THINK BIKE
Justice for Bicyclists
New League committee writes model vulnerable road user statute
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By Carolyn Szczepanski
For Gary Brustin, even the best legal result for his clients often doesn’t feel like justice. A civil attorney in California, Brustin has spent two decades handling bicycle cases and knows all too well the frustration of cyclists whose lives are disrupted or destroyed by motorists who face little more than a fine and a few points on their drivers’ license.
“Money comes and goes, but feeling that someone was actually punished for what they did makes clients feel they’ve gotten a more positive result from the judicial system,” Brustin says. Working with seven other high-powered, bike-friendly attorneys, Brustin led the development of a critical tool to hold reckless and
negligent drivers accountable. This summer, the League’s new legal affairs committee created a model vulnerable road user statute that will aid advocates and policymakers nationwide. Put simply, a VRU law raises the legal stakes for a motorist who injures or kills a bicyclist or pedestrian. Already eight states have passed such a measure — including Delaware, Il-
Members of the League’s new legal affairs committee
1 22 American Bicyclist
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