Senate Bill No. 171 heading to final House reading on Tuesday!
Bicyclists in April at a ride in support of Senate Bill No. 171
Senate Bill No. 171, which would increase penalties for motorists who kill or injure Vulnerable Road Users such as bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists, will read for the final time in the Louisiana House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 24th. Should the bill pass a vote in this session, it will head to the Senate for final approval before being sent to Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to be signed into law.
Bike Baton Rouge and our representatives and friends were present at both the Senate Committee hearing (in April), where several spoke in support of the bill, and the House Committee meeting (in May), where the bill passed without comments or objections.
To maximize the chances of this bill successfully passing through the House, we want YOUR help in contacting your Representatives and telling them why this bill is important to you. You can do so by contacting your representatives at the email addresses here. If you're not sure who your representatives are, you can find out here and here.
Senate Bill No. 171 is based on a model act that has already been made law in nine states. If passed in Louisiana, it would make walking, bicycling, and using our roads in general a safer and more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Thank you for supporting Senate Bill No. 171!
Bike Baton Rouge
Senate Bill No. 171 to be heard Wednesday May 11th.
Bike Baton Rouge and Varsity Sports hosted a bike/run event in support of SB 171 that was attended by over a hundred runners and bicyclists
Bike Baton Rouge needs YOUR help.
Senate Bill No. 171, which would create or increase penalties for motorists who kill or maim vulnerable road users (including bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians) due to careless driving, will be going before the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice next week on Wednesday, May 11th. The bill passed the Senate Committee hearing (complete with three committee members agreeing to co-author the bill) and then passed through the Senate with only one vote against (and thirty-three for!
The committee in question will decide if the bill goes forward to be voted on by the house. We’re asking for YOUR help in letting those committee members know what this bill means to you and how it can protect the people of Louisiana.
There are several ways that you can help :
1) Between now and Wednesday, call or email the committee members (listed below) and tell them you support Senate Bill No 171.
Adams, Bryan (504)361-6013
Bacala, Tony (225)677-8020 bacalat@legis.la.gov
Bagneris, John H. (504)243-7783
Barras, Taylor F. (337)373-4051
Carpenter, Barbara (225)771-5674
Dwight, Stephen (337)491-2315
Gaines, Randal L. (985)652-1228
Hazel, Lowell C. "Chris" (318)767-6082
Hodges, Valarie (225)791-2199 hodgesv@legis.la.gov
Howard, Frank A. (318)256-4135
James, Edward C. "Ted" (225)343-3633 james.ted@legis.la.gov
Landry, Terry (337)373-9380
Leger, Walt III (504)556-9970
Lopinto, Joseph P. (504)838-5430
Mack, Sherman Q. (225)567-3677 macks@legis.la.gov
Marcelle, Denise (225)359-9362 marcelled@legis.la.gov
Norton, Barbara M. (318)632-5887
Pylant, Steve E. (318)435-7313
More information on the committee
The committee members listed in italics, in particular, represent those of us in the Baton Rouge area, and would make great allies in getting this bill to pass. Ted James and Denise Marcelle represent districts in East Baton Rouge parish, Valarie Hodges and Tony Bacala represent Prairieville and Denham Springs respectively. Sherman Macks is the Chair of the committee.
Contacting these committee members is the NUMBER ONE thing that you can do to help this bill pass. You'll see a sample of what you can tell them further down this page.
2) If you are available on Wednesday, May 11th, we’d love for you to come down to the State Capitol and show your support for SB 171 by attending the hearing, which begins at 9:30 am.You can do this in one of three ways :
- Show up to the hearing and fill out a card, usually green, in support of the bill. This card and your name will be read and counted in favour of the bill prior to the vote. If you are unable to stay for the length of the hearing, you can fill this card out and leave at any time.
- On top of filling out the above card, you can stay throughout the rest of the hearing, ideally sitting with a group of other folks (pedestrians, runners, mobility device users, bicyclists, motorcyclists and more) to show your support. Wearing a bright Bike Baton Rouge or other bicycle shirt is recommended to make sure you’re identified in the crowd.
- Finally, if you’re brave, you can ask to be given a chance to address the committee. You’ll be given a short period to read a prepared statement or speak ‘from the heart’ in support of the bill. If you’d like help preparing such a statement, please shoot us an email at bikebatonrouge@gmail.com and we’ll help draft one up!
3) Whether you do all of the above or none of them - please help us get the message out to your friends, families and neighbours by talking to them, sharing our news posts, and generally encouraging others to get involved.
Senate Bill No. 171 is a bill that protects everyone. Even those who never bike, run, or walk for recreation or exercise spend some part of their day on foot, even if it’s walking to the car and back. The only people this bill hurts are those who choose to drive carelessly and put the rest of lives, and the lives of our families, in danger.
If you have any further questions on how you can help, shoot us an email at bikebatonrouge@gmail.com and we'll be happy to help you get involved!
Resources :
If you plan on calling, emailing, or attending the hearing, you might find the below items useful :
Bike Baton Rouge Statement on SB 171
Bike Baton Rouge Statement following passing of SB 171 from Senate Committee
League of American Bicyclists Bike Law University explanation of the Vulnerable Roar User Law
Peopleforbikes.org Statistics Page
"Louisiana has 2nd most bicycle deaths per capita in the country"
"Louisiana ranked 3rd for obesity, Baton Rouge ranked worst city"
Sample Email :
Dear Representative [NAME],
I understand that you sit on the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice, and your committee will be hearing Senate Bill No. 171 on Wednesday, May 11th. The bill in question would offer greater protections to pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users from those motorists who choose to endanger them by driving carelessly.
Louisiana ranks second in the nation for bicycle deaths per capita. Fifteen percent of Louisiana traffic fatalities take the life of a pedestrian, bicyclist or other Vulnerable Road User. The legal means to penalize those motorists who make walking, bicycling or motorcycling dangerous are few and far between. It is all too common for drivers who are involved in crashes that kill or maim these road users to escape prosecution entirely.
I urge you and your committee to pass Senate Bill No. 171, which would do a great deal of good in keeping the citizens of Louisiana safe while out on our roadways.
(http://www.nola.com/news/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/10/louisiana_no_2_in_country_for.html)
(https://www.businessreport.com/article/baton-rouge-deemed-obese-city-america).
Sample testimony we gave at the Senate Committee Hearing :
"Hello,
My name is Mika Torkkola. Today I’m here on behalf of Bike Baton Rouge, representing thousands of bicyclists in the Baton Rouge Area. When I’m not on my bike, I’m also sometimes a pedestrian, a runner, and occasionally even a driver of a motor vehicle.
In May of 2015 I was hit by a car along with two friends. I walked away from that crash, but my two friends were not so fortunate. One of them, Justin Weber, suffered a severe brain injury, internal bleeding and damaged vertebrae. Justin faced several months of recovery and rehabilitation before he was able to return to work, and several more before he was back to riding a bicycle.
I have personally seen the damage that a motor vehicle can do to the human body. I would not wish it upon anyone.
Similar damage was done to our friend Gordon Mese in August of last year when he was hit by a driver that ran a stop sign. The crash put Gordon in hospital, and out of work for a month. The driver received a ticket for running the stop sign, but no charges were brought against them for the serious injuries that their action caused to Gordon.
It is an unfortunate truth that bicycling, walking, or running on Louisiana’s roads can be a dangerous activity.
Senate Bill number 171 is not a radical proposal. Similar bills have already passed in nine other states, and each one has seen a reduction in injury and fatality rates amongst the most vulnerable of road users.
This bill would see similar results in Louisiana.
I would urge all of the committee members, regardless of whether they themselves walk, run, bike or otherwise, to consider the safety and wellbeing of themselves, their friends and families, and their constituents by voting in favour of this bill.
Thank you."
Full text of the bill :
"Proposed law creates the crime of infliction of serious injury or death on a public road user, which is the inflicting of serious bodily injury upon the person of a public road user or the killing of a public road user when caused proximately or caused directly by an offender engaged in the operation of a motor vehicle in a careless manner.
Proposed law defines a "public road user" as:
(1) A pedestrian, including but not limited to a person engaged in work upon a public highway
or other roadway, or in work upon utility facilities along a public highway or other roadway,
or engaged in the provision of emergency services within the right-of-way of a public
highway or other roadway.
(2) A person riding or leading an animal upon a public highway or other roadway.
(3) A person lawfully operating or riding any of the following on a public right-of-way,
crosswalk, or shoulder of a public highway or other roadway:
(a) A bicycle, tricycle, or other pedal-powered vehicle.
(b) A farm tractor or similar vehicle designed primarily for farm use.
(c) A skateboard, roller skates, or in-line skates.
(d) A motorcycle, moped, or scooter.
(e) An animal-drawn wheeled vehicle, farm equipment, or sled.
(f) An electric personal assistive mobility device.
(g) A wheelchair, rollator, rolling walker, or walker.
Proposed law provides that a person issued a traffic citation pursuant to proposed law must attend a hearing on the citation before a court having jurisdiction over the alleged offense.
Proposed law provides that a person found to have committed an offense causing serious bodily
injury under proposed law may have his driving privileges suspended for a period of not more than one year and in addition may be:
(1) Fined not more than $2,000.
(2) Imprisoned for up to 90 days.
(3) Ordered to complete a court-approved motor vehicle accident prevention program.
(4) Ordered to perform not more than 200 hours of community service.
Proposed law provides that a person found to have committed an offense causing death under proposed law may be imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than five years, fined not more than $5,000, or both."
On behalf of all of bike baton rouge, and everyone who walks, bikes, motorcycles or uses a road in Louisiana, thank you!
Bike Baton Rouge
Press release - Bike Baton Rouge applauds passing of SB 171 from Committee Hearing
4/13/16
Baton Rouge, LA
Bike Baton Rouge was extremely pleased to see Senate Bill 171 passed with overwhelming support by the Senate Judiciary Committee C on Tuesday, April 12. The bill, which increases penalties for motorists who kill or maim vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists due to careless driving, was amended slightly before being passed, complete with three committee members choosing to co-author the bill.
“It’s really a fantastic result, we could not have imagined greater support from our Senators,” said Mika Torkkola of Bike Baton Rouge. “That Senators Colomb, Mills and Carter chose to co-author this bill speaks volumes about how much this bill means to these senators and their constituents, and of the bill’s chances of passing both through the Senate and the House.”
Several Bike Baton Rouge members were present to offer support and testimony in favor of the bill, joining pedestrians, runners, motorcyclists and users of mobility aids from around Louisiana. The bill is modeled on similar bills that have already passed successfully in nine other states (Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington)
Over a hundred walkers, runners and bicyclists participated in a combined walk/run event in support of the bill that was organized by Bike Baton Rouge and Varsity Sports on the Monday evening before the hearing.
On behalf of its members and of all bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in Baton Rouge and Louisiana, Bike Baton Rouge would like to thank Senators Smith and Hilferty, the original authors of the bill, Senators Colomb, Mills, and Carter, new co-authors of the bill, and the rest of the Judiciary Senate Committee C for moving favorably on this important piece of legislation.
For more information, visit bikebr.org, look up Bike Baton Rouge on facebook, or email Bike Baton Rouge at bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Mika Torkkola
225 571 2906
bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Bike Baton Rouge is a local non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and has been dedicated to making bicycling trips in Baton Rouge safer and more enjoyable since 2006.
Press release - Bike Baton Rouge and Varsity Sports support SB 171 with Run / Ride event
4/11/16
Baton Rouge, LA
Bike Baton Rouge and Varsity Sports will be holding a short three mile Run / Bike Ride event on Monday, April 11th beginning at the State Capitol. The events are being held to raise awareness for Senate Bill No. 171 which will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee C on Tuesday, April 12th. SB 171 aims to increase penalties for motorists who kill or maim vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists due to distracted or dangerous driving.
“We hope that the members of the Judiciary Committee will see our event and recognize the number of bicyclists and runners there who support this bill so strongly that they’re willing to come out be counted,” said Mika Torkkola, of Bike Baton Rouge.
The run, which is put on by Varsity Sports, a running store with a location in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, will begin at 5:30 pm, and the bike ride, organized by Bike Baton Rouge, will take to the same route at 6:00 pm. Both events are open to runners and bicyclists of all ages and abilities. Bicyclists are asked to make sure they have front and rear tail lights per Louisiana law.
Senate Bill No. 171 will be heard starting from 9:30 am on Tuesday, April 12th. Both Bike Baton Rouge and Varsity Sports members will be present at the hearing, representing Baton Rouge and Louisiana bicyclists and runners respectively.
For more information, visit bikebr.org, look up Bike Baton Rouge on facebook, or email Bike Baton Rouge at bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Mika Torkkola
225 571 2906
bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Bike Baton Rouge is a local non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and has been dedicated to making bicycling trips in Baton Rouge safer and more enjoyable since 2006.
