Focus Driven Targets Distracted Driving

A new advocay group that is modeling itself after Mothers Against Drunk Driving is targeting texting and cell phone usage by drivers.  The group, called Focus Driven, is intended to raise awareness about distracted driving.  Ultimately, the group hopes to make the use of cell phones behind the wheel as socially unacceptable as drunk driving.

Among the information the group seeks to disseminate is the research of David Strayer, who studies cognition at the University of Utah.  According to his research, cell phone users are 4 times more likely to crash and texters are 8 times more likely to crash.

The formation of the group coincides with new data from the National Safety Council, which shows that distracted driving is responsible for 1.6 million accidents a year.  This number is 1 million higher than what was previously thought.

No doubt, distracted driving is a major safety problem--not just for cyclists but also for drivers and pedestrians.  Hopefully the legislature will address this problem in a meaningful way in 2010.  Menatime, I encourage you to support Focus Driven!

Tour of the Battenkill--"America's Queen of the Classics"

Signed up for Cat. 4 in the Battenkill race.  Looks like they will be sending out a total of three fields of 125 Cat 4's, so mine will be a large peloton.  I hear that over 1000 are signed up already (All cat 4 fields sold out in 7 minutes) and by race day there should be 1500 racers.  Here's what it looks like:

April 10 is very early for me to be racing, but Battenkill is a unique event in the race calendar.  At 62 miles it is one of the longest races (most are less than 40 miles).  Also, the weather can be pretty grim and the 15 miles of dirt roads make it unlike anything else you'd see in the US.  The race was originally called the Battenkill Roubaix, a reference to the brutal spring classic Paris Roubaix.  Can't explain the attraction of doign this race but it is definitely going to be a big motivator over the winter.

So hopefully I can keep the spare tire at bay this winter and be ready to go for this American Spring Classic!

The Copenhagen Wheel

Here is a very cool new invention from the folks over at MIT.  It is a motorized rear wheel that will fit into a standard bike frame without modification.  Basically, it is intended to give you a little gas going up and over the hills.  What is great about it is that it uses your energy from pedaling and braking to charge the motor.  Also, it hooks up to a smart phone and gives you feedback on speed, calroies burned, etc.  This will allow folks just starting out on the bike and who may not be in the best shape to get on the bike and go.  Very cool!

Landry's Holiday Party

Tonight is the Landry's Holiday Party at Washington Square Tavern.  See you there!

NPR Piece on LA Road Rage Trial

A very interesting piece from the NPR Web site:

Bicycling magazine called it "the road rage incident heard 'round the cycling world."


A driver in Los Angeles was recently convicted of using his car as a weapon against two cyclists. And the case is focusing attention on the often uneasy relationship between motorists and bicyclists who have to share the road.

It happened last year on the Fourth of July, on a steep, narrow road in L.A.'s Mandeville Canyon. Cyclists Christian Stoehr and Ron Peterson were riding side by side when a doctor who lived in the neighborhood came up from behind in a sedan....

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120457877&ps=cprs

Props from the Newton Tab

Ok, some shameless self promotion here; this from a press release that went to my hometown paper, the Newton Tab:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/newton/news/lifestyle/celebrations/x215404549

Attorney leaders of Massachusetts Bar Association named


More than one dozen attorneys who live in MetroWest have been appointed by Massachusetts Bar Association President Valerie A. Yarashus as chairmen of several of the association’s sections for 2009-10. Their terms began Sept. 1. They include the following Newton residents:

John B. DiSciullo, a partner at Mitchell & DeSimone in Boston, is co-chairman of the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section...He has been recognized in Boston magazine as a Massachusetts Rising Star and Massachusetts Super Lawyer every year since 2005.

Presenting 545 Velo!

Proud to be supporting and racing for 545 Velo, a new Masters Racing Team based out of Newton MA.  The team's web site is http://www.545velo.com/.  Here's the new jersey:

You will note the Boston Bike Law logo on there!  Despite the fact that the club is only a few weeks old we have collected over 45 team members already, all of whom are licensed and many of whom are veterans with many races under their belts.  Should be a fun and competitive team!

Newton Cyclist Dragged 860 Feet in Natick Bike Accident

A 30 year old cyclist from Newton was seriously hurt while riding on Route 16 in South Natick at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 20. The cyclist was struck by a woman in a 2002 Volvo. The cyclist had front and rear lights on his bicycle.

Following the initial impact, the bicyclist became entangled underneath the Volvo and suffered "trauma consisting of burns from engine and exhaust system as well as the road surface" according to Natick PD spokesman Brian Grassley. The driver did not realize she had struck the cyclist until another motorist flashed his lights and honked his horn to get her attention. The fire department used the jaws of life to lift the vehicle off the cyclist. The vehicle was placed up on blocks and the cyclist was immobilized on a back board and then slid out from underneath. He was medflighted to UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester. The cyclist sustained serious injuries but is expected to survive. Gouges from the bicycle scraping along the pavement are visible in the roadway where the incident took place.

As of this writing, no charges have been filed agaisnt the driver.

A Few Words About Robert Zeeb

Sad news about the death of longtime cyclist Robert Zeeb, who crashed in Arlington on Monday, November 9, 2009. Reports indicate that he was traveling on a sidewalk alongside the westbound lane of Route 2, near the Alewife T stop, when he encountered an open hole for an electrical box which was obscucred by leaves. Mr. Zeeb, who was wearing a helmet, sustained fatal head injuries. According to a State Police spokesman, the cover for the hole was located a few feet away. The Department of Transportation, which had jurisdiction over maintenance issues, replaced the cover following the accident.

It amazes me to hear stories like this, and it makes me think of the other hazards we all encounter such as raised and uneven manholes, those natural gas conduits (which are often broken with sharp edges) and most notoriously the slotted storm drains that are improperly set so that the wheels of a bicycle can get stuck in them. (While I'm at it, I also note the dirt and debris that trucks bring onto the roadway from construction sites because contractors fail to wash down the trucks before they exit the job site.) Mr. Zeeb did nothing wrong here and this is an accident that never should have happened. The workers (private and public sector) who maintain roads and utilities need to be educated about just how hazardous--and potentially deadly--these conditions can be.

Harry Lam Donation Fund

This donation fund has been set-up on behalf of a UCI official, Harry Lam from Utah, that was injured in Northampton, MA on November 7th. Harry sustained a head injury, brain bleed, and broken nose after a collision with a rider. Fortunately Harry did not require surgery and has already begun working with a physcial therapist. He is in the early stages of recovery and has a long road ahead of him. Click the link to go to the Bikereg.com donation page.

Insure Thyself: Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Today I am going to post a little something about insurance. Sorry to pull the lawyer thing but this is Boston Bike Law, and I am a lawyer after all. Ok here goes:

If you own a car and have registered it in Massachusetts, then you probably have auto insurance. Some of the coverage is mandatory (so if you don't have it you better get it) but some of it is optional and not all drivers have it (or if they have it they don't have enough of it). If you ride bikes, there is a type of optional coverage you really need to look into called underinsured motorist coverage. The coverage potentially applies whether you are in your car, on your bike or hoofing it through Boston traffic on foot.

Why should you consider buying additional underinsured motorist coverage? Because if you get hit by a car while riding your bike, you don't get to choose the net worth of the person who hits you. See all those taxicabs, beaters and tuners out there? Assume they only have $20,000.00 in liability coverage. Medical bills alone can eat up $20,000.00 pretty quickly. If you beef up your underinsured motorist benefits your own insurance policy can make up some or all of the gap in liability insurance coverage which would otherwise exist.

So you may want to go and review your policy declarations page to see the coverage you have, and then talk to your agent about what it would cost to add some additional underinsured motorist coverage. If you ride a bike in Massachusetts, you may find that it's worth it to pay a bit more in premium for some extra coverage.

Must the Fixie Have a Handbrake? Musings on "The 15/30 Rule".

I got a call from a newspaper reporter today asking about the proliferation of fixed gear bikes over the last few years. An interesting question came up during our discussion, about whether it is unlawful to ride a fixie without a front handbrake.

(The question is timely in light of Berlin, Germany's recent crackdown on fixed gear bikes):

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/berlin-bans-brakeless-bikes/

Coming a bit closer to home, Massachusetts G.L. c. 85, sec. 11B(7) deals with the issue of "braking systems", and reads as follows:

"Every bicycle operated upon a way shall be equipped with a braking system to enable the operator to bring the bicycle traveling at a speed of fifteen miles per hour to a smooth, safe stop within thirty feet on a dry, clean, hard, level surface." (Click the title link for the whole statute.)

So that clears that up, right? All the bike needs is a "braking system" that complies with the "15/30 rule". (I believe I just made that last term up by the way, so make sure to credit me if you use it.) But what constitutes a "braking system" under Massachusetts law? Presumably, a brake lever and caliper constitute a braking system. Also a disc brake such as those found on a mountain bike would seem to fit the bill as well.

So how about the drivetrain of a fixie? If someone riding a fixie can reverse pedal the bike to a stop as required by the statute, would this qualify the drivetrain as a "braking system"? Is the fact that the drivetrain is also used for propulsion significant in analyzing whether it is a "braking system"? What if only a few riders possess the skill and power to stop the bike as required under the law? Is it a "braking system" for them, but not for other less capable riders?

Sorry to go all Socratic by asking questions but not giving answers, but this is only a blog and I can't give legal advice over the "world wide web". The question is important, though, because there are lots of fixies out there now and there are many legal implications (especially if you get hit by ca car while riding a fixie with no brake), which I won't get into here. Gotta come see me for that.

But if you are riding a fixie right now, maybe it's worth heading out to a parking lot and seeing how you stack up on the "15/30 Rule".

Ted King at Landry's Tonight

Ted King of the Cervelo Test Team will be at Landry's Boston tonight to discuss his racing experiences and his views on next season. Ted is an up and coming pro who is originally from New Hampshire. Should be a good time.

Kylie Bruehler Trust Fund

This is a jarring image of 7 year old Kylie Bruehler at the funeral of her parents, who were killed when the tandem bicycle they were riding was struck by a Ford pick up truck. (The title of this post is a link to a slideshow.) According to reports, the couple was riding in the shoulder and the driver swerved into their lane, dragging them 200 feet. No criminal charges have been filed against the driver, with police describing this as "just an accident". This accident happened in Texas, and while I would like to think that charges would be brought against the driver if this happened here in Massachusetts, I do wonder. Some states have a "3 foot rule" under which motorists must remain 3 feet away from the bike when passing. Massachusetts handles it differently, requiring drivers to maintain a "safe distance" under G.L. c. 89, sec. 2.

In a case like this, the driver likely would have been violating either a 3 foot rule or a "safe passing distance" law. Where the Massachusetts law falls short is in situations where the driver doesn't actually hit the cyclist, but only "buzzes" him at a close distance.

A trust fund has been established in Kylie's name. Donations should go to the Kylie Bruehler Benefit Fund, c/o 24165 IH-10 West, Ste. 217-720, San Antonio Texas 78275-1160.

Bold Crits Dirt Oval Track Racing

I have not checked this out yet but it looks like fun.