Each year I post one entry about the importance of Uninsured Motorist Insurance. This is that entry. 

Uninsured Motorist Insurance is part of the auto insurance each of us can buy. It compensates you and your family for the harm caused by financially irresponsible motorists. Harm can include medical bills and lost income.

There is no area of bicycle law that is as out of date as laws regarding E bikes. E bikes are fast growing. They are evolving and their uses are growing and changing.

Delivery drivers in cities use E bikes. Companies like LIME have been created to rent E bikes to tourists. The result has been more E bikes in traffic with bicycles and pedestrians, as well as more E bikes in traffic with motor vehicles. Florida laws have not kept pace with these changes.

The definition of a bicycle under Florida law includes a vehicle with an “electric helper motor” capable of going “not more than 20 mph” on level ground.

This year has seen a texting while driving ban in Florida. Bicyclists know well the danger to them that distracted driving poses.

There is another type of distracted driving. It has to do with wearing a headset. It has never been easier to stream music. This means it has never been easier to listen to music while riding. Florida law regulates how we can legally listen to music while riding a bicycle. The same law applies to bicycle riders, motorcycle riders, and car and truck drivers.

There are two photos at the bottom of this blog. Each photo is of an object that lodged in the spokes of the front wheel of a bicycle, stopping the wheel’s movement.

Each cyclist pinwheeled over his handlebars and struck the ground, with catastrophic results. The crashes occurred more than three years apart. Neither bicycle was struck by a motor vehicle, another bicycle, or anything else.

As cyclists we spend a lot of time and effort on our safety while bicycling. We wear reflective and bright clothing, have lights and reflectors on ourselves and our bikes, ride defensively, and choose the safest routes possible.

There was a horrific accident in Venice, Florida, in late October. It involved four experienced bicyclists between the ages of 55 and 67. They were struck from behind by a motor vehicle driven by a 91-year-old woman. All four bicyclists were hospitalized. One of them died.