Atlanta cyclists

Published on: July 27, 2014

Atlanta Bike Share Program Needs to Consider the Helmet Factor

Atlanta is set to soon launch its very first bike share program following cities across the country, including New York City, that already have their own bike share programs in place. These are exciting times for bicyclists, and there is a lot of support for the bike sharing program because it will help reduce some of the congestion on Atlanta’s notoriously busy streets. However, Atlanta should take the results of a new study seriously, which finds that cities that have implemented bike share programs are actually seeing an increase in the number of head injuries.

In May of 2014, the Atlanta City Council announced that it had approved a resolution for the establishment of the bicycle share program. The vendor has already presented the proposal to launch the city’s first bike share program, and once the program is fully underway, Atlanta residents will be able to rent bicycles 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

However, the study found that the proportion of head injuries that was relative to all bicycle accident-related injuries actually spiked significantly in cities that have implemented similar programs. The occurrence of head injuries in those cities actually increased by 14%, while there was no corresponding head injury rate increase in cities that had no bike share program in place.Researchers say that the findings confirm their worst fears; cities are implementing these programs without giving proper consideration to the role of helmets in preventing injuries. It has to be noted here that the study focused on head injuries, and not brain injuries. Every head injury does not automatically lead to a brain injury, which is much more serious.

Published on: April 21, 2011

Atlanta Bicycle Accident Shows Need for Greater Motorist Awareness

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As an Atlanta injury lawyer, a recent bicycle accident in Cobb County is once again confirming that drivers in Atlanta need to be more vigilant about watching out for bicyclists over the spring and summer. Bicycle accidents often result in the most serious types of personal injury compared to most types of accidents.

The year’s peak cycling season is here, and many Atlantans are out on their bicycles.By law, Atlanta bicyclists must bike on the road, and not on a sidewalk.That means they share the roads with motorists who must, accommodate these bikers.

Last week, an elementary school teacher was left with injuries after her bicycle was struck by a car.The impact was serious enough to break the car’s side view mirror, but the driver drove off from the scene of the accident.Fortunately, the woman did not suffered life altering injuries.What makes this accident even more ironic was that the woman had recently been elected to the Board of Directors at Bike Cobb, a bicycle safety advocacy group that lobbies for better bicycling roads and safety.On the day of the accident, in fact, the victim was on her way to her first meeting as a board director.

Published on: April 14, 2010

Motorcyclist Killed in Atlanta Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A motorcyclist was killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident in Atlanta over the weekend. The victim was riding his motorcycle, and ran out of gas. He was stopped at the side of Interstate 20 West, when he was struck by a car. He died instantly from his injuries..The motorist continued driving after he struck the motorcyclist. Fortunately, an off-duty Georgia State Trooper was just behind the car, and noticed the accident. He chased the car, and was able to apprehend the motorist.

Last year, there were more than 5,000 people killed in motorcycle accidents across the country. That was a record since motorcycle crash data gathering began more than three decades ago. It’s also a reminder to Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers that we’re still far from even understanding what is causing this spike in fatalities, let alone developing measures to prevent these.

A new motorcycle crash causation study however, provides a glimmer of hope. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute is partnering with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to conduct a study that would provide a fresh look into the causes of these accidents.The study is expected to begin in 2012. It is expected to be the first naturalistic study of motorcycle crash causes. It will also be one of the first major studies into motorcycle crash causes in decades.

Published on: December 29, 2009

Sandy Springs Bicyclist Seriously Injured in Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A bicycle accident in Sandy Springs over the Christmas weekend left a 50-year-old bicyclist seriously injured. According to police, the man was cycling when a car crossed right in front of him at an intersection. The cyclist had no way of avoiding the car. The impact threw him off the bicycle and on the road.He suffered head injuries, and was rushed to the hospital. The motorist has been charged with failure to yield.

As Atlanta bicycle accident lawyers, we have been concerned at what seems like the slow erasing of bicyclist safety from our surface transportation polices. Last month, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced $65.8 million in transportation projects funded by federal stimulus dollars. Just two bicycle-friendly projects have been earmarked for funds.One is a multi use trail in Fulton County at a cost of $165,000, and the other is a Rails to Trails project in Warm Springs at a cost of $587,000.

On the other hand, there is some reason to cheer.The Federal Highway Administration has released its latest edition of national standards for traffic signs and signals, called the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).This edition includes specific instructions for the marking of sharrows, or share lane markings. These sharrows are typically marked on a road where there is no space for a bike lane, or when the bike lane is too close to parked automobiles, placing bicyclists in danger of being struck by opening car doors. Sharrows allow bicyclists to maintain safe routes, and also encourage motorists to share the roads with cyclists. Atlanta has plenty of narrow roads that may not allow for a separate bike lane, and we definitely need more sharrows.