San Francisco Bicycle Safety Advocates Call for “Vision Zero” Goal

Spurred by recent successes in the cities of Chicago and New York in implementing a “Vision Zero” policy goal of eliminating traffic accident fatalities, traffic safety advocates in San Francisco have also been calling on the city to adopt such an ambitious goal.

Vision Zero policies were initially launched in the country of Sweden back in 1997. The Vision Zero goal is basically a two-year plan, and in San Francisco, advocates are calling for a plan that is based on three major strategies to reduce traffic accident fatalities. The strategies include the establishment of a crisis intervention team by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority that would be responsible for kicking off several projects aimed at low-cost safety improvements to reduce traffic accident deaths. Such strategies have been proven to be very effective in other cities. For instance, Copenhagen in Denmark has no official Vision Zero policy yet, but in 2009, the city with a population of 560,000 only saw five traffic accident fatalities.

The plans also direct the San Francisco Police Department to use more traffic enforcement resources, specifically to target some of the most problematic driving behaviors and to increase enforcement at accident-prone locations. The San Francisco advocates are also asking for using state funding to fund a safety awareness program for motorists across the city.

California bicycle accident lawyers will find those strategies to be most beneficial for pedestrians and bicyclists, who seem to be at increasing danger on San Francisco streets. In 2013, the number of pedestrians and bicyclists who were killed on San Francisco streets were at their highest numbers since 2007. This is a city that was once synonymous with safe bicycling and walking, and that has changed dramatically over the past few years.

Bicycles Recalled for Brake Failure Risk

Part of your responsibility as a serious bicyclist is to keep yourself informed of any bicycle-related recalls announced by federal agencies. This helps ensure that your bicycle does not have any defective parts or components that can increase your risk of an accident.

A number of bicycle-related recalls have been announced recently by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Recently, the agency also announced the recall of a line of bicycle brake models due to the risk that these brake systems can fail, posing a serious bicycle accident risk. The products that are being recalled here are the SRAM Hydraulic Road Rim Brakes and Hydraulic Road Disc Brakes.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there is a defect in these brake systems which could cause the brakes to fail while the bicycle is in operation. California bicycle accident lawyers believe that there There is a serious risk that the bicyclist could be involved in a potentially injurious accident.

Approximately 25,350 units of these brakes are being recalled. The recall includes the SB Red Hydraulic Road Disc, SB Red Hydraulic Road Rim, SB 700 Hydraulic Road Disc and SB 700 Hydraulic Road Rim. These brake systems are used as either front or rear and brakes. For a more detailed list of the brakes that are included in the recall, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission web page. The bicycles have been manufactured by SRAM LLC, Chicago.

These malfunctioning brakes have been linked to several accidents, not just in the United States, but also abroad. Overall, the company has received at least 95 reports of brake failures in the United States alone. Out of these, one brake failure involved an accident that resulted in injuries.

The company is asking all owners of bicycles that come equipped with these defective brake systems, to immediately contact a SRAM dealer near them, and get the defective brake components replaced free of charge.

Bicycles Recalled Due to Fall Hazard

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of several models of bicycles because of a defect that could cause the bicyclist to fall off from the bicycle.

The bicycles are included in this recall are the 2012 Source Eleven and Source Expert Disc bicycles, that come with Supernova Switchable Dynamo Front Hubs. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the company, the defect is linked to a risk that the set screws in the front half of these bicycles can become loose. In such cases, the front wheel may stop turning and if this happens when the bicycle is in operation, then the bicyclist may be at serious risk of suffering a fall.

The company Specialised Bicycle Components Inc, has set up a toll-free number at 877-808-8154. Owners of these recalled bicycles have been asked to immediately stop riding them, and take them to an authorized Specialised dealer. The dealer will give a free replacement front wheel and new front hub. Thus far, there have been no accidents or injuries reported with these defective bicycles. However, California bicycle accident lawyers believe that the kind of injuries that are associated with this defect can be very serious. If a person is thrown off his bicycle when the front wheel stops turning while the bicycle is in operation, there may be a risk of serious injuries.

One of the things that bicyclists very often fail to do is to track federal safety agencies for recall involving bicycles. It’s important to be aware when there is new information being released about potential defects with your bicycle to stay safe. Most bicycle- related recalls are announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and you can sign up for alerts on the CPSC website.