[Carfreeliving] RE: [SFBike] Taxi driver hits bicyclist

[Coffin, Richard S.]

I am glad to hear the Inspector make the statement recognizing the
danger of this behavior.  That is encouraging, HOWEVER,...

I would like to call on the SFBC, TLC, SAN, WalkSF and other concerned
groups to start a campaign to enact a ban on driving while talking on
the cell phone in San Francisco.  It is the law in most civilized
countries of Western Europe and Asia.  This will save lives and cut down
on "Accidents".  California and San Francisco has been a leader in other
national trends for safety and the environment such as smoking bans and
stricter auto emission laws, and we should lead the way for this as
well.  (Yes I know there are some bans in place already for non
hands-free cell phone use in NY, etc)

I propose the following:

1) Ban the use of ALL cell phones while driving on city streets.
Research has clearly shown that it is the distraction of the mind that
is the danger, not the physical act of holding a phone.  Our brains
process what is in our field of vision and what is abstract (person on
the other end of phone) in completely different ways.  This is one of
the reasons why talking to a passenger is not even close to being as
dangerous as cell phone use and also why hands-free is not a real
improvement.  (The only advantage of a hands-free only law would be that
it requires more effort to use a headset and most people are too lazy,
so they might not use the phone as much or at all)

Passengers could still use cell phones and I even say allow them on
separated highways (I-80, 280, 101), since these are usually clogged to
slow speeds anyways.  The real danger seems to me is on city streets;
with life on every block, and no protection for the vulnerable.  On a
freeway, at least most are protected by some steel and traffic is all
moving in one direction (motorcyclists may certainly have a strong
desire for a total ban as well, even on the freeways, since they are
clearly the most at risk)  Every freeway off-ramp could have big warning
signs telling motorists as they are exiting the freeways, they cannot
use a cell phone.  "You are entering a living city, with people
everywhere, so put your cell phone away and drive safely through our
home" (Otherwise go speed through your own neighborhood)

Cell phone use has exploded in the past few years and this acceptance of
know dangerous behavior is just another example of a convenience for
drivers at the expense of the public good and safety of the vulnerable
and weak on the streets.  I think most of the people in control of the
lawmaking and money (business, cell phone/car companies, etc) drive as
their primary mode of transport, so they are corrupted by this dangerous
system, so they won't change it unless pushed.

As for the arguments against such a law?

1) It won't be enforced!!  Either are red light and other major traffic
violations in the City; however, IF a driver is on a cell phone during a
crash, then they will be negligent and it will be easy to charge them
with a real crime for engaging in this dangerous behavior on dense city
streets.  A simple accidental death (Car hits pedestrian, oops, sorry)
can be turned into the more appropriate manslaughter if someone is on
the phone.  (BTW, Italy has a total ban and on my last biking trip their
I did not see ONE person talking on a phone while driving, so it CAN be
enforced; although I saw many people pulled over in parking areas
taking, etc.)

2) It's no more distracting than eating, changing the radio station,
etc! NOT TRUE, some studies have shown it to be equivalent to being
legally drunk.  

3) I can't pull over to answer the phone in the city!  DPT could add
more white zone/loading zones on each block which could allow better
truck loading, passenger drop-off and serve as cell phone yapping zones.
This could be done in conjunction with raising curb street parking rates
closer to market rates, so that a space or two is usually available a la
D. Shoup)

As for some campaign ideas:

1) Bumper stickers that show a cell phone (or yapping person on head set
even) on the left and a big .08 and cocktail glass on the right
separated by an "=" sign.  In other words cell phone = drunk.  Get the
message out there.

2) We need other ways to get this into the public consciousness like
other successful campaigns have done (anti-smoking, anti-fur, anti-drunk
driving) so that everyone knows the real results of the scientific
studies and understands how dangerous this is.

3) Get more companies and businesses to ban cell phone use while their
employees drive on company business.  Some businesses apparently already
have this policy to limit their liability.

4) Market that such a ban will improve safety for all; including other
drivers; there is definitely a large contingent of drivers that would
support this law in the City.  The suburbanites will mostly hate it.

I think this ban is politically feasible if we develop a large coalition
of groups.  Cell phone distraction may be even more dangerous to
bicyclists than pedestrians and other street users, so the SFBC and/or
BAC would have to be strong contributors.  WalkSF would also be a major
backer.

I would be interested in everyone's thoughts on the feasibility and
importance of this idea, as well as any insight into the best way to
enact a law in the City (are there any legal impediments such as with
some state controlled traffic laws?)

Rich C


  

-----Original Message-----
From: AP Thornley [mailto:apt at thornley.com] 
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 7:56 PM
To: sfbike at topica.com
Subject: [SFBike] Taxi driver hits bicyclist


"A spokesman for the Speck taxi company said he heard the bicyclist was 
at fault but wished him a 'speedy recovery.'" Yup. 


[from today's SF Examiner]

Taxi driver hits bicyclist
By Alison Soltau
Staff Writer

A taxi driver who was allegedly distracted by his cell-phone 
conversation slammed into a bicyclist early Sunday morning, catapulting 
the bicyclist over the cab's hood and into a cement wall but causing 
only minor injuries, police said.

Witnesses, including the cab's passenger, told police the collision 
happened at 12:30 a.m. as both driver and cyclist were going southbound 
on Gough Street, when the Speck taxi company driver made an abrupt right

turn at Turk Street without signaling, hitting the cyclist, who was 
legally on the far right side of the road, said Traffic Insp. John 
Haverkamp.

"The bicyclist, who was doing about 40 mph himself down the hill, got a 
big surprise - he evidently flew over the hood and was stopped by a 
cement wall," Haverkamp said.

He added that the 41-year-old bicyclist, who was riding with a rear 
light, was not wearing a helmet but only suffered head, arm and leg 
abrasions and was expected to be released from the hospital Sunday.

The 50-year-old cab driver was not charged at the scene, pending further

investigation. Haverkamp said he referred the case to his unit's 
charging officers for them to decide whether to issue a citation.

"The cab driver was on the hands-free cell phone, chitchatting away," 
Haverkamp said, noting the practice was legal under California law.

"I don't think anybody should be driving and talking on cell phones," 
Haverkamp said. "He wasn't concentrating on what he was doing."

A spokesman for the Speck taxi company said he heard the bicyclist was 
at fault but wished him a "speedy recovery."

Police are also looking for a hit-and-run driver who hit and caused 
minor injuries to a bicyclist last Friday. The bicyclist was riding 
south on Fourth Street and crossing Harrison Street when an unknown 
driver going west on Harrison Street ran a red light and struck him, 
Haverkamp said.

E-mail: asoltau at examiner.com

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