To view the full results of the study, click here.

According to a Mercury News article (here), there has been 475,000 tickets issued regarding cell phone use since the law’s inception in 2008. The article also adds that law enforcement is getting better at spotting people talking on the phone and they will be more vigilant in issuing tickets.

While getting a ticket might be an expensive deterrent, we should be mindful that limiting or eliminating cell phone use while driving will make a safer environment for ourselves and those we share the road with. It’ll save money and prevent accidents!

For more on this, visit SFGate.com here.

The important lesson to learn (and one that can never be repeated enough) is to be proactive in your own safety. Bicyclists must obey rules of the road, including signs and signal lights. As we’ve seen here, even having the right-of-way doesn’t mean the conditions are completely safe. It is best to be always on the lookout for others that share the road, whether they be cyclists, motorists, or pedestrians. Even though there are signs, signal lights, and other rules of the road, we all know that those rules are no guarantee. Road conditions change constantly – a cyclist might appear out of nowhere; a car might be coming down the street that you didn’t see before; a pedestrian may be suddenly crossing the street.

Taking proactive and preventative measures puts you as the commuter in a position to know that you have done everything to watch out for your safety. While you can’t control all the factors on the road, taking proactive and preventative measures is making sure you control what you can to make it as safe as possible.

According to an article in the SF Examiner, “The $248 million bond measure includes $148 million for street repaving, $50 million for pedestrian and bike safety enhancements, $20 million to improve Muni’s traffic signal infrastructure and $22 million in disability access upgrades.” (For more on the article, click here.)

Ideally, this will mean safer means of travel for everyone. Sidewalks repair and safety enhancements will mean better conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. Surface repaving of streets will remove pothole dangers that can cause accidents. Hopefully, the improvements to Muni will mean safer conditions for its passengers and everyone that shares the road with Muni.

While it seems like a hefty price tag, it looks like the bond measure will put the money to good use and create a safer San Francisco for us all.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner:

Proponents argue that this will allow passengers to enter and exit taxis safely. Passengers no longer have to cross a bike lane to enter and exit the taxis. In particular, this is a safer alternative for handicap taxi passengers who need more time.

Opponents argue that the rule will be abused and taxi drivers will park their cabs in the bike lane while waiting for a new fare. Bikers fear that taxis will do more than just load and unload passengers. Parked taxi cabs may create an obstacle that cyclists will have to avoid by entering into the flow of traffic. This defeats the safety goals of bike lanes.

If you’re a passenger entering or exiting a taxi cab, it’s always important to be aware of your surroundings, even with this new law in place. It is important to not only look out for cyclists, but cars as well. The same goes for cyclists as well. Taxis might create obstacles, but maneuvering around them should be done with utmost caution.

New traffic laws come and go, and drivers and cyclists alike will have to get used to them. It may cause confusion and frustration at times, but it is good idea not to solely rely on whatever rules may be in place. Whether you’re a driver, cyclist, or pedestrian, it is best to follow all laws of the road, but to do so in a manner that is safest for you and others.

The easiest way to describe these new lanes is to imagine 6 “lanes,” 3 lanes each traveling eastbound and westbound. For both directions, the farthest left lane will be a 10-foot wide road that automobiles will use on John F. Kennedy Drive. The 7-8 foot middle “lane” will be for people to parallel park their cars along the street.  There will be a “buffer” between the middle lane and the right lane. Finally, the right “lane” will serve as a bicycle path. For an illustration of this new lane, click here.

The parked cars and the buffer will allow cyclists to safely navigate the roads in Golden Gate Park. Critics worry that the proposed plan might affect the number of parking spaces, but the San Francisco MTA claims it will only affect 5% of the 1900 spaces that line the streets within Golden Gate Park. Final voting on this proposed plan takes places October 20th, 2011.

For more on this story, click here.

The crosswalks are uncontrolled so the pedestrians must cross without any assistance from stoplights or cautionary signals. On this 3-lane one-way road, some drivers yield to pedestrians while others do not. This leaves pedestrians to react to what drivers do. The danger arises when a pedestrian steps off the curb because one car stops for them, and then is stranded waiting for other cars to stop. Drivers have complained to the city that it is difficult to see pedestrians.

For pedestrians, there is understandable angst. It is best to act with as much caution as possible. Pedestrians should not step off the curb assuming cars will stop for them. This bit of advice holds true not only in uncontrolled intersections, but ones with traffic signals and lights also.

The best course of action for drivers is to slow down at these uncontrolled crosswalks and to look for pedestrians. Also, when other cars slow down or come to a stop at the crosswalk, it is a good indication that a pedestrian may be crossing.

For more on the story, please click the link: http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_18925680?source=rss

Here are some tips on navigating pothole-filled roads (provided by http://news.carjunky.com/car_safety/potholes_cause_car_damage.shtml). Potholes can cause damage to your car, the severity of which depends on a number of factors (speed when going over pothole, size of the pothole, even tire pressure). Many drivers tend to try to swerve to avoid potholes, but this should only be done if there are no cars around you and only when it is safe to do so. If you cannot avoid a pothole, it is best to slow down and go over the pothole slowly, but not slam on the brakes. Sometimes, driving over a pothole might cause a tire blow out. In this situation, there is a chance you may lose control of your vehicle; keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel will help you keep control of your car as much as possible.

In the City and County of San Francisco, you can dial 311 or file an online service request at http://www.sf311.org/index.aspx?page=111 to report a pothole. The City’s Department of Public Works website says that potholes, if they are the City’s responsibility, are repaired within 48 hours during the work week) of a request.

Tourists take leisurely strolls down the span of the bridge, stopping to taken in the picturesque views of the Bay. Sometimes, tourists might stop and pose for a photo. Some bicyclists use the Bridge as a commuter route, others are tourists who might be unfamiliar with the rules on the Bridge walkways. This formula of having experienced cyclists, novice tourist cyclists, and pedestrians creates circumstances that could lead to accidents resulting in anything from a minor scratch to a severe injury.

SF Gate reports that the governing body of the Bridge (the Bridge District) is considering a 15 mile per hour speed limit for cyclists, which is reduced to 5 miles per hour when they are passing pedestrians. Before making any final decisions, the Bridge District is going to allow bicycling advocacy groups to provide their input on this issue.

Although a speed limit would aim to reduce pedestrian-cyclist collisions on the bridge, we can’t depend on this for our own safety. The first step is to pay extra careful attention to things around you. You don’t want to miss hearing a cyclist notifying you that he’s passing you up on the left. Paying extra careful attention might also help you keep an eye out for children that might run into your bike path. With the increased traffic on the Bridge walkway, a speed limit for bicycles certainly helps reduce the possibility of severe collisions, but we can take precautionary and proactive steps to ensure our safety as well.

For more, click here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bicycle/detail?entry_id=91624

On Tuesday, June 21, 2011The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggested that the use of cell phones while driving must be perceived to be as taboo as drunk driving.  In the aftermath of the Duck Tour boat incident, the NTSB argues for a culture change. In he words of NTSB member Robert Sumwalt, “Distraction is becoming the new DUI.”

Right now, the mentality is that checking an e-mail, taking a phone call or sending a text message will take only a few moments. As any experienced driver knows, the environment on the road constantly changes. Traffic may suddenly slow down.  A driver might change lanes and cut you off. A light might suddenly turn red. Driving should demand 100% of our focus so we could be prepared for the many variables that arise. The cell phone factor is just another one of these variables that we can remove from the equation to prevent an accident.

California legislation has attempted to change this dangerous culture by implementing laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving. Law enforcement officials cannot cite every person who violates this rule, so let’s be more proactive in limiting our distractions on the road to be a safer driver for others (and ourselves) on the road.

For more on the story, visit: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/06/21/national/a074705D00.DTL

According to this data, Santa Clara, Alameda, and San Francisco counties rank as the three counties with the most bicycle accidents. The statistics also reveal that over half (52%) of the accidents reported in this study were due to the fault of the bicyclist while 38% were due to the fault of the motorist.

A further analysis by The Bay Citizen reveals that adolescents and teens are at greater risks to get into bicycle accidents. (http://www.baycitizen.org/bike-accident-tracker/story/bay-area-young-cyclists-are-highest-risk/1/) They cite data from the study that “cyclists ages 10 to 19 were involved in more traffic collisions…than any other group.” Police and safety experts attribute this to a lack of understanding of traffic laws. Even the most experienced of cyclists may forget that the California Vehicle Code requires them to adhere to the same laws as motorists.

As parents, we make sure to buy helmets, kneepads, or other safety equipment when our children first learn to ride a bicycle. As this study shows, it’s also important to teach them the rules of the road, the meanings of different signs and signals, and to practice defensive cycling (as you would practice defensive driving). It’s also important to teach young cyclists the “right of way” rules while driving. It is dangerous to assume that a motorist will yield to someone simply because they are on a bicycle. Cyclists also have to be aware of just as much, if not more, than the average motorists.  For example, they have to watch out for motorists that change lanes without seeing the cyclists or passengers in a parked vehicle opening their door without checking first to see if there are cyclists coming.

While cycling is a great form of exercise and a green mode of transportation, we have to remember that we share the road with others. Educating our children (and reeducating ourselves!) about traffic laws will help us safely enjoy this popular pastime.