San Diego police say in cyclist-vehicle accidents, stiffest charges are traffic violations
Recently we talked about how in New York City, there’s a discrepancy between the number of cyclist deaths in the city and arrests issued. The city doesn’t quite know... Read More
Portland continues to invest in biking amid ongoing budget constraints
Portland, Oregon has been a bit of a punchline city in recent years, especially due to the popularity of IFC’s quirky TV show Portlandia, in which Fred Armisen... Read More
Cause Marketing Case Study: Walk to Work Day
Friday, April 6th was the 8th Annual Walk to Work Day and GJEL partnered with pedestrian activist group Walk SF to promote the event and bring attention to pedestrian... Read More
New SFMTA Budget Approved: Pay Parking on Sundays, Free Transit for Low-Income Youth
The days of free parking on Sundays are numbered. The new two year budget approved on Tuesday by San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials will extend parking meter hours... Read More
235 People Participate in Walk to Work Day Contest, GJEL Donates $2000 to Walk SF
On Friday, April 6th, GJEL partnered with the pedestrian safety advocacy group Walk SF to encourage Bay Area residents to take part in Walk to Work Day and share... Read More
Pair of celebs set poor example when it comes to distracted driving
Celebrities Amanda Bynes and Lisa Lampanelli both made headlines over the past couple days with reports surfacing they’d each been guilty of distracted driving. While Celebrity Apprentice and frequent... Read More
Tax Day driving may be riskier than normal, traffic deaths six percent higher
With Tax Day fast approaching, it might pay to take a few deep breaths, squeeze a stress ball, or do whatever else calms your nerves before hopping in a... Read More
21 cyclists died in car crashes in NYC last year but only 2 arrests were made
Data shows that in New York City, when a driver kills someone with his car, whether it’s a motorist, pedestrian, or cyclist, 40% of the time no traffic ticket... Read More
Finding the line between bike law enforcement and education
It’s hard to find an online forum discussing bike lanes—or even cyclists in general—without inadvertently stumbling across another “us versus them” debate about motorists being irritated with bikers who... Read More
Colorado high school students compete to promote seat belt usage
A handful of Colorado high schools are competing against each other in an effort to see who can have the biggest impact on boosting seat belt usage. The inter-school... Read More
Public Bikes recalls 4,100 bicycles due to potentially faulty pedals
The San Francisco based company Bike Works has issued a voluntary recall of 4,100 bikes for “safety reasons” citing several customer reports that pedals had either cracked or broken.... Read More
30% of teen drivers involved in car accidents suffer some type of head injury
Researchers from State Farm and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia studied injury data from over 55,000 teenage drivers and their passengers who had been in car accidents and discovered... Read More
Safety experts disagree on whether voice controls are really an improvement
Despite proposing guidelines for in-car technology back in February, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn’t plan to address voice controls until at least 2014. However, in the meantime,... Read More
GJEL is Partnering with Walk SF for Walk to Work Day on Friday, April 6th
Walk to Work Day is this Friday, and GJEL is excited to partner with Walk SF to encourage people all across the city to conduct their daily commute on... Read More
Teenage girls twice as likely as teen boys to engage in distracted driving
A new study released earlier this week by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that teenage girls are twice as likely as teen boys to use cell phones... Read More
Debate rages over whether interlock devices should be required for first time DUI offenders
As we mentioned a few weeks back, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is pushing for legislation that would force states to require interlock devices for all drunk driving... Read More
San Francisco scooter share program may hit roadblock with the DMV
A new San Francisco startup offering a subscription based scooter sharing service is running into difficulties with California’s licensing laws. The company, Scoot Networks, was introduced earlier this month,... Read More
San Rafael police determine 90-year-old driver not at fault for pedestrian fatality
After striking a pedestrian earlier this year, San Rafael police determined that 90-year-old Monsie Wagner was not at fault in the incident. According to toxicology tests, the victim, 49-year-old... Read More
Spring is in the Air: Be Wary of Yard Care Hazards
The weather is getting warmer and spring is just around the corner. This is the time of year when we all dust off our yard care tools and do... Read More

Jogger who was injured by a falling tree
$3 million settlement for a jogger who was injured by a falling tree Read More

13-year old boy injured in an ATV off-road rollover accident
$2.56 million for a 13-year old boy injured in an ATV off-road rollover accident Read More
New York uses poetry to promote pedestrian safety
New York is taking a unique approach to raising awareness for pedestrian safety. As part of an art installation, poetry designed to subtly raise pedestrian awareness have been posted... Read More
Should school buses have seat belts? Crash in Indianapolis renews debate
Following a school bus accident in which a young child was killed in Indianapolis, people alarmed by the incident took to CNN’s website to renew the debate on whether... Read More
Volvo designs external vehicle airbags to help increase pedestrian safety
Volvo has always been at the forefront of safety technology, having developed a slew of features that other major car manufacturers have since copied (the three-point safety belt, safety... Read More

When cycling, a helmet is good but common sense is even better
This video of a cyclist careening down a grassy hillside into oncoming traffic has gone viral thanks to its head-smacking “Well what did you think was going to happen... Read More
91-year-old San Jose motorist will not face criminal charges for accident that killed two nursing home residents
Last week, after a lengthy investigation, prosecutors determined that 91-year-old Leona Morante Fernandez would not face criminal charges for a June 25th accident in which she drove her car... Read More
Distracted Driving: Not Just a Teen Problem
Modern life is increasingly full of diversions, and some have even crept into the drivers’ seat—phone calls, text messages, on-board video displays, fast food—all can cause accidents by distracting... Read More
“Google Glasses” could be both a blessing and a curse for drivers and pedestrians
The latest technological rumor circling search engine giant Google is that they’re developing a pair of glasses that can stream real-time information to the wearer’s eyes. This type of... Read More
Lack of police action over pedestrian injury poses a major concern
An incident last week in which a man using a crosswalk was hospitalized after being hit by a shuttle bus only served to exacerbate feelings that when it comes... Read More
Headphone-related pedestrian deaths up 300 percent since 2004
The number of headphone-related pedestrian deaths rose from 16 cases in 2004 to 47 instances in 2011. Although the overall number is still fairly small, the increase in accidents... Read More
New cars walk the line between integrating technology and adding more distractions
Does integrating a 17-inch monitor into the dashboard of a car make the vehicle safer or just provide the driver one more giant distraction? Regardless of the answer, automobile... Read More
San Francisco combats transit inefficiency by having buses police transit lanes
Ensuring transit-only lanes are free of other vehicles is a costly endeavor. Even with just over 15 miles of transit-only lanes in the city of San Francisco, penalizing drivers... Read More
San Francisco’s new electric bikeshare program hopes to make cycling more accessible
When it comes to cycling in San Francisco, one of the biggest barriers is the hilly terrain. Now, a new pilot program is looking to eliminate that hurdle by... Read More
New SecuraFone app looks to reduce distracted driving among teens
Over the past week there has been significant press surrounding SecuraFone, a new distracted driving app designed to deny users access to their email or text messaging if the... Read More
Should cyclists get a head start at busy intersections?
With the number of cyclists in San Francisco continuing to increase, creating a safe environment for bike commuters poses a serious challenge. One option currently being explored in London... Read More
The number of San Francisco cyclists continues to rise
The Alliance for Biking and Walking released their 2012 benchmarking report, and with 10% of San Francisco’s commuters doing so on foot and another 2.8% opting to cycle, the... Read More
SFpark tries to curb distracted driving by making street parking easier
Finding street parking can be a massive headache. Drivers circle the block repeatedly; slowing to a near crawl whenever a space looks like it might be available, all while... Read More

Can insurance companies influence distracted drivers?
Much has been said about the best ways to curtail distracted driving as a result of cell-phone use. Most agree that some combination of public awareness and legal enforcement... Read More

Safety trends influencing personal injury lawyers
This guest post is from Francis Hajek, a partner at Wilson & Hajek and author of the firm’s blog. The National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration recently released automobile... Read More

Should police ticket San Francisco cyclists?
The proudly pro-bike blog Uptown Almanac put up an interesting post about the San Francisco Police Department “running a sting” on Market and Turk in downtown San Francisco. He... Read More

More taxis in San Francisco equals fewer cars, safer streets
When I had the chance to talk to Supervisor Scott Wiener, a steadfast advocates of transportation reform in San Francisco’s government, I was surprised that he listed increasing taxi... Read More

Seattle incidents highlight perils of wrong-way drivers
This guest post is from Herbert G. Farber, founder of The Farber Law Group located in Bellevue, Washington. In Seattle, we’ve recently been reminded that wrong way drivers are a rare,... Read More

Learning from Washington DC’s bike highway
Lots of talk right now about San Francisco Metro Transit Authority’s decision to move ahead with the proposed bikeway on Fell and Oak. This is great news, to make... Read More
Winter Holiday Charity Contest Case Study
For most companies, the end of the year is a time to give. Holiday season coincides with fiscal deadlines…encouraging tax-deductible giving to non-profits and charities. But just because a... Read More

San Francisco becomes a little more bike friendly
The Priceonomics blog has declared San Francisco the biggest market for bikes in America. The site used “number of bikes for sale” as an index of the likelihood that... Read More

PTSD affecting Iraq-Afghanistan veterans behind the wheel
Though the amount of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is an ever-decreasing number, the effects of a decade of war will continue to haunt America. For veterans of Iraq... Read More

Cyborgs, cell phones and traffic safety
Technology is advancing at an accelerating rate. “Steps” in innovation that previously took years are now taking months. Each new iteration of the smart phone increases our connectivity with... Read More

Claycord residents discuss their most dangerous roads
CLAYCORD.com, a site dedicated to the East Bay hamlets from Clayton to Concord, hosted an interesting question on their Wednesday Water Cooler talk: “What is the most dangerous street... Read More

Word on the Streets: California Pedestrian Safety
This is our very first episode of “Word on the Streets” an interactive web video series hosted on the Vokle platform. Word on the Streets will spotlight major issues... Read More

Feds seek to broaden cell phone bans
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is seeking to broaden the ban on cell phone usage by drivers after a new study entitled “National Phone Survey on Distracted Driving... Read More

An interview with Impact Teen Drivers Director Kelly Browning
Impact Teen Drivers is everywhere. Preaching the importance of eliminating distracted driving online, in video and print, in the halls of power and in the halls of our local... Read More

Winter Charity Contest Week 1 Wrap Up
Our Winter Charitable Donation Contest (click link to vote!), which highlights five of the finest street safety advocacy organizations in California, is off to a great start! Next week... Read More

FDA commissioner: Manufacturers of Yaz, Yasmin birth control pills hid risks
Pharmaceutical giant Bayer has come under fire after an Illinois court made the accusations of former FDA commissioner David Kessler, MD, public. Kessler’s expert opinion, filed in a federal... Read More

Takeda could face thousands of lawsuits over Actos bladder cancer claims
A tide of negative news is rising against Takeda Pharmaceutical, makers of the diabetes medication Actos. The world’s best-selling diabetes medication is prescribed, along with diet and exercise, to... Read More

DUI arrests up over Thanksgiving weekend
The holiday season is a happy and relaxing time, but at times it can also be stressful and busy. Between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve, millions of Americans hit... Read More

Map of all US road accident casualties from 2001-2009
This incredible map was put together by The Guardian and ITO using data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. In the US, 369,629 passengers, drivers, pedestrians and... Read More

Would eliminating sidewalks and curbs make pedestrians safer?
Here’s a revolutionary idea: what if walking on the street was safer than walking on the sidewalk? That’s the hypothesis of a new movement that started in Europe and... Read More

Winter safety tips: Do snow tires matter?
Winter is just around the corner, which for many means icy, slick roads. Safety is paramount for drivers, but does that mean buying special snow tires for the winter... Read More

Tragic Oregon case reinforces importance of pedestrian vigilance at crosswalks
An excellent article in The Oregonian profiles the heartbreaking case of two young women who were killed at a crosswalk in Southeast Portland, and the disturbing difficulty that prosecutors... Read More

Concord Police Department receives anti-Drunk Driving grant
The success of highly visible and publicly announced DUI checkpoints has been successful enough in California for the Concord Police Department to receive a new traffic safety grant for... Read More
Update: Link Between Autism and SSRI Antidepressants Requires Further Research
Lawsuits against manufacturers of anti-depressants have been filed in all 50 states following a study that found children whose mothers took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Paxil and... Read More
Contra Costa: Dirty DUI investigation uncovers crooked cops
At least 20 DUI and vice cases have been dismissed in Contra Costa county as a sordid and shocking tale of corruption involving three local police departments unravels. Christopher... Read More
Important bicycling safety measure now before the Governor of California
Just last week we wrote about an unfortunate accident involving a cyclist and a San Francisco Muni bus that left the cyclist with a badly crushed arm. The incident... Read More
Fatal San Francisco Muni Bus Accident Highlights Dangerous Left Turns
We've written a lot on this blog about the tragic result of San Francisco bus accidents. In the past, fatal Muni bus accidents have cost the city millions in... Read More

Oakland Crosswalk Update Could Improve Pedestrian Safety
Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky to live in or near cities that are well known for their walkability. The website WalkScore, for example, recently ranked the country’s... Read More
San Francisco Hit-Run Accident Victim Ryan White’s Condition Improving
By now, you’ve likely heard the story about 9 year-old Ryan White, a Philadelphia tourist visiting San Francisco to see the Phillies play the Giants. After the game, White... Read More

Pleasanton Adopts Microwave Technology to Reduce California Bike Accidents
When it comes to cities that put a priority on bike safety, you can’t do much better than California’s Alameda County, the East Bay bicycle mecca that includes Berkeley.... Read More

Can Distracted Driving Reduce Car Accidents?
The short answer to the question above is a definitive “no.” With the rise of technology, distracted driving has become a serious problem on US roadways, contributing to nearly... Read More
List of Fatal San Francisco Pedestrian Accidents – 2011
The thought of being killed as a pedestrian in San Francisco is terrifying. Fatal pedestrian accidents happen far too often in the Bay Area, especially considering that San Francisco... Read More

San Francisco & Oakland Ranked Walkable, But What About Pedestrian Accidents?
As a proud San Francisco resident, I’m excited when organizations or magazines rank the city as a great destination for anything and everything. That was my initial reaction when... Read More

California Train Accident Ruling Disappoints Metrolink Victims
In September 2008, a train accident near Chatsworth California killed 25 passengers and injured more than 135. Since commuter Metrolink was so clearly at fault for this accident, observers... Read More

Will Bike Lanes on Oak & Fell Reduce San Francisco Bicycle Accidents?
It’s no secret that biking on San Francisco’s Oak and Fell streets can be incredibly dangerous. In fact, the cross-town city arteries have proven dangerous for motorists as well,... Read More

Report: Volvo Technology Reduces Low Speed Car Accidents
How great would it be to drive to work without having to think about accidental low-speed car accidents? For years now, car companies have been researching collision avoidance systems,... Read More

Fatal San Francisco Big Rig Accident Raises Octavia Blvd Safety Questions
Yesterday morning, a big rig truck collided with a UCSF shuttle van, killing 52 year-old Dr. Kevin Mack and injuring three other passengers. The accident occurred on Octavia Boulevard,... Read More

Distracted Driving Technology Not Enough to Reduce Car Accidents
Automaker Ford has rightfully been praised in recent weeks for supporting New York legislation to ban distracted driving. This week, the auto giant became the first of it’s industry... Read More

Prozac and Zoloft During Pregnancy Linked to Autism
A new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry indicates that mothers who were prescribed popular antidepressants during pregnancy are twice as likely as mothers who did not... Read More

PG&E Dodges Blame in San Bruno Pipeline Explosion Lawsuits
After flubbing their initial response to last September’s massive San Bruno pipeline explosion, utility Pacific Gas & Electric seemed to take responsibility for the accident, and even bought full-page... Read More

Biker Suffers Fatal Motorcycle Accident During Helmet Protest
The debate on mandatory motorcycle helmet laws is forever complicated by a familiar question: should individuals have the right to put themselves in grave danger? Many motorcycle advocacy organizations... Read More

California Bike Passing Law Masters Major Milestone
As the number of cyclists throughout California continues to rise each year, the state has consistently taken incremental steps toward improving bicycle safety on city streets and highways. This... Read More

San Jose Traffic Sensors Could Improve Bike & Motorcycle Safety
We’ve all had moments where it feels like the traffic light will never change to green. Many intersections have sensors underneath the concrete that alert the traffic light when... Read More

Cars 2 Targets Distracted Driving (VIDEO)
As part of the new advertising campaign for this summer’s Pixar animated film Cars 2, Disney has released a public service announcement that warns about the dangers of distracted... Read More
Court Shields Google Maps from Pedestrian Injury Lawsuits
We’ve all used Google Maps to find the best route to our desired location. What originally began as a resource for drivers has since expanded to include directions suggestions... Read More

Zimmer NexGen Knee Implant Recalls Spark Lawsuits Nationwide
When implant devices fail, it is often difficult to tell whether the implant manufacturer or the doctor who performed the implant surgery is at fault. That’s the case for... Read More

Bike Helmet Safety Survey Results: Helmet Laws Should Cover Children
As the number of California cyclists continues to grow, the debate surrounding bike helmet laws is likely to come front and center. Last year, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa... Read More

Teen Driver Safety Week & Summer Safety
This week is the National Safety Council’s Teen Driver Safety Week, and it comes right in time for summer, the most dangerous set of months for teens behind the... Read More

DriveCam Technology Reduces San Francisco Muni Bus Accidents
It’s always fun to write about good news related to traffic safety in San Francisco. That pleasure comes this week as the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency reports that... Read More

California Judges Debate Social Media Use
Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends and family members. But as a professional development tool, the purpose of social media platforms like Facebook and... Read More

Anti Distracted Driving Accident Campaign Targets Auto Technology
Everyone knows that distracted driving is dangerous. There’s simply no safety replacement for staying focused on the road at all times. But when it comes to improving road safety,... Read More

Contra Costa County Named Most Dangerous for Bay Area Bike Accidents
Since The Bay Citizen began publishing local news little more than a year ago, their Bike Accident Tracker app has been one of my favorite features. First, the app... Read More

California Teen Drivers Face Daunting Summer Safety Statistics
We’re constantly reminded that teen drivers are the demographic most likely to cause car accidents. Scientific studies on teen brain development show that the brain doesn’t even reach full... Read More

Would Automotive Black Boxes Clarify Car Accident Lawsuits?
There are certain procedures that car accident attorneys use to learn the full story of a collision. An investigator typically speaks to the drivers involved and eye witnesses, accident... Read More

California Motorcycle Events Stress Safe Summer Rides
Summer is a great season for motorcyclists. Having more daylight hours and better road conditions assures that motorcyclists can take long drives up the California coastline or through the... Read More

San Francisco Pedestrian Accident Injury Highlights Urgent Need For Street Safety
Early this morning, Wednesday May 25, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on the corner of Pierce Street and Lombard Street in San Francisco’s Marina District.... Read More

GJEL Accident Attorneys Recognize National Bike Safety Month in May
Orinda, CA May 19, 2011 As part of National Bike Safety Month, GJEL Accident Attorneys, a catastrophic injury and wrongful death law firm in the San Francisco Bay area,... Read More
Senior Drivers May Cause More Car Accidents
Taking away the keys from senior drivers is a difficult decision that often causes conflict between family members and friends. But scientists and safety advocates have repeatedly shown that... Read More
Infrastructure Spending Could Reduce California Car Accident Costs
California is broke, and with budgets stretched thin across the board, it’s difficult to make an effective argument for increasing spending, even if the result is increased safety on... Read More
5 Great California Bicycle Safety Plans
There's no doubt that National Bike Month has been a resounding success here in California. The extended May cycle-centric holiday has lead to major safety campaigns statewide. But the... Read More

National Youth Traffic Safety Month Prepares Teen Drivers for Summer Safety
As we’ve learned in past weeks, May is an important month for traffic safety nationwide. May marks National Bike Month, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and National Youth Traffic Safety... Read More
Bike to Work Day Events in San Francisco, East Bay, San Jose & Contra Costa County
May is National Bike Month, which means that bicycle advocates and lawmakers throughout California are boosting efforts to increase bike ridership and improve bicycle safety. Thursday May 12 marks... Read More
San Francisco Pedestrian Accident Death Proves Need for Masonic Avenue Safety Plan
Last Friday, 61 year-old James Hudson was killed by a drunk driver while crossing San Francisco’s Masonic Avenue, one of the city’s busiest and most dangerous arteries. The suspect,... Read More