Cyclists in Somerville are being held accountable for their behavior and officers are tracking them down for not following the rules of the road. Now, cyclists are being ticketed for violating traffic rules. Enforcement efforts have been ramped up to help to reduce the risks of bicycle accidents in Somerville and elsewhere in the area.
Those who are ticketed will be required to fork over info, including their name and address, to police officers. Some aren’t surprised by the news though, saying bicyclists should and have been following the rules of the road all along.
“This isn’t really news,” said the executive director of MassBike, David Watson. “This is not the first community in Massachusetts to enforce traffic laws for bicyclists.”
Our Boston bicycle accident lawyers understand that bicyclists are required to follow the same rules of the road as motorists. According to surveys, most bicyclists know and follow the rules of the road, but there’s always an exception and those exceptions are making our roadways dangerous for everyone.
Watson says that targeted enforcement isn’t really fair and that everyone should be targeted and held accountable for travel along our roadways. He adds though, that it’s worth a shot if it can help to make our roadways safer for all. The truth of the matter is that motorists are responsible for the vast majority of accidents involving cyclists.
Watson argues that most cyclists are in fact following the rules of the road, but he says that it’s those select few that are running wild that are ruining it for everyone and giving cyclists a bad name.
To help to spread the word about the importance of safe biking habits, officials with MassBike continue to push their “Same Roads, Same Rules” program. This is a program that’s aimed at both cyclists and motorists and reminds them that the road is there for everyone and we need to share it accordingly to preserve roadway safety. Watson says that targeting the behavior of cyclists without targeting motorists as well is virtually pointless. Everyone needs to be the target and treated equally.
According to a recent study, conducted by MassBike, nearly 90 percent of bicyclists know the rules of the road regarding bicycling in Massachusetts. On the other hand, only about 50 percent of motorists knew them. For this reason, MassBike and Watson are hoping that the safety campaign will reach more motorists, and bicyclists, than ever before and will be able to help to keep everyone safe on our roadways. These two forms of transportation should be able to ride in unison along our roadways. It just takes a little effort and awareness.
According to Boston Bikes, nearly 40 percent of bicycle accidents involve a vehicle and about 5 percent of accidents involve a pedestrian. In the city of Boston, most bicycle accidents happen along Massachusetts Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a motor vehicle, a pedestrian or a bicycle accident in Boston or elsewhere in the state, contact Massachusetts Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman to schedule a free and confidential appointment to discuss your case. Call (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Risks for Injury in Boston Minimized by Rental Hubway Helmets, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, May 1, 2012
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents in Commonwealth Targeted by Walk and Bicycle to School Day, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, April 28, 2012