cycling accident Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Gary Brustin

CityConnect – The Augmented Reality App for Cyclists

Posted on May 25, 2017November 23, 2019 by Gary Brustin

There is no denying that cycling is a greener way to travel, but not everyone can keep an interest in it for a prolonged amount of time. Well, the creators of CityConnect at the University of Bradford mean to change that.

CityConnect is an augmented reality app that is created purely for cyclists in order to try to enhance the cycling experience by adding in elements of game playing. Naturally, one of the primary concerns is safety. The creators tried to combat this by making safety a key aspect. Players are rewarded for following traffic laws and acting responsibly while reckless cyclists have points taken away. However the app does also include points of interest on the ride which can be just as dangerous. Like texting and driving, cycling and trying to look at your phone can make you blind to the dangers in front of you.

However, this app still hasn’t entered its first stage of testing which is scheduled for a traffic-free cycling area. However, hopefully they can work out the kinks and potential hazards of cycling with an app on. However, even if they don’t, as long as cyclists use it in cycling-only areas, it could be an excellent excuse to go ahead and get out there.

Have you been in a cycling accident and suffered an injury? Don’t just sit there and be a victim, you have every right to be on the road as everyone else. If you want to make sure your rights are fairly represented, contact us today. Gary Brustin is dedicated to preserving the rights of cyclists.

What Are Your Rights as a Cyclist?

Posted on April 27, 2017October 8, 2019 by Gary Brustin

Some states have them written down, other states don’t. However, if you are a cyclist, you have certain rights to ride your bicycle. It is not illegal unless otherwise posted and drivers have to respect your right to do it. So if you have certain rights, what are they?

The rights of a cyclist include:

The right to ride on any public street except limited access expressways and areas where signs prohibit bicyclists.
The right to use either hand in order to signal a stop or turn to nearby vehicles.
The right to ride on the right side of motor vehicles in the travel lane.
Cyclists may be able to ride their bicycle on sidewalks, but only if the area is a non-commercial district and doesn’t have posted signs prohibiting it.
Cyclists have the right to ride two abreast in a lane so long as there is more than two lanes of travel in the same direction.

Unfortunately, while all those are well within a cyclist’s rights, it doesn’t always mean that it is safe to exercise those rights. The problem is that while cyclists may know their rights, many driver’s do not. This means that driver’s may take unnecessary risks in order to go around slower cyclists, even though they are well within their rights to ride there. This is how accidents happen.

While cyclists shouldn’t have to make compromises, they may need to in order to stay safe. If you were exercising your rights and got into an accident with a vehicle, contact us today. The Law Office of Gary Brustin is dedicated to representing the rights of injured cyclists.

Michigan Roads Potentially Made Safer for Cyclists By New 5-Foot Buffer Rule

Posted on April 20, 2017October 8, 2019 by Gary Brustin

If you are cycling the road in Michigan this year, your ride could become significantly safer than it has been. Well, at least if a potential bill gets made into law. This new bill is currently in legislature which would require drivers to give more breathing room to cyclists as well as adding enhanced safety instructions for handling cyclists being included in state driver’s education courses.

The guidelines in question would require drivers to give Michigan road cyclists a set 5-foot buffer when passing them on roads that do not have a set bicycle lane. Currently, the state has no set mandate on how far vehicles needs to be when passing a cyclist. Most people go with the good rule of thumb of “not hitting the cyclist” when passing, but this leads to a number of close calls and terrifying accidents.

Like in most states, these close calls and contentious relationship between cyclists and drivers comes from a lack of knowledge on how to handle road cyclists. By making a five-foot mandatory buffer, it will allow more drivers to know that they can’t pass a cyclist unless they can do it safely. Ultimately, this teaches them that it is not the cyclists’ responsibility to “move over.”

Going a step further, if this buffer is made into law, then it will be taught in driver’s education courses and drivers caught breaking the law may be forced to attend education courses to rectify their mistake.

While this law will cut down on cycling accidents, it likely won’t stop them altogether. However, there are still people out there that represent the rights of cyclists. If you have been in a cycling accident and need legal advice, contact us today.

Why Are There So Many Cycling Accidents in San Francisco’s Castro Neighborhood?

Posted on April 13, 2017October 8, 2019 by Gary Brustin

For those who live along 17th Street in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, they are more than familiar with the area’s long history with cycling accidents. Almost every week there is an accident involving a cyclist and a vehicle, and now as the city is finally looking into the concentration, it leaves people asking the same question – why are there so many bicycling accidents here?

For the residents, many of whom have multiple cycling accidents caught on tape, they all know the problem, or rather, problems. There are two rampant problems along 17th Street in Castro that cause cycling accidents. The first is double parking and the second is the Muni train tracks. The train tracks cause bicycle tires to get stuck and cyclists to fall face first onto the concrete while the double parking of cars force cyclists to swerve dangerously close to traffic.

Residents state that it is the double parking that is the greatest danger, and if the city can solve that problem it would greatly reduce cycling accidents. However, other improvements have included removing the train tracks, making the street one way, and removing the parking in order to better protect the bike path.

While the city is still weighing the options for the area, this one street in San Francisco is far from the only area in the United States that is a problem for cyclists. If you have been in a cycling accident and need representation, contact us today. The Law Office of Gary Brustin represents the rights of injured cyclist.