Category: Bike Law Maine
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BLM Strava Challenge is ON!
Winchester Rippers Are Using the BLM Strava Challenge to Put Racism on the Map of Primarily White Cycling Clubs Hundreds of athletes are currently in the midst of participating in what may very well be the most significant Strava art project ever – the spelling out of Black Lives Matter from NY to ME in…
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Cycliq Footage Gets Police to Ticket Driver
Bike Law Maine Uses Video and Driver Gets Ticket Last November, an experienced rider from Maine was commuting to work on his bicycle when a tractor trailer operator came up on him from behind him and passed him at a dangerous and nearly deadly distance. As the rider describes it, as the tractor trailer operator…
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A Call to Drive with Real 20-20 Vision
Coach Oke’s Ghost Bike Several years ago, I was jogging alongside Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona when suddenly I was greeted by an old ghost bike. The stark white frame of the bicycle memorial juxtaposed against the soft, dusty hues of the desert landscape immediately caught my attention. What retained it was a hand-painted sign…
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“Life is not a Car Part”
2019 World Day of Remembrance for those killed and injured in traffic crashes. Today, we at Bike Law join the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (“FEVR”) in commemorating the 2019 World Day of Remembrance, honoring and remembering the many millions of people killed, injured and impacted by traffic crashes, and recognizing that “life is not a…
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Ghost Bike Honors Maine Bicyclist
Reminds Public of the Need to Be Attentive to all Traffic On Saturday, November 2, 2019, the family of Kathleen (“Kate”) Kirsch placed a ghost bike in her honor near the site of the tragic September 13, 2019 motor vehicle operator versus bicyclist collision that ultimately led to the loss of her life. Ghost bikes…
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Electric Bikes and Insurance
An Interview with Bob O’Brien at Noyes, Hall and Allen Insurance Prologue Last month, I rode across the Casco Bay Bridge to talk e-bikes and insurance with Bob O’Brien, the Vice President of Noyes, Hall and Allen Insurance in South Portland, Maine. Although I have yet to invest in an e-bike for myself, I have been captivated by e-bikes…
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Maine’s New E-Bike Laws
Charging Now and Scheduled to Go Into Effect This Fall This week, Governor Mills signed LD 1222, An Act Regarding Electric Bikes, into law. The Act’s history, swift movement through the Legislature, and prompt approval by the Governor underscore that e-bikes have made their way to Maine, are here to stay, and require appropriate regulation. Here’s…
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Kindergarteners Our Best Hope To End Distracted Driving?
Maine Lawmakers See Children, Teachers, and Schools as Necessary Partners to Addressing the Public Health Crisis on Our Roadways Are kindergarteners our best hope for ending distracted driving? Are teens more likely to be receptive to lessons about bicycle and pedestrian safety delivered by their teachers, mentors, and peers than their parents? Are schools the…
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“Blinding Sun” is Never an Excuse to Hit a Cyclist
How Public Safety Just Got Burned by the State of Maine’s Recent Plea Agreement Involving the Death of Bicyclist Carol Eckert In 2016, Dr. Carol Eckert was struck by a driver while she was riding her bicycle on a rural Maine roadway. According to media accounts of the crash, the driver who struck her with his…
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Turning Tragedy into Advocacy
Following a horrific bicycle crash in 2016, Dr. Michael Rifkin has become a new type of bicycling advocate — one who is deeply committed to ending distracted driving. Read his op-ed on Making Distracted Driving in Maine Taboo here. Dr. Rifkin’s piece reminds us that we can be distracted by our phones and other electronic devices even…
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Are All Bicycle Crashes Reported?
No, they are not. And they should be! The first issue is that many bicycle crashes are not being reported into the State of Maine Crash Database, which leads to incomplete and inaccurate state-wide crash reporting data and arguably also leads to uninformed priority setting and budgetary decisions. The crashes that are unreported and/or underreported…
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10 Ways You Can Be Become an Active Bicycling Advocate
As today is Giving Tuesday, the largest funding day for US-based non-profits, it is fitting to reflect on how we can all effectively apply our time and money to make the bicycling movement stronger and more effective. Top 10 Ways to Become an Active Bicycling Advocate Featured Image: Richard Masoner Lauri Boxer-MacomberLauri Boxer-Macomber has been an avid…
