Earlier this month, San Francisco city officials unveiled the latest part of its Vision Zero campaign, which is aimed at eliminating all traffic deaths in San Francisco by 2024. The latest part of its plan involves educating truck drivers on how to safely traverse San Francisco’s streets.
Over the last five years, large vehicles have represented only four percent of traffic collisions, but 17 percent of deaths among pedestrians and bicyclists. Now, the California Trucking Association is going to help create a safety video for truck drivers that shows the challenges of driving a large vehicle on San Francisco’s city streets. Driving in San Francisco represents a unique challenge for many truckers, including steep hills and large numbers of tourists, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The urban driving education program will be required for city workers and contractors who drive trucks. It will be offered to all truck drivers who enter San Francisco via the California Trucking Association. The program will also be offered to companies like UPS and FedEx and privately owned commuter shuttles.
The large amount of construction and economic development in San Francisco means that more trucks are driving to and from the area, which means that it’s critical for city officials to make the streets safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. One official said that his discussions with truck drivers and bicyclists have highlighted that there is a great deal of confusion currently about bicycle lanes and who has the right of way. An instructional video should be released by the end of April which will make up one part of the training program. The video will use shots of intersections in San Francisco to show drivers how they should drive on the city’s unique streets in order to ensure safety.
Vision Zero has several other components, including increased enforcement by the San Francisco Police Department, who will be focused on enforcing the top five violations cited in collisions. There will also be several engineering projects implemented by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency on streets that have the most severe or fatal injuries.
Vision Zero couldn’t come at a better time. Each day in San Francisco, at least three pedestrians are hit by cars. Although many of these pedestrians escape with only minor injuries, many are killed or seriously injured. In 2013, a near record number of people were killed while biking and walking in San Francisco – four bicyclists were killed and 21 pedestrians were killed – the highest number since 2007. In 2014, 18 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed in traffic accidents involving cars.
Individuals who are injured in pedestrian or bicycle accidents can have their lives changed in a moment. They may suffer serious, lifelong injuries, or even death. Fortunately, the law provides that those who are killed or injured because of the negligence of another driver can seek compensation from that driver. An accident victim can seek damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. If a loved one is killed, his or her family can seek damages for wrongful death.
At Liberty Law, Micha Star Liberty believes that any negligent driver who causes serious injuries or death to a pedestrian or bicyclist should be held responsible. Micha Star Liberty, along with another law firm, was responsible for bringing justice to the family of a woman who was killed by a truck driver while riding her bicycle near Sixth Street in 2013.
If you have been the victim of a pedestrian or bicycle collision with an automobile, call Micha Star Liberty, San Francisco bicycle accident attorney, at 415-896-1000 or 510-645-1000. She works closely with her clients to help them obtain the justice they deserve for their injuries. Call today to learn more.
