Bike yield laws are not yet in place in San Francisco that are intended to keep pedestrians safe. The Bike Yield Law is a new and potential law that people in the area are asking for, because its adoption could help reduce the number of traffic deaths that take place each day and throughout the year in the city. If you’ve been hit by a cyclist or other kind of vehicle, you know you have to work with your attorney to obtain compensation and you have to take time to recover. Any law that can prevent injuries is normally a move in the right direction.
The Bike Yield Law isn’t actually designed to help cyclists. Instead, it aims to reduce the hazard of cyclists to pedestrians. The law would be the first to state that road users have to yield to those who are walking, regardless of the vehicle. The law has been endorsed by all members of the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee.
What this new law would do is make sure that those who bike in an unsafe manner and make pedestrians feel unsafe could be ticketed. Even cyclists who don’t yield can cause injuries to those walking on sidewalks or near roadways. In the past, every time a new area has introduced this kind of law, it’s been shown to decrease the number of injuries resulting from biking collisions. The study revealed after a trial in the United States shows that the number of collisions reduced by 14.5 percent for those biking and that there was no real difference to those walking, which is why some groups call for the studies to be continued before implementing the law.
The law won’t change state laws, but it will allow the San Francisco Police Department to ticket traffic violations when necessary to help prevent accidents and injuries in the future.
Source: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, “Frequently Asked Questions: SF’s Bike Yield Law,” Chris Cassidy, accessed Nov. 30, 2015
