Bicycle safety is near and dear to my heart. On Mother’s day, 2004, my best friend Ann Weatherill, was killed by a passing vehicle while we were riding our bikes with a group. This devastating experience made me a passionate advocate for cycling safety. It was her death which helped lead to the Washington Safe… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Safety
Party in a way that you will want to remember fondly
I always dread these calls: my son/daughter/spouse/friend was hit by a drunk or “high” driver. Or they were a passenger in a car driven by an impaired driver. The reason I dread the calls are that these crashes are life-changing ones, and are oh-so-preventable. As I work with the injured party, I see their pain…. Read More
Sharing a very, very personal story
The hardest thing I’ve ever done is to give the eulogy at my best friend’s funeral. Probably the second hardest thing I’ve ever done is tell people how she died. Last spring, I was asked by my friend and fellow attorney, Karen Koehler, if I would be a speaker at our state’s trial lawyer convention…. Read More
Keeping An Eye on Your Brain
Reebok is testing a new head impact indicator on players on a junior hockey team in New Jersey. The device measures the amount of force that the player’s head receives. Players wear a skullcap with a blinking light that is just below the back of their helmet. If it blinks green, everything is good. Yellow… Read More
The Evidence Adds Up
The cumulative evidence that repeated concussions to college hockey players results in brain damage evidenced on MRIs. In this study, the concussions were often unnoticed during the course of the season. MRIs were given before and after the season to college hockey players. If the hockey player had a known concussion, another MRI was done… Read More
How big is a semi-driver’s blind spot?
How big is a semi-driver’s blind spot? Bigger than you might think. This video, produced in the UK, demonstrates why you have to drive defensively around semis: http://www.wimp.com/blindspot/
Seat Belts on Tour Buses – Finally!
It never made sense to me that buses weren’t required to have seat belts. A tragedy last winter just down the road in Pendleton, which left many injured and several people dead, highlighted this concern for me. Finally, seat belts will be required on large buses. Read about it here: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/seat-belts-will-be-required-large-buses-2D11624341
Washington State Safe Passing Law – Debi Toews Testimony
Here is a link to my testimony before the Washington Senate Transportation Committee during this legislative session regarding a proposed three foot minimum passing distance for motorists passing bicyclists and pedestrians in SB 5564. Motorists often don’t realize that passing a bicyclist too closely leaves no margin for error, especially at highway speeds. The three… Read More
