Published 2006-09-05T00:00:00Z”/>

Chris Vongsarath

Elizabeth Dowling was released from Enloe Medical Center on Monday and will return home to Danville for rehabilitation after being involved in a hit-and-run three weeks ago, said Dowling’s roommate, Kali Hoffert.

The two Chico State students were riding in a pedicab when a car veered off the road and struck the pedicab, throwing them onto the street, Hoffert said.

“The driver hit us so hard the license plate fell off,” she said.

The pedicab driver was traveling against traffic on Nord Avenue. Although Hoffert does not blame the pedicab driver for what happened, she will never take a pedicab again, Hoffert said.

“Other drivers can’t be trusted,” Hoffert said. “You can be doing everything right, and someone else can screw it up and hit you.”

While riding in a bike attached to a cart does not provide much protection against a steel-framed car, accidents like the one Hoffert and Dowling were in are rare.

David Brazil has been driving and renting his pedicab for 12 years and has never been in a pedicab accident, he said.

Brazil, 37, and other pedicab owners place advertisements soliciting drivers. After renting a pedicab, drivers are able to keep whatever profit they make, Brazil said.

Potential drivers are interviewed and tested by owners to make sure they are capable of handling a pedicab, Brazil said. The only requirements for being a pedicab driver are to be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license.

Owners and drivers have a written agreement indicating who would be liable in case of an accident, Brazil said. Brazil’s contracts state that he would be responsible. The contracts, however, do not provide any kind of insurance for the drivers or passengers.

“Not everyone has a contract,” Brazil said. “But the smart ones do.”

Pedicabs are considered bicycles, Brazil said. According to chapter 10, section 40 of the Chico Municipal Code, bicycle operators are required to stay to the right of traffic and obey the same traffic laws as cars.

But ensuring passengers have a safe ride is the driver’s responsibility, Brazil said.

“It’s all about knowing your pedicab and its capabilities,” Brazil said. “I know how many people I can take safely in my cab, and that comes with experience.”

Maurice Laflamme contacted a pedicab owner through Craigslist because he wanted to make some extra money on the weekends. While he has only been a driver for three months, Laflamme, 19, has never had problems with his pedicab and considers drivers of cars to be at fault for most pedicab accidents, he said.

“Usually pedicabs are safe, but shit happens,” Laflamme said. “There are a lot of drunk drivers out there.”

Chris Vongsarath can be reached at

<a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>