Davis Bicycle Accident Data
If you know anything about Davis, it’s likely that you know it’s a city of cyclists. According to statistics reported by the Guardian, Davis has around ten times the number of people who use a bicycle as a regular means of transportation than the average American city. As such, around 98 percent of Davis’ main streets have some type of infrastructure to help cyclists stay safe. While infrastructure to benefit cyclists and a culture that supports regular bicycle use help improve safety, there are still numerous serious cycling accidents involving motor vehicles in Davis every year. One way to improve your safety while riding around on local roads is to learn how collisions typically happen. For more information, take a look at the following Davis bicycle accident data.
Collisions Overview
Between the years for which UC Berkeley has published data (2007 – 2018), Davis saw a sum total of 2,221 injury-causing vehicle accidents. Nearly one-third (30.8 percent) of these collisions involved a bicycle, adding up to 685 total traumatic bike accidents. For comparison, the nearby city of Woodland had 1,450 accidents during this time period, with only 11 percent involving a cyclist.
Severity
According to the data available, there were no fatal bicycle/vehicle accidents in Davis during the time period in question. However, the rate for severe injuries suffered in bicycle collisions was around seven percent, over three percent higher than other crashes.
Primary Causal Factor
Collisions can be caused by a number of things, many of which neither cyclists nor drivers are able to control. However, in the majority of cases, accidents happen because somebody violates a traffic law. The following violations are listed next to the percentage of Davis bicycle accidents they caused during 2007-2018.
- Automobile Right-of-Way, 30.8%
- Improper Turning, 13.4%
- Speeding, 12.8%
- Traffic Sign and Signal, 7.2%
- Driving or Biking on the Wrong Side of the Road, 5.2%
Less common violations all accounted for less than five percent of the total number of bicycle crashes each. These violations included driving or biking under the influence, pedestrian violations, unsafe starting or backing, and more.
Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicyclists aren’t protected by airbags, seatbelts, or wall of steel like vehicle occupants are. Additionally, they are almost always knocked to the ground during collisions and are unable to brace themselves like a pedestrian might. Because of these factors, cyclists are very vulnerable and can be seriously hurt even in low-speed accidents.
Common injuries that cyclists suffer include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Bone Fractures
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Road Rash
- Lacerations
- Upper Body Trauma
The process of recovery for these injuries can be both difficult and expensive. Medical bills for serious injury treatment can be very high, and being injured can also mean losing your ability to work. These issues can feel overwhelming, but injured cyclists can get help by reaching out to a Davis personal injury lawyer. An experienced attorney will be able to help you find out whether or not you are owed money for your losses and claim the payments you deserve from at-fault parties.
More Articles by Ed Smith, Davis Personal Injury Lawyer
Davis Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Davis personal injury lawyer. Collisions often have major consequences. If you’ve been hurt in an accident, I’d like to give you some free, friendly advice about your options for compensation. Get in touch with me at (800) 404-5400 or (530) 392-9400.
My law firm has represented people living in and near Davis for 37 years and have achieved many case settlements and trial verdicts for our clients. Find out more about our work by checking out these websites where you can find our client feedback:
I’m am part of:
Picture: ab
:ms llo [cs 661]