Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney
Call Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney, Your Orange County Uber, Lyft, Lime and Bird Car, Scooter, eBike, Bicycle, Electric Bicycle and Pedestrian Personal Injury Lawyer Sebastian Gibson
The Right Choice in Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorneys in Orange County and throughout California
Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson has studied whether safety concerns are beginning to mount up for the safety of scooter, bicycle riders and cycling enthusiasts throughout California in the wake of problems with self-driving cars since Uber, Lyft, Lime and Bird began putting their cars and scooters on the roads in California in mid December of 2016.
The trouble with self-driving cars began when it was noticed that the Uber cars were allegedly running through red lights, going through stop signs, making unsafe turns and failing to yield to pedestrians on the streets of San Francisco where their cars were being tested.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition also released a public warning based on first-hand experiences in Uber self-driving vehicles that while the cars were in self-driving mode, the car was observed to make an unsafe right turn through a bike lane.
Uber admitted there appeared to be a problem with the autonomous vehicles crossing bike lanes and announced that “engineers” were working to fix a flaw in the software programming.
Today with the massive number of electric scooters owned by Uber, Lyft, Lime and Bird being left by the thousands on streets and eagerly being picked up and ridden in major cities in Orange County and all across California, a new wave of personal injury car, scooter, bicycle and pedestrian accidents is occurring and creating havoc not only on California streets but in emergency rooms in cities where these vehicles and scooters are prevalent.
Add to that a growing number of electric bicycles or eBikes being rented by visitors and tourists who can find themselves unfamiliar with the area at best, and at worst, who may have had a drink or two, and drivers who are already distracted by attractions in the area can suddenly find themselves in an accident after hitting a rider on an electric scooter or eBike.
The risk to pedestrians has also been increased with the popularity of Lime and Uber eBikes and Bird and Lime scooters as well as scooters from other companies as well. Not only are the scooters a hazard to pedestrians who suddenly find themselves tripping over scooters strewn across city sidewalks, but riders of these scooters as well as eBikes who fear being hit by drivers on the roads are sometimes seen riding their scooters and electric bicycles on sidewalks as well having decided it’s safer to do so, than to risk their lives riding them on the roadways.
Action By The California Department of Motor Vehicles And The California Attorney General
Uber began using their self-driving automobiles on the streets of San Francisco in December 2016 despite state officials making the declaration that the ride sharing company needs special permits to be testing its self-driving vehicles and technology in California.
On the very first day of their use, numerous Uber self-driving autonomous vehicles were allegedly caught running red lights and committing other traffic violations of the California vehicle code. One in fact was allegedly caught on camera running a red light.
The Attorney General’s letter to Uber, orders Uber to apply for the appropriate permits from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles before continuing to test its cars. In the even the company does not, “the Attorney General will seek injunctive and other appropriate relief” to stop the testing, the letter stated.
In a letter to Uber from the DMV, the DMV wrote, “It is illegal for the company to operate its self-driving vehicles on public roads until it receives an autonomous vehicle testing permit. Any action by Uber to continue the operation of vehicles equipped with autonomous technology on public streets in California must cease until Uber complies.”
Uber, it appears, believes that the permitting process doesn’t apply to the company and that they “cannot in good conscience” comply with a regulation the company does not believe applies to it.
Uber’s position has been that its self-driving cars, which require a person at the wheel to monitor or control them, does not fall under California’s definition of an autonomous vehicle as one that drives “without the active physical control or monitoring of a natural person.”
It excludes vehicles which are equipped with collision avoidance systems including blind spot assistance, automated emergency braking systems, parking assistance systems, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warnings and traffic jam and queuing assist.
Uber may be trying to make the argument that their cars are in the same category as Tesla cars already or soon to be on the road. The Tesla Enhanced Autopilot mode is capable of matching their cars to traffic conditions speeds, as well as keeping a car within a lane, changing a lane safety without driver assistance, and self-parking. However, the driver of a Tesla cannot take their hands off a car’s steering wheel for more than a few heartbeats without a car alarm sounding.
The Risk To Uber, Lyft, Lime and Bird Bicycle, e-Bike, Electric Bicycle and Scooter Riders and Cycling Enthusiasts in California
When a car crosses a bike or scooter path at the last minute, it poses a threat to bicycle riders and cyclists who may not be able to stop in time to avoid a collision. It’s nearly the same as if a car were to cut in front of you and then immediately slow to make a right turn.
Bicycle riders and accident safety experts will tell anyone who listens that the Uber right-hook-style turns through a bike lane allegedly seen in San Francisco during Uber’s testing of the self-driving cars are one of the biggest causes of bicycle collisions.
Uber’s response to this situation has been to instruct drivers to take control when approaching right turns on a street with a bike lane.
Today, a new risk to riders on bikes and dockless scooters has arisen with the thousands of Uber, Lyft, Lime and Bird scooters and eBike sharing electric bicycles and and electric scooters showing up on city sidewalks and roadways for sharing in major cities. While the electric scooters are meant to be ridden only by riders 16 years and older with a California driver’s license, and by riders wearing helmets, it’s easily seen that many are younger than 16 and in most cities aren’t wearing helmets. One should note, however, that local authorities, however, are allowed to further regulate the use of these electric scooters and some cities are requiring that operators be at least 18 years of age and travel no faster than 15 miles per hour. However, as of January 1st, 2019, riders of scooters will not be required to wear helmets unless the local city in which they are riding a scooter requires riders to wear them.
Taking a page from Uber in testing their self-driving cars without prior authorization, Bird has in the past dropped off hundreds of their electric scooters in cities without first obtaining permission from the cities. In late 2018, for instance, without any warning, the city of Palm Springs suddenly noticed Bird scooters strewn on downtown city sidewalks. Bird was told to pick them up. They didn’t, so the city of Palm Springs did so, stored them and intends to charge Bird for the cost not only of picking up the scooters but also for the storage until such time as the city determines the best way to regulate the electric scooters in Palm Springs.
The Effect On Future Public Acceptance of Self-Driving Technology and Risk to Bicycle Riders in California
If indeed it is true that Uber self-driving cars have already been making unsafe right turns through bike lanes, running red lights, going through stop signs and failing to yield to pedestrians, or any of these actions, while knowing it has flaws in their technology, and a serious accident occurs as a result of any of these actions, this could have a major effect on how the public perceives Uber in California.
And if Uber is persisting to test flawed technology on the streets of California in disregard of the safety of bicycle riders, pedestrians and car drivers, without first obtaining a permit from the California DMV, and an accident which causes injury to a bicyclist or pedestrian or anyone driving their car, this cannot have a positive influence on the public to accept self driving cars in the future in California.
This obviously has raised questions about the safety not only of bicycle and eBike riders throughout California while Uber self-driving cars are on the roads while working to fix flaws in their technology, but the safety of pedestrians, car drivers, and even passengers in self-driving Uber cars in the future.
It may be that Uber as well as manufacturers of self-driving cars feel that the only way to improve self-driving technology is to test self-driving cars in the real world and not simply in closed testing areas.
It may also be that bike lanes present a unique challenge for self-driving technology because of their quickness and an inability of the technology to predict their movements and that of riders of scooters and electric bicycles. If that is the case, the same might be true for an inability of the technology to react well to unpredictable actions of pedestrians as well, even though their actions are slower.
But to use the public as a guinea pig in a public laboratory experiment with technology that still requires work by engineers, and then to use it on the public without the approval of the DMV which is entrusted with the public’s safety, would seem to be asking for a public relations disaster to happen.
The Popularity of Uber and Lyft Cars in the Coachella Valley and Orange County and Uber, Lyft, Lime and Bird Scooters and eBikes Across California
In the Coachella Valley where there are large music festivals occurring annually such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Stagecoach and now Desert Trip, and other events such as the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells, Uber cars are frequently used by the large number of local residents and out of town visitors to the events.
Similarly, in Orange County where there is a population of millions, hundreds of thousands of tourists at any one time visiting attractions and thousands of restaurants, bars and nightclubs for locals and visitors to choose from in popular coastal cities such as Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Uber cars frequently seen picking up and dropping off locals and tourists at Orange County bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and shopping malls.
One visit to any major city today in California such as San Diego, and one will be amazed to see thousands of Uber, Lyft, Lime or Bird scooters and electric bicycles on sidewalks and in the streets being picked up and ridden in traffic at great risk to those riding them and others involved in accidents.
Call California Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson, Your Uber Pedestrian and Bicycle Accident Lawyer. If You’re Injured In An Accident With An Uber or Lyft Car or While on an Uber, Lyft, Lime or Bird Scooter, Bicycle or eBike anywhere in California, call us.
If you or a member of your family is injured or has lost their life as a result of an accident involving an Uber or Lyft car, or an Uber, Lyft, Lime or Bird Scooter or an electric bicycle, the Law Firm of California Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson will seek the compensation you and your family deserve as a result of your accident.
Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson has been named a Top Lawyer in the field of personal injury for the past 12 years in a row by the prestigious Palm Springs Life Magazine and has also been named a “Superb” lawyer by Avvo, their highest rating, which evaluates attorneys all across the nation. Today, with offices in Orange County as well, Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson is the lawyer to call when you’ve been seriously injured in an Orange County bicycle accident.
With over 40 years of experience in personal injury in California and international law in Great Britain with law degrees from both countries, Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson has been called “Brilliant” and “A Legend.” He has written articles for the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal newspapers and is also a published author.
Call Orange County Uber Bicycle And Pedestrian Accident Attorney Sebastian Gibson today for a free consultation about your Uber, Lyft, Lime or Bird scooter, car, bicycle, eBike or pedestrian accident and for any type of personal injury that occurs anywhere in California at (760) 776-1810. The sooner you call, the sooner we can collect the evidence which can assist us in pursuing compensation for your injuries and those of your loved ones.
