County leaders draft bicycle liability plan

Iowa's county leaders say they've come up with a plan to limit liability of bicycle accidents on county and city roads.

Published February 12, 2008 by KHQA Online

DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) — Iowa's county leaders say they've come up with a plan to limit liability of bicycle accidents on county and city roads.
   
The Iowa State Association of Counties drafted legislation that bars bicycle riders from collecting damages from counties or cities for most accidents.
   
Counties and cities would be liable only when it can be shown that government officials were notified of a road problem before the accident and that road crews failed to take action.
   
The proposal comes after Crawford County paid an insurance settlement to the widow of a RAGBRAI rider who died in 2004. Supervisors there banned RAGBRAI or similar events in October.
   
Mark Wyatt of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition says he opposes the proposal, saying lawsuits from bicyclists against counties and cities are rare.