Officials Inform Bike Committee of Distracted Drivers

By Samah Dada

The city of Newport Beach has seen an increase in bicyclists on the roads, and distracted drivers behind the wheel, city officials reported.

At its first meeting on Monday afternoon, the Bicycle Master Plan Oversight Committee -- established in May to address bicycle and roadway safety -- met to discuss its desire to develop a citywide bicycle master plan, and heard reports about roadway activity in Newport Beach.

Brad Sommers, the city's senior civil engineer, said although the city of Newport Beach has a long history of bike planning, there are still distracted people on city streets.

"What we've seen recently is [not only] cycling increase, but also a distraction increase," Sommers explained. 

Lt. Jeff Lu, of the Newport Beach Police Department, spoke at the meeting and supported Sommers' claim. He cited statistics compiled during the department's Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign in April, which led to 510 drivers ticketed for texting or talking on a cell phone.

"The city of Newport Beach has the most citations than any other city in the county," Lu said. "Distracted driving is not only harmful to the driver, but can seriously impact bicycle riders as well."

Lu also said in the first five months of 2013, there were 33 vehicle accidents involving bikes, compared to 31 accidents during the same time frame in 2012. Lu attributed distracted driving as one of the primary reasons for this increase in collisions.

Committee members expect the Bicycle Master Plan to address roadway safety for all users and expect it to be an 18 month public process with consultant support that seeks to examine and execute the "5 E's of a Bicycle Friendly Community," which include engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation.

The plan will also include multiple bike improvement projects, which focus on enhancing safety in areas such as the Newport Coast Drive/SR 73 Ramps, 32nd street bike lanes and Newport Coast Drive right turn pocket improvements. 

Councilman Tony Petros, who serves as chair of the bike committee, said he believes a master plan will create positive results in the community.

"If we are successful in putting together a comprehensive document, we can make our community safer for all road users," Petros said. 

The Newport Beach Bicycle Master Plan Oversight Committee was established in May by the City Council to address the needs of bicycle safety, as well as safety for all road users in the city.

Have you seen distracted drivers in Newport Beach? Tell us in the comments.

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