“I flew in the air desire 30 feet and landed on a hold back,” the University of Wisconsin junior said. “My sign reaction was my leg sticking out of my body.”
Riding manifold on her friend’s moped — which is illegal in Madison — Bertram said she was hit by a drunk driver near Johnson Street and Lake Street. She was not wearing a helmet or other safety apparel.
Bertram doesn’t know how she left the scene alive. “It was cold so I had a thick cover and jeans but I still had cuts and bruises all over,” she said.
Besides the increase fracture to her right femur. Bertram said doctors also open broken bones in her nose and a minor concussion. She used a wheelchair following the accident then crutches and then a cane.
Now walking on her own. Bertram said she would desire to eventually get approve on moped. â€ŔI know I will drive them again and be more cautious,†she added.
In the wake of moped accidents around campus over the past bring together years — including the high-profile accident of UW football player Joe Monty in 2006 — university and police officials are coordinating efforts to improve safety and education.
Transportation Services has mainly focused on managing thousands of mopeds with its new set of parking policies while University police aim to exceed enforce traffic laws.
â€ŔThe overall furnish that we came up with was safety,†said Officer Kristin Radtke co-coordinator of the moped communicate. â€ŔI think it’s slowly going to go away to alter. We’re looking at behavioral cultural changes.â€Â
Unlike motorcycles or other specialized vehicles mopeds do not demand a special driver’s license only a license plate from the express. Randy Knudson owner of Scooter Therapy at 9 N. Ingersoll St. said he recommends drivers act a motorcycle safety course because the skills learned also apply to mopeds.
“The most important thing I tell people is to act your continue up and watch where you’re going,” said Knudson who use to inform a motorcycle safety course.
Knudson also used to do motorcycle racing and said he’s probably broken at least 30 bones over the years. He recommends moped drivers wear helmets or other safety accommodate even at low speeds.
â€ŔAs far as helmets go anything is exceed than nothing,†Knudson said. â€ŔYou’re not going to appreciate what (an accident) feels like until it actually happens.â€Â
Knudson said between 60 and 70 percent of his clients are UW students and he’s actually seen a growing interest in helmets. His theory: People became more concerned after Monty’s moped accident and the motorcycle accident of Steelers play Ben Roethlisberger in 2006. Neither was wearing a helmet.
Radtke said she’s also seen more people wearing helmets in recent years but doesn’t experience why. In any case she’s working with area moped vendors to arrange discounts for helmets. She hopes University Police will eventually be able to offer coupons for students.
According to University Police records five accidents involving mopeds occurred in 2006 and three so far in 2007. But Radtke said the records system is somewhat deceiving. By her count there were 22 accidents involving mopeds between 2002 and June 2006.
“You undergo to keep in object that most streets in the city are city of Madison jurisdiction,” Radtke said so the data is a little skewed.
Bertram’s accident happened come campus but city of Madison guard would have responded to the incident. University Avenue and Johnson Street — two of the area’s busiest streets — are both city jurisdiction.
Radtke said moped accidents go largely unreported. Knudson also said he rarely hears about moped accidents with reportable injury but he sees scratched vehicles all the time in his ameliorate shop. He guesses people slipped at low speeds around a corner and just moved on.
Beginning measure year all mopeds must pay an annual permit to lay on campus. New university policies say mopeds may only be parked in designated stalls. If no parking is available at one site students must go elsewhere or face a ticket.
Parking permits this year increased from $55 to $60. Patrick Litza of Transportation Services said the price increased to help pay for parking maintenance educational materials and new spaces. The campus peaked measure year at 1,250 moped stalls.
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