaching a stop sign bicyclists in Idaho may merely slow before proceeding through an intersection if it is safe to do so. Upon approaching a red light a bicyclist must stop, but after doing so may proceed through the intersection once it is safe to do so even if the light remains red. If the cyclist's intent is to turn right at a light controlled intersection, he or she may simply slow and go like at a stop sign. The full statute states as follows:

(1) A person operating a bicycle or human-powered vehicle approaching a stop sign shall slow down and, if required for safety, stop before entering the intersection. After slowing to a reasonable speed or stopping, the person shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another highway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the person is moving across or within the intersection or junction of highways, except that a person after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right-of-way if required, may cautiously make a turn or proceed through the intersection without stopping.

(2) A person operating a bicycle or human-powered vehicle approaching a steady red traffic control light shall stop before entering the intersection and shall yield to all other traffic. Once the person has yielded, he may proceed through the steady red light with caution. Provided however, that a person after slowing to a reasonable speed and yielding the right-of-way if required, may cautiously make a right-hand turn. A left-hand turn onto a one-way highway may be made on a red light after stopping and yielding to other traffic.

(3) A person riding a bicycle shall comply with the provisions of section 49-643, Idaho Code.

(4) A signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given during not less than the last one hundred (100) feet traveled by the bicycle before turning, provided that a signal by hand and arm need not be given if the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle.

This statute makes good sense. It does not allow bicyclists to simply ignore traffic control devices. They must look for traffic and yield the right-of-way to vehicles in or close to the intersection. It recognizes the reality that bicyclists are hybrid travelers, not quite vehicles and not quite pedestrians. It also codifies what cyclists do anyway. By making this practice legal, everyone on the road can proceed happier. Bikers can proceed with the confidence that by exercising this slow and go approach they are complying with the law. Motorists will be put on notice that bikes may not stop at controlled intersections. Maybe bicyclists will be no longer be viewed by motorists as outlaws on city streets, thumbing their noses at laws they themselves are required to obey. Maybe changing the law will help foster mutual respect between cyclists and drivers. Fingers crossed.

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Bike Recalled Due To Faulty Stem

Nirve Sports of California is recalling its Cannibal bicycle due to complaints about the bike's stem which can crack and fail. The stem attaches the handlebars to the rest of the bike. Click here for more information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Amendment To Law Protects Illinois Bicyclists And Pedestrians

On August 11th, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law an amendment to the Crime Victims Compensation Act providing compensation for bicyclists and pedestrians injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident. The Act allows for a victim, or anyone dependent upon the victim, to receive compensation for for pecuniary loss or support caused by a "crime of violence." Violations of portions of the Illinois Motor Vehicle code are now considered crimes of violence under the amendment where they cause injury or death to a pedestrian or bicyclist. Compensation under the Act is permitted only after other sources of compensation, i.e. insurance or governmental benefits, if any, have been exhausted. There are also certain reporting requirements in the Act that need to be followed. The Amendment to the Act is effective immediately. To read the Act click here.

This is an important and welcome recognition that vehicular crimes against bicyclists and pedestrians are a very serious matter. Such incidents are all too common on Illinois roads and they often impart significant financial, as well as physical and emotional, consequences to victims.

For more information about the crime victims compensation program visit the Illinois Attorney General's website by clicking here.

Felt Bicycle Recall

The United States Product Safety Commission announced today the recall of the 2007/08 Felt F1X Cyclocross Bicycle. The company has received six reports of the bike's fork steerer tube breaking. The forks are made of carbon fiber with aluminum steerer tubes. Sheldon Brown describes the steerer tube as, "the upper part of a front fork, to which the handlebar stem and the turning parts of the headset attach. The steerer is not visible on an assembled bicycle, being entirely concealed inside the head tube." This is a potentially very dangerous condition. If it breaks during a ride you could loose control of the bike. Click here for more details and what to do if you own one of these ($1,500) bikes.

Bicyclists Are Invisible To Drivers

You are invisible. Sorry to break it to you, but it is the truth. It does not matter what you ride, whether it is a decked out Cervelo, a fluorescent fixie or something that looks like a parade float. You are invisible to motorists. Not long ago, I represented the family of a man who was hit and killed by a motorist in Mattoon, Illinois. At the time of the collision, the man was riding his bicycle slowly and carefully across an intersection with the light in his favor. The bike was of the cruiser variety, was bright orange in color and had a big orange basket on the front. He was legally riding within a crosswalk in the middle of the day. (Doing so may not be legal every where, but it was in Mattoon.) The driver that struck him was making a left turn and did not see him until, tragically, the man's head shattered her windshield. He died a few hours later.

This unlucky bicyclist could not have made himself much more visible to drivers had he worn antlers on his head and a flashing sign that said, "Don't Hit Me!" The driver, whom we sued, testified in her deposition that she felt that her minivan's internal roof support beam obscured her vision of the cyclist. This was an awfully lame excuse. If she could not see adequately in the direction of her turn she should have slowed down, stopped, craned her neck or have done whatever else it took to proceed with full view of what was in her vehicle's path. The point, however, is that motorists often just do not see people on bikes. You should always ride as if you are invisible. Assume that motorists will not see you and try not to let accident avoidance be dependent upon your being noticed by drivers. Here is how:

• Ride with front and rear lights at night. This is a no-brainer. Lights at night (red in the back and white or yellow in the front) will announce your presence in the clearest possible manner. In Illinois, riding with a light also happens to be the law.

• Pick a route with wide streets and less traffic. Bike riding in the city is about fun, physical fitness and reducing your carbon footprint. It is not so much about getting somewhere fast. Take the longer, safer route where there are fewer cars and more room to ride outside the flow of traffic.

• Don't do weird stuff. Motorists will anticipate your presence more in some places than in others. They will anticipate your presence less, and will be slow to notice you, if you are riding against the flow of traffic, zipping through a parking lot, riding in the middle of the road following a sharp curve, or coming off of a side walk. Be predictable, and be safe.

Recall Of SRAM Chain Connector Links

SRAM 10-Speed PowerLock chain connector links are being recalled by the company. The recall pertains to 10-speed PowerLocks, not chains. PowerLocks stamped with "M" and "N" dated codes are targets of the recall. If your are using these links stop doing so immediately, as a failure could cause a dislodging of your bike chain. If for some reason you have modified a chain using one of these links on a fixed gear bike (a chain made for a 10 speed will ordinarily be too long for use on a fixie unless links are removed) the danger may be especially great. A dislodged chain on a fixed gear bike can be catastophic since the chain plays a pivotal role in stopping the bike.