The city of Louisville has announced a new community awareness campaign called “Street Sense” with the hope of making our streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. The premise is we all share the same roads and should work together to make our Kentucky roads safer for everybody. You will see billboards on the side of the highway , at bus stops and on buses. You will see television spots and web videos. Even the good old fashion print ads will be part of this campaign.

The premise is to educate the public and make everyone more aware of the different ways of traveling on our Louisville roads. The Street Sense website has statistics and safety tips. Statistics automobile/bicycle accidents and automobile/pedestrian accidents include:

• Three  cyclists were killed and another 118 were injured in Metro Louisville in 2008 .

• Twenty-one pedestrians were killed and another 353 were injured. In 2008 locally.

This doesn’t count what has happened this year and in past years.  John Carr was the seventh bicyclist killed in Louisville within the last three years. This was at the Triathlon event at E.P Sawyer State park despite the presence of many other cyclist, cones and off duty police. Kenneth Yates has been charged with drunk driving and murder. In 2005 a drunk driver struck and killed, Charles Barfield, a cyclist on Bardstown Road. The driver was charged with Drunk Driving and Murder. He later plead guilty to Manslaughter in the second degree.

During this same three year period there have been a reported 482 accidents involving bicycles and motor vehicles. I am aware of several in the past month that have resulted in serious injuries that are not reported in the news. This doesn’t take into account the thousands of close calls that have occurred.

There are also tip sections for motorist, bicyclists and pedestrians to make the roads safer. Any serious cyclist will acknowledge that those of us that ride bicycles are not perfect and are the cause of some accidents and some near misses. Unfortunately, when you have the car you will win against a bike. It is up to you to protect the 10 year old boy that is pedaling to a friends house. It is up to you to make sure the mother makes it home to her daughter after a long walk. Respect for others is not a dirty word.

There are many drivers that are openly hostile and aggressive against anyone on a bike. I saw that in comments to a Courier-Journal article. I quote; “Those goofy helmets and spandex shorts are enough to make anyone want to run you down…lol”Not at all  funny and a sad reflection on the attitude of a few people towards bicyclist and runners.

I have been buzzed so close  by a septic truck that I have ridden into a ditch. The person driving thought it was funny to come up behind and get as close as possible and lay on his horn. Not humorous at all from my perspective. I have had Mountain Dew cans thrown at me that thankfully have missed.. It doesn’t take a law degree or a High School Diploma to figure out that these are dangerous activities. It is plain old common sense what you should do and not do on the road.

Most of the Street Sense tips are common sense and you should know them from taking your driver’s test. Unfortunately common sense doesn’t always prevail when we are driving. Abramson says “all we can do is educate and inform.” I agree, but let’s take it one step further and respect everyone on the road.

I might no look great in spandex bike shorts, but do I deserve to be hit? As a cyclist I have the right to ride in the middle of the road, but shouldn’t I be respectful of the cars that are stuck behind me? Give them as much room as possible so they can get by and you can be safe. Check out www.louisvilleky.gov/StreetSense for some great tips. It is a great review whether you are a runner, a walker, a bicyclist or a motorist. Learn what others on the roads are doing and turn your common sense into Street Sense. It will save lives!

I was driving home from work yesterday afternoon and as everyone who made the rush hour drive in Louisville, Kentucky is aware it was pouring down rain. As the saying goes it was literally raining cats and dogs. Unfortunately wet roads make the roads slick and dangerous and there were auto accidents everywhere. Everyone is in a hurry to get where they are going, especially on a Friday night. Now I am not going to harp on safe driving habits, we all know what we need to do to avoid car accidents in the rain. What the rain and the accidents made me think about was how many of these accidents were caused by uninsured drivers?

Driving without insurance is becoming increasingly common in today’s economic environment. People have to make the choice as to whether to pay for the mortgage or food as opposed to their car insurance premium. More and more accident victims are coming into my office that have been hit by uninsured drivers. This can be very frustrating or devastating to those people. What do I mean? If you do not carry uninsured motorist coverage on your Kentucky car insurance policy you may not be compensated for your injuries even though the accident was not your fault. I know this isn’t fair and you don’t want to think about the negative, but you need to.

You can control your own fate and that of your family. Pull the declarations page for your car insurance policy out of the file cabinet or drawer it is stuffed into and read it. Take a look at the section that is entitled uninsured motorist coverage/underinsured motorist coverage or UM/UIM. If you don’t have this on your policy call your insurance agent and add it to your policy right now. If you do have it great! However I would like you to take this one step further. Take a look at the amount of your coverage. Is this amount sufficient to protect and compensate you and your family if you have been in an accident? If your answer is no, call your insurance agent and increase your coverage. You will be surprised at how little the additional coverage will cost. This simple step could save you from financial ruin if you are in an automobile accident. Do yourself a favor a give your family an insurance checkup.

If you would like more information on this subject check out my book “What you Don”t Know About Buying Car Insurance Can Hurt You”.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month in Kentucky. I see the sign on the mornings when I take I-71 to the office in Louisville. It is flashing for all to see. It is summer and all drivers should be aware of more motorcycles and bicycles that are on the road. This advice applies to the riders as well. I have seen some horrible injuries that are the result of motorcycle accidents. I have seen legs that have been damaged for life. I have seen helmets that have saved a life when the rider of a motorcycle comes through the windshield of a car. The resulting injuries are usually severe and life changing for all involved.

Since it is Motorcycle Awareness Month and because I represent those injured in motorcycle accident I was pondering the dangerous nature of riding a motorcycle. I was also thinking about the fun and the adrenaline rush that must go along with it. This got me thinking as to whether there was any way to make the riding of a motorcycle safer without taking away the feeling of freedom. My mind initially went to motorcycle awareness campaigns. I have no doubt that they do save lives, but this does not make the bike safer in and of itself. Then I came across a The Ohio Motorcycle Lawyers Blog where attorneys Boyk, Bruna and Emch talked about a product called the Impact Jacket. I thought this is a great idea. This is basically a motorcycle airbag system. A jacket is worn by the rider that is attached to the motorcycle by a lanyard and an anchoring cable, I assume by a cord similar to a treadmill or Jet Ski. If the rider is ejected from the bike the cord triggers a CO2 canister that inflates the jacket in a mere .05 seconds. The inflated jacket is supposed to lesson the severity of any impact with the road or a car.

This appears to be a great safety device or is it just a gimmick? I think the Impact Jacket should help protect the rider while letting one enjoy the freedom and exhilaration that riding a motorcycle gives.Let’s have a safe Motorcycle Awareness Month.