Bikers cherish right to ride without helmets, but hospitals prepare for worst Every year, when Robert and Sherri Goldstrom jaunt down from Leechburg, Pa. for the annual Bike Week revelry, Bibles to pass out and motorcycles in tow, they unhitch their trailer at a friend’s place in North Carolina. The rest of the trip turns into something of an internal battle of wills for Robert Goldstrom, 55, who prefers to ride without a helmet, as they barrel down toward Florida on Harley Davidson motorcycles. “I ride a bike because I want to be free,” he said. “It sort of defeats the purpose if I wear a helmet; it’s sort of confining.” Goldstrom’s personal choice between safety and freedom is shared by many bikers, and becomes an active concern for hospitals twice every year who staff up for the en masse arrival of motorcycle riders. Robert Goldstrom is forced to switch back and forth when he travels to Daytona Beach. Like Florida, there’s no strict helmet law in Pennsylvania.

But there are headgear requirements in North Carolina and Georgia. “He wears it,” said Sherri Goldstrom, 52, his wife, “but he doesn’t like it.” During Bike Week’s 10-day stretch in March, hospitals worry and prepare most for biker injuries. They often include bone fractures in the arms and legs; road rash and burns from exhaust pipes or from falling on concrete. And, emergency medicine workers say, there are a considerable number of head injuries. Statewide, motorcycle deaths have inched up consistently in 2011, 2012 and 2013, according to the most recent federal data available. Half of the 485 motorcyclists who died in 2013 weren’t wearing a helmet. “People that escape injury or walk out of here alive are usually wearing a helmet,” said Kevin Captain, who manages the trauma program at Halifax Health Medical Center. “There’s no doubt that helmets save lives.” In July 2000, the state of Florida repealed its motorcycle helmet law. Registrations and fatalities climbed steadily in the years afterward.

By 2008, the Florida Legislature instituted a mandatory safety course for new riders and registrations fell in many counties across the state. Now, only riders older than 21 can ride without a helmet and they must carry at least $10,000 worth of medical coverage. Six years after the law was repealed, the soaring numbers caught the eye of local leaders in Daytona Beach when a Bike Week Safety Task Force was formed. In 2006, an estimated 16 motorcycle riders died in traffic-related incidents during Bike Week in Volusia and Flagler counties. What the task force found was that many of the accidents, at least in Volusia County, likely involved violation of rights of way, said Pat Kuehn, who works for Volusia County and chaired the working group. That’s when they decided to adopt the “look twice, save a life” slogan, marketing it heavily during the March event in 2007. The task force agreed that wearing helmets was beneficial, if not a lifesaving measure. “But it wasn’t the prime focus,” Kuehn said, “because at the time we believed it was a hard topic to push especially because we were promoting locally, and by the time the bikers got here they either had a helmet or they didn’t.”

In Volusia, there were only six fatalities reported in 2007. “It was a dramatic drop the following year,” Kuehn said. motorcycle shops macon ga“Of course, was it signs or was it a blip, we’re not real sure but we do think that we were successful in raising awareness.”motorcycle helmets dallas cowboys Not all bikers need to be coaxed into wearing helmets. motorcycle shops near folsom caThe benefit is obvious to many.motorcycle hire newcastle uk “I’ve been in bike accidents, but I’ve wrecked race cars. nitro crash helmet sizes

I know what helmets do for you,” said John Greek, 56, Gainesville. He once raced stock cars but opted for his electric blue 2008 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic parked on Main Street early Wednesday.firstgear mesh motorcycle jacket “You gotta protect your noggin,” he added.amazon bell motorcycle helmetsYour tax deductible contribution will help FairWarning to deliver strong investigative journalism in the public interest.The City of Jacksonville Must Improve Deplorable Bicycling and Pedestrian Conditions Posted by Chris Burns in Cycling Advocacy, Florida Bicycle Laws, on . Jacksonville, Florida (my home town) is one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. for walking and bicycling, and must make drastic improvements. Jacksonville was deemed the 3rd most dangerous city in the United States for bicyclists and pedestrians by a 2011 study called "Dangerous By Design", which indicted Jacksonville’s faulty road and infrastructure design, lack of adequate spending and enforcement of laws, lack of adequate policies and government staffing, and lack of programs supporting safety.

This disproportionately endangers our minorities. Hispanics and African Americans drive less and walk more.  20 percent of African American and 14 percent of Hispanic households live without a car. Hispanics walk 45% more and African Americans 26% more trips than whites. Bicycle Headphones - Are they Safe and Legal? Posted by Chris Burns in Florida Bicycle Laws, on . Using mobile devices with headphones, while participating in sports such as bicycling, has now become incredibly popular. Apple and other companies make music devices and phone cases especially designed for use with sports. Nike makes devices that tell exercisers the data about their workouts through headphones and sound. It appears that more recreational runners and joggers may use headphones than don't. But what about using headphones while bicycling? Is this a good idea? Are there laws about riding bikes with headphones? Posted by Chris Burns in Cycling Safety Tips, Florida Bicycle Laws, on . As cyclists, we realize there are real dangers associated with our riding bikes. 

Between 600 and 900 bicycling fatalities occur in the US each year, and nearly 50,000 bicyclists are injured annually.  These are numbers that we must reduce, but many argue they are much lower than the numbers of persons who dies from diseases that could have been reduced or prevented if those people had exercised – such as regular bicycling.  Bicyclists who commute or ride frequently, instead of using their cars, and who follow traffic laws religiously, are generally likely to benefit by much better overall health.  Various researchers don’t agree, however some argue that bicycling is less dangerous per hour than driving a vehicle. Advice for Receiving a Bicycle Traffic Ticket or Citation The majority of my cycling clients are not accused of causing the crash or breaking the law.  Most of them contact me because they have been injured and desire to be compensated fairly. This is my expertise.  Rarely, they may have been charged with infractions such as failing to have proper lighting at night, or they may be charged with improperly riding on the sidewalk when local ordinances prohibit it. 

(Sidewalks ordinances are impossible to figure out for cyclists. Three communities right next to one another may have totally different rules for whether you can ride on the sidewalk.  One second you can be legal, the next second illegal.) Does Your State Have a Bicycle Helmet Law? Does the law require you to wear a helmet while bicycling?  Much like motorcycle helmet laws, bicycle helmet laws vary state-to-state.  Twenty-one (21) states and the District of Columbia require bicycle helmets for children (mostly 15 and younger, with some exception). The Three Foot Law or “Buzz” ​Learn about a new law for passing cyclists that has been adopted in more than a dozen states, including the state of Florida. Cyclists Have Rights Against Dog Owners ​Although dogs share our homes, dogs are still animals and not humans.  While they often make wonderful family pets, they can also behave erratically or unpredictably. Occasionally dogs can be almost impossible to control for their owners.  

It is no wonder dogs frequently cause safety problems for cyclists by attacking, chasing or biting. Are Bicyclist Allowed to Ride on Sidewalks? I am frequently asked by cyclists whether it is legal to ride their bikes on the sidewalk. As a attorney representing cyclists around the state of Florida I have also confronted this issue in numerous bicycle accident cases. Many cyclists feel intimidated by riding next to trucks and cars, especially if the road’s speed limit is high. So they choose to ride on the sidewalk. Here, they often confront pedestrians and have to deal with cars pulling out of driveways or making unanticipated turns from the road in front of them. When accidents happen, the issue is asked whether they should have been riding on the sidewalk at all. Are “Blinkie” Bike Lights Legal? ​Most Florida cyclists realize that when riding between sunset and sunrise, the law requires cyclists to have a red rear light and white front light visible from a certain distance.

What kind of light should the cyclist use? Probably the most common rear light is called the “blinkie” light. It is a flashing red rear light. Blinkie lights are inexpensive and the batteries seem to last a long, long time. Most Florida bike shops sell “blinkie” rear lights for safety and to help cyclists follow this law. Many cyclists feel that “blinkie” lights catch the approaching motorists’ attention better than steady lights. But are flashing lights legal? What If the Traffic Signal Won’t Change? Run a Red Light? ​Recently, I was speaking to a bicycle club about cycling and current legal issues. I was asked an excellent question. I thought I would share the answer to this question, which may not be obvious. Consider this scenario: During a bicycle club sponsored training ride, the group of club cyclists approach a traffic light at an intersection. They want to go straight through the intersection or make a left turn. The traffic light is red. The traffic light won’t change to green.