Bike Accident Lawyer on Golden Gate Bridge Speed Limits
Recently the Golden Gate Bridge District considered, and tabled, a proposal to set a 10 MPH speed limit for bicycles on the bridge. This became the subject of an episode of the Forum radio show on KQED, which posted listener comments online.
Could Speed Limits Make Riding Across the Golden Gate Bridge Safer?
In the Bay Area, bikes are normally subject to the same speed limits as cars. Would a lower limit on the crowded sidewalks of the Golden Gate bridge help prevent bike accidents and injuries? Probably so. Setting the limit at 10 MPH would be very unpopular, though, which may be why the measure was tabled, rather than brought to a vote.
As a cyclist, I would not want to be limited to 10 MPH for a span of nearly a mile. I think that there is an inherent unfairness in having a tight speed limit on bikes, most of which do not even have speedometers.
Way to Reduce SF Bike Accidents?
In my experience handling bicycle injury cases, people seem to perceive that bicycles are going faster than they really are, and most riders don’t have a clear sense of how fast they are going. Of course, slowing people down, in cars, on bikes, or any other form of transport, is likely to reduce injury accidents. I think that this additional safety, though, should be weighed against the feasability problems, and the individual freedom in letting people choose, within reasonable limits, how fast they want to go.
Talk to Bicycle Accident Attorneys in San Francisco
The lawyers at Callaway & Wolf handle bike accident cases throughout the Bay Area, including Oakland, Marin County, and the city of San Francisco. Contact our firm to talk with an expert bike accident lawyer for free.
Boone Callaway is a personal injury & medical malpractice lawyer in San Francisco who has been working with clients in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Mr. Callaway is one of only a few personal injury litigators in San Francisco who is a Super Lawyer, AV Rated and is also a member of ABOTA – American Board of Trial Advocates.
