As a pedestrian or a bicyclist, getting hit by car is surreal. The shock, pain and disbelief hits you first, then the panic sets in. First thing you think is: “How am I going to pay my medical bills?” “Holy smokes I am going to miss work. I can’t miss a paycheck.” If you are […]
Florida Bicycle Law
These Traffic Laws Will Shock You!
There’s seemingly NO sense behind some of these laws. However, if you don’t know them they could cause problems for you with that law enforcement officer sitting right on the corner. So let’s take a quick look at them and see if you ever broke any of these lesser-known laws. Your headlights must be on […]
What to do about the manslaughter by cell phone drivers.
A man died on this road. A good man. A man who had two grown sons, a loving wife, old and dear friends, trustworthy business contacts, a caring doctor, a solid banker, people who supplied his farm, sought his advice and listened to his jokes. He was passionate about coaching his sons’ baseball team in […]
It’s Not Just a “Concussion” It’s a Permanent Injury to Your Brain
A chilling medical study, reported in Science Daily, described the findings of a new study presented November 29, 2016 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The study used specialized MRI scans to examine high school football players brains before and after one season of football play. The MRIs revealed […]
Don’t be “THAT guy!”
Most of us drive automobiles. All of us drive bicycles. Anybody who does is aware of the ongoing difficulty of law enforcement enforcing our laws and the wider motoring community to observe those laws. Allow me to make some humble suggestions on how you can, while on the road, bring awareness to us. First and […]
You as a legal warrior against wheel traps.
What do the below three photographs have in common? First, if you ride, these may make your blood run cold. These have caused death, disfigurement, scarring, nerve loss, traumatic brain injury, broken bones and dislocations. These things can be are potholes, excessively wide grating over drainage channels, gaps between the pavement and the adjoining curb, […]
Vulnerable User Laws
I was asked to write about vulnerable user laws this month by a request to FloridaBicycleLaw.com. To gain some perspective, let’s say you are helping set up the wedding reception for the sister of a friend whose family is wealthy, your friend gives you a bottle of wine and says, “Please carry this to the […]
Attorney supports Tampa Police bicycle safety awareness program
TAMPA — J. Steele Olmstead of FloridaBicycleLaw.com has donated $2,000 to the Tampa Police Department for more “Share the Road It’s the Law” decals on the police cars’ rear windows. Shown here with Steele is Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Chief of Police Jane Castor of the Tampa Police Department accepting the ceremonial check. The […]
We Are All Drivers
Time to change the “frame” of the debate. I was at the SWFBUD “Bicycle Bash” in Tampa in November 2012 and had a lot of people stop by my booth and discuss how we can improve our lots from a legal standpoint. Our problem as serious cyclists who want the laws in our favor enforced […]
Safety on a Human Powered Vehicle
When I talk with the drivers of human powered vehicles like bicycles, tricycles and recumbents, their greatest fear is contact with a motorized vehicle. Pedestrians and human powered vehicles share the same status: you are a vulnerable user of the public roads; You are more likely to be injured in a crash with any motor powered […]