Category: Bicycle Laws
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A Comprehensive Guide to E-Bikes in Louisiana: Laws, Tips, and Choosing the Best E-Bike
E-bikes are popping up everywhere. If you’re riding one in Louisiana or thinking about getting one, you may have questions about the laws, safety tips, and how to pick the right bike. That’s exactly what this post is here for! We’ll break down what you need to know about riding e-bikes in Louisiana, from legal…
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The Lisa Torry Smith Act: A Win for Cycling Safety in Texas?
The Lisa Torry Smith Act brings important changes to Texas law. It makes clear that cyclists can ride in crosswalks and now requires drivers to stop and yield before entering a crosswalk with a pedestrian or cyclist. A gap in Texas law is allowing some drivers who hit people in crosswalks to get off scot-free,…
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E-BIKES ARE LEGAL IN NC (WELL, SOME OF THEM)
Love them or hate them, e-bikes continue to rise in popularity. At the same time, lawmakers struggle to keep up with the developing technologies. Every week I get multiple inquiries from people trying to navigate North Carolina’s e-bike laws. If you’re confused, you’re not alone. We could easily fill a book with all the latest…
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BIKES & CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Many of our cycling clients find themselves having to interact with the criminal justice system. Typically, it’s because the driver who hits them (or their family member) is charged with a crime or traffic offense. Occasionally bicyclists themselves are charged with traffic offenses! Every state’s criminal laws are different, but there is a lot of…
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ABOLISH CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE!
The antiquated law of Contributory Negligence is particularly horrible for North Carolina cyclists, but cyclists NOW have a say in abolishing it. If you’ve met me, you’ve heard talk about contributory negligence many times, including here and here and here. My vocation and my passion as a bike crash attorney is representing injured bicyclists and families of bicyclists who have…
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Dooring Case Goes to Trial (and Wins)
Louisiana has the first trial verdict assigning 100% fault to the passenger who did the dooring and 0% fault to bicyclist who was doored. Buena Batiste did not plan to be “doored.” She was knocked off her bike by a car door and then yelled at by the woman who opened it. Fortunately, we were…
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Bike Hand Signals
Before you get a driver’s license, you typically have to take a test that demonstrates your understanding of the rules of the road. This includes the importance of signaling your intentions when you are turning or changing lanes. Across the United States, bicyclists are required to use signals to let others know what they plan…
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Texas Debating 3-Foot Passing Law
Make your voice heard in favor of a 3-foot passing law to protect Texas cyclists. It happens all the time: Someone emails me video footage, clearly showing they were biking along when a car buzzes past, coming within inches of a horrible crash — and there’s nothing I can do about it because we don’t…
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VIDEO: Texas Pickup Comes Within Inches of Children
Texas Still Doesn’t Have a Safe Passing Law. It is NEEDED NOW. One look at this video is all you need to see why this parent reached out to Bike Law with serious concerns about a Dallas driver. Even as a bike accident lawyer that has dealt with many cases of dangerous driving, this video made…
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NC Ride Guide 2020
Required Reading for NC Cyclists Here it is: Ann GroningerNorth Carolina lawyer and Bike Law founder, Ann Groninger, has advocated at the state level on behalf of bicyclists in North Carolina for over 15 years. Ann has offices in Charlotte and Durham and has helped bike accident clients in Asheville, Raleigh, Durham, Greenville, Wilmington, Fayetteville, and throughout…
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Louisiana’s Vulnerable Road User Law is being resuscitated
Louisiana Legislature previously voted a VRU Law down in 2016 by only 5 votes. Recently, I was in a spirited discussion about whether Louisiana needs a law to act as a middle ground between serious criminal charges and petty traffic tickets when a bicyclist is hit or killed. Someone asked whether Louisiana law should hold…
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Mandatory bicycle helmet laws are a terrible idea
The safety solution is more people on bikes, not fewer. A federal government agency is making a controversial recommendation to all 50 states that all bicyclists be required to wear helmets. Mandatory bicycle helmet laws are a terrible idea. Cycling as a form of recreation and transportation offers a myriad of benefits to the individual and the…
