Lower Your Risk of a Bicycle Accident
I’m Ed Smith, an Oceanside bicycle accident lawyer. As more and more people take up riding bicycles for fun, to improve their health, go to work and run errands, the number of bike injuries and deaths in California is an important consideration.
Bicycle Accident Statistics
Between 2010 and 2012, only six states accounted for 54 percent of bicycle accident fatalities, and California led those states with the highest number of bicycle rider deaths. The California Office of Traffic Safety reported that Oceanside showed 55 injuries and fatalities from bicycle accidents in 2014, which placed it in about the mid range for such accidents throughout the state. However, throughout San Diego County, there were 1,059 bicycle accident injuries and deaths during this same period.
Environmental Factors
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that certain factors may influence the risk of a bicycle accident. For example, the number of accidents in urban areas are more than double those in rural areas. In 2013, the majority of accidents (17 percent) occurred between the hours of 9:00 at night until 11:59 at night. The fewest number happened after midnight and before 6:00 in the morning. Fifty-seven percent of accidents occurred at non-intersections. The average age of a bicycle rider who was injured or died in an accident was 44.
What Bicycle Riders Can Do to Lower Accident Risk
Being safety conscious is necessary for a bicycle rider to avoid an accident. Following are some suggestions, including from Bicycle Accident Prevention, on how to practice safety while out on a bicycle such as in Oceanside:
- Ensure the bicycle is in good operating condition by routinely checking tires, brakes and reflectors. Oil the chain when necessary.
- When possible, choose a safer time to go riding. According to the NHTSA, most fatalities occur between 6:00 and 9:00 in the evening.
- Carefully choose your route: When possible, stay on routes with bike lanes or paths. If necessary to ride in traffic, avoid heavily traveled streets.
- Obey traffic laws: Traffic laws are in place for everyone’s protection. For example, crossing a street running through a bicycle path without pushing the button to alert drivers can cause a serious injury if the motorist doesn’t spot you.
- Dress conspicuously, especially at night. Bright colors and the use of reflective tape makes a bicycle rider more noticeable.
- Drunk driving, even on a bicycle, is illegal and puts the rider at increased risk.
Bicycle Accident Injuries
American Family Physician talks about the most common types of injuries a bicycle rider suffers when involved in an accident. Traumatic brain injury is high on the list and may be life-threatening. Other types of head injuries may also occur such as concussion or skull fracture. Damage to the face happens such as facial fractures, broken teeth and eye damage as does bone fractures or a dislocated joint. Serious injuries may also occur to soft tissues such as the abdomen. When a bicycle rider has suffered injuries because of a negligent driver, they may wish to consult with an experienced bicycle accident attorney who can help by recovering compensation for their injuries.
Related Links:
When Bicycle Rides Turn deadly – Hit and runs
Oceanside Personal Injury Lawyer & Bicycle Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, an Oceanside bicycle accident lawyer. When a bicycle rider is injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver, the results can be catastrophic. If you have suffered an injury, please phone me at (760) 509-8818 . My toll-free line is (800) 404-5400, and I will be pleased to help by giving you my friendly, free advice.
Californians have trusted my legal team to obtain fair compensation for them in their traumatic injuries and claims for wrongful death for the past 35 years.
A partial list of some of our former cases and results can be found at Verdicts and Settlements. In addition, client comments and reviews are found at Avvo, Yelp and Google.
As an injury lawyer and founder of autoaccident.com, I am pleased to offer Californians one of the most comprehensive sources of information about personal injuries.
I am a member from California of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which accepts only those trial lawyers in the top 1 percent who have served their clients by obtaining compensation, either through verdicts or settlements, of $1 million or more.
Photo Attribution: cycling-655565_1280
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