Common Characteristics of Bicycle Accidents
I’m Ed Smith, a North Highlands personal injury lawyer. With more people riding bicycles for pleasure, exercise and to go to work, the odds of being involved in a crash with a motor vehicle increases. Finding ways to increase safety while bike riding is important and may give a rider the edge needed to avoid a crash.
Bicyclist Deaths Caused by Accidents
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that motor vehicle crashes occur with a bicyclist at a rate of 2 percent. While this might not seem like a high number, it still resulted in 817 bicyclist deaths in 2015. This number was updated later by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to 818. The majority of bicyclist deaths caused by collisions with motor vehicles occurred in July, followed by June. The fewest number were in March.
Bicyclist Reported Injuries
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center reports that In 2015, injuries of bicyclists as a result of motor vehicle collisions dropped to 45,000 from 50,000 the year before. However, it pointed out that many bicycle accident injuries go unreported.
Most Common Characteristics for Bicycle Accident Fatalities
- Seventy percent of fatal bicycle accidents involving motor vehicles and cyclists occurred in areas that are urban.
- The highest percentage of fatal accidents occurred between 6:00 in the morning and 8:59 in the evening. Twenty-seven percent occurred during the winter months. Eighteen percent occurred in the spring. Twenty percent occurred during the summer, and 29 percent occurred in autumn.
- Sixty-one percent of bicyclist fatalities occurred in non-intersection areas.
- Three percent of the fatalities of bicyclists occurred in designated bicycle lanes.
- An equal number of bicyclist fatalities occurred during daylight hours and hours after dark. However, 4 percent occurred at dusk, and 2 percent occurred at dawn.
- The average age of a bicycle rider who died in a collision with a motor vehicle was 45.
- In 37 percent of the fatal crashes, either the driver of the motor vehicle or bicycle rider were legally drunk with a BAC level of at least 0.08 percent.
Bicycle Accident Injuries
Head injuries are the most common cause of death in a bicycle accident, according to WebMD. Other types of injuries include:
- Spinal cord damage may range from loss of sensation and mobility to paralysis.
- Brain injuries range from concussion to penetrating injuries or traumatic brain injury.
- Bone fractures may be simple or complex, causing nerve damage and joint problems.
- Internal injuries may be caused by blunt trauma or penetration. Internal injuries may cause massive bleeding and organ damage.
- Dental injuries can range from chipped to broken teeth, requiring extensive repairs.
- Facial injuries can leave permanent scars and range from skin damage to broken facial bones to mouth damage or eye damage.
North Highlands Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a North Highlands personal injury lawyer. When you have been injured in a bicycle accident by a negligent driver, call . I am honored to give you my friendly, free advice about your accident situation. You can also call at (800) 404-5400.
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I belong to the nationally known Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a group of trial attorneys with million dollar settlements and/or verdicts for clients.
I’ve worked as a personal injury attorney in North Highlands defending the rights of accident victims for 35 years. As such, I have extensive experience in all types of traumatic injury claims and wrongful death cases.
Top Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/bicycle-riders-riding-cycling-2071825/
Bottom Photo Attribution: Personal Injury Attorney in North Highlands, Edward A Smith
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