With the recent push for more eco-friendly methods of transportation, it’s no wonder cycling is becoming so popular. While it’s always been a fun pastime, it seems as if the world really needs it more than ever. For some people, biking is not just a way to get to and from work, it’s a lifestyle. It’s much more than a hobby. That’s why bike accidents can be so debilitating – they not only take away an important and eco-friendly method of transportation, they take away your way of life.
In a 2015 study, there were 45,000 reported bicycle accidents in the United States alone. While not all of these accidents were fatal, many resulted in serious injuries to the bicyclist. Even though the numbers have been steadily falling over the years as more awareness and education has been dedicated to the topic, the number of fatal crashes has been on a steady incline. This is largely due to the rising number of vehicles and bicycles on the road and the amount of distraction that takes place for both parties.
When a person is injured in a bike-related accident, they should immediately seek out the help of an experienced group of injury attorneys. Nobody has the right to make you feel unsafe on the roadways. Many parts of the country have passed legislation ensuring these very rights. These laws are in place to let bicyclists know that not only are they allowed on the roadways, but they’re also welcome and supported. If some serious changes are going to be made regarding the state of the environment and the national fitness standard as a whole, then we all have to be open to the idea of sharing the roadways and making them a more safe place for people to travel via bicycle.
For bicyclists, the risk of accidents is a constant threat. If you’ve ridden a bike for long enough, then you know that there are some crazy drivers and pedestrians out there. Over time, we are seeing definitive trends in the types of causes of these unfortunate accidents. By recognizing these frequent offenses, you’re more likely to avoid this behavior or stay safer on the roads.
Driver Distraction: With all the modern technologies available today, it’s frankly quite hard not to get distracted while driving. Even so, it is absolutely unacceptable not to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. As revealed in a study performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it’s been shown that 30% of all bicycle crash injuries take place after a bicyclist is hit by a vehicle. If a driver doesn’t have their full attention dedicated to the road, bicyclists are at a much greater risk of being injured.
Rider Distraction: Drivers aren’t the only ones who get distracted on the roadways. It’s easy for anybody to lose their grip on what’s right in front of them. If a person takes their mind off the road for a single second, they could find themselves in a world of trouble. Between listening to a good book or blaring your favorite song while you ride, there are plenty of ways to let your mind wander. While a wandering mind is not necessarily a bad thing, it has no place on the roadway. The best way for bicyclists to stay safe is to start by protecting themselves as much as they can.
Not Yielding: The rules of the road can be complicated. Confusion over who has the right-of-way and who doesn’t can sometimes lead to serious accidents. It’s important to yield to a bicyclist if you have any doubts. It’s better to better to be a few seconds late to your destination than to accidentally ram a two-ton hunk of steel into an unsuspecting bicyclist. As a bicyclist, it’s important to be extremely mindful that drivers may feel like the road is theirs and theirs alone. If they do end up hitting you even though you were following the rules of the road, they should be held accountable for their actions and any injuries that occur.
Bicycling During Nighttime: This is a big one. Reports show that over half of all biking accidents occur when it’s after dusk. With lower levels of visibility, it’s easy to see why more accidents occur. Bikes can be hard to spot after the sun goes down. No matter how good a car’s headlights are and no matter how much they’re obeying the laws of the road, it’s fairly easy for an accident to occur. That’s why you should exercise extra caution when riding at night. Even so, cyclists have the right to ride at night and drivers still have a duty of care to other drivers and riders on the road. Drivers need to be paying more attention to the road and exercising extra caution at night, and riders should use reflective gear to help drivers see them. Everyone has to do their part if we want the roads to be a safer place for everyone involved.
At the end of the day, some accidents are unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean they’re okay. You shouldn’t be held responsible for your own caregiving when you’ve been injured by another party, especially one who hurt you out of their own negligence. Here at Blase Inzina Injury Attorneys, we stop at nothing to get justice for our clients. Nobody has the right to take you away from the things you love the most. You can rest easy knowing that we understand what you’re going through as an injured bicyclist because we’ve likely seen it before.
We’ve been diligently handling bicycle accident cases for the last 15 years, and in that time we’ve been able to help countless clients get back to the life they love. Whether it’s getting you the settlement you deserve for your suffering or helping you get social security disability to help keep you afloat, we will do everything in our power to let your voice be heard. You shouldn’t have to suffer for not doing anything wrong. To find out more about what we can do to help, give us a call today at (337) 347-7177 to speak to an attorney. We’ll be standing by.