Spend any time in downtown Austin and you’re bound to see at least a few pedicabs, a rickshaw-like transportation device that hooks onto the back of a bicycle. Pedicab operations have grown in popularity in recent years, and Austin is now home to over 300 pedicab drivers. Due to the increase in pedicab use, the Austin City Council recently passed an ordinance regulating the transportation system’s safety.

The ordinance placed several restrictions on pedicab operation, requiring that the bicycles stay within a certain area and off state-maintained roads. Additionally, drivers must attach lights to their bikes, have working brakes, have proper insurance, and display a pedicab operator’s license. Lastly, the city voted to not approve any new pedicab permits for the next six months and may later place a cap on the number of pedicabs in the city.

As Austin continues to expand, alternate transportation options like pedicabs become more viable, as well as biking and walking. If you have been the victim of a bicycle or pedestrian accident, you deserve effective representation. Contact The McMinn Law Firm today.

The Austin Police Department recently launched an initiative to increase pedestrian safety. PEST, or Pedestrian Enforcement Safety Team, will promote pedestrian safety education as well as evaluate and work to eliminate traffic hazards to pedestrians.

Pedestrian safety is a crucial issue for Texas, as the state is ranked among the top ten states with the most pedestrian fatalities per 100,000. Since Austin is a very walkable city, Austin residents in particular need extra pedestrian protection. Already this year, 17 pedestrians have been killed in Austin. In order to foster pedestrian safety, PEST will be analyzing crash data to determine the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians, then concentrating their efforts on those areas.

Here are some tips for keeping pedestrians safe:

• Use sidewalks whenever possible.
• Cross streets at intersections, preferably when the pedestrian control device is showing a lit person.
• Wear bright, reflective clothing, and carry a flashlight at night.

If you have been the victim of a pedestrian accident, we can help you pursue your case. Contact McMinn Law Firm today.

Austin Police Department’s Pedestrian Enforcement Safety Team (PEST) is continuing its effort to reduce pedestrian accidents and deaths this week, this time focusing on drivers who don’t yield to pedestrians walking across intersections. For the past two weeks, officers have handed out almost 500 tickets and 150 warnings to jaywalkers, especially in busy areas like Congress and Cesar Chavez and the campus area.

Last weekend, a pedestrian hit-and-run on the shoulder of IH-35 highlighted the necessity of a pedestrian safety initiative. So far this year, Austin has witnessed 18 pedestrian fatalities, allowing Texas to maintain its rank in the top ten states with the highest number of pedestrian deaths. In response to the accidents, APD PEST will be in downtown Austin this week in plain clothes, issuing citations to drivers who don’t look for or stop for pedestrians who have the right-of-way.

If you have been the victim of a pedestrian accident, we can help you pursue your case. Contact McMinn Law Firm today.

The number of cyclists in Austin, hometown of Lance Armstrong, is growing rapidly. In fact, Bicycling Magazine rated Austin the #2 city for biking in 2009, calling it “A Cycling Oasis in a Bike Hostile State.” Even after the state tried to eliminate shoulder lanes and denied funds for bicycling, Austin still managed to keep it weird. The city’s government has four reps in the bike program who obtained $20 million to accommodate thousands of appreciative cyclists from 1998 to 2006.

Despite the funding and support, bicycling can still be dangerous, especially downtown. Every year bicyclists and pedestrians alike become the victims of negligent drivers, and their injuries can result in significant medical expenses and long-term care needs.

Often when cyclists run into problems on the road it gets them wondering how big these problems are, what causing them, and what can be done. Check out the answers to the commonly asked questions:

How Big is the Problem?
There were 52,000 injuries resulting from bicycle accidents in 2008 nationwide, according to the National Safety Council. However, research from hospital records suggests that only a fraction of bicycle crashes causing injury are ever recorded by the police, possibly as low as ten percent. In Austin, the vast majority of bicycle-related accidents and injuries happen on city streets, though most fatalities occur along I-35 or on country roads.

What’s Causing It?
Austin experiences the usual problems of motorists speeding, driving recklessly or while intoxicated, failing to signal, and general disobeying of traffic laws, but none of these is the leading cause. The biggest problem comes from drivers colliding with pedestrians and cyclists who are crossing the street. This happens most often when failing to yield on a left turn as the signal instructs pedestrians and cyclists to cross. Sometimes traffic lights malfunction or go out entirely, which makes traveling more dangerous for hiking and biking. Worn out or defective parts can cause accidents for the cyclist or the driver as well.

What Can I Do?
The more people bicycling together, the lower the fatality rate. This is a fact proven true worldwide, as has the opposite: the fewer cyclists, the more dangerous it is to ride a bike. Often, this is the main reason riders oppose helmet laws, because they’re shown to reduce the number of cyclists, which ultimately makes biking more dangerous. This could be one reason that Texas ranks 14th amongst the states for the most bicycle accidents per capita.

If you or someone you love have been the victim of a bicycle or pedestrian accident, you need an Austin injury attorney for legal representation. A bicycle or pedestrian accident requires an immediate investigation to ensure that all of the necessary evidence is preserved for your claim.

The experienced attorneys at the McMinn Law Firm LLP, located in Austin, Texas, provide intelligent, resourceful and aggressive legal counsel on criminal defense and personal injury cases. When the outcome of your legal situation can depend on the quality of your legal counsel, it is important that you retain an Austin injury attorney who is fully committed to safeguarding your rights and representing you in a court of law.