This article is cross-posted from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition blog.

On Monday night, law enforcement officers, bicycle attorney Jim Pocrass, and audience members gathered for Ask an Officer, a panel discussion on biking, walking, and traffic laws. The event was sponsored by Pocrass & De Los Reyes, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC), Los Angeles Walks, and the Los Angeles Vision Zero Alliance.

The night started with pizza and drinks provided by Pocrass & De Los Reyes. Emilia Crotty of Los Angeles Walks kicked off the night by welcoming everyone to the space, which was intended to be one of respect where everyone involved learned from one another and about one another. Colin Bogart of LACBC introduced the panel.

The panel included:

• Bicycle Attorney Jim Pocrass of Pocrass & De Los Reyes
• Officer Andrew Cullen of the LAPD Traffic Division
• Officer Leland Tang of the California Highway Patrol (CHP)
• Officer Carl Lurvey of the LAPD Emergency Operations Division
• Sergeant Robert Hill of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department

Questions from the panel included those from the organizers and those from the crowd in attendance. Here are three key takeaways we learned from the event and what they mean for Vision Zero.

Did you know that people walking and biking account for about half of all traffic deaths in Los Angeles, even though they’re involved in only 14% of traffic collisions? Through its Vision Zero initiative, the City of Los Angeles has committed to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries in L.A. by the year 2025, with an initial focus on those most at risk - people walking and biking. The Los Angeles Vision Zero Alliance (LA0) is working to influence the City’s efforts, and we would like your input.