In every big city, men account for about 70 percent of bicycle crash victims, while women account for nearly one-fifth of all crashes nationwide. According to the Police Department’s data, there were thousands of bicycle crashes reported in recent years, of which 91 percent involved a motor vehicle. Fifty percent of crashes occur during months with favorable weather, such as the fall semester.
Drunk driving causes bicycle accidents
Drunk driving is one of the most common causes of bicycle accidents. It is also a major cause of traffic fatalities. Drunk drivers often have impaired judgment and are less able to react in a timely manner to changing situations. Bicyclists and pedestrians have little protection when hit by drunk drivers, and they are more vulnerable than drivers on the road.
Besides drunk driving, another common cause of bicycle accidents is driver distraction. Distracted drivers are more likely to hit cyclists than drivers without distractions, and the collision can cause life-altering injuries. Driver distractions can be visual, manual, or cognitive.
Drunk driving causes bicycle accidents
While any big city has several miles of protected bike lanes, traffic congestion, and poor road conditions can still make it dangerous for bicyclists to ride to work. Additionally, negligent drivers are often to blame for accidents involving bicycles. These drivers don’t pay attention to bicycles or other road users and cause a bicycle accident.
Insurance companies can try to minimize the compensation you receive after a bicycle accident. However, it is important to note that Massachusetts has a modified comparative negligence law. This means that if you are less than 51% “at fault” for the accident, you can recover compensation. However, if you’re more than 51% at fault, your compensation will be limited.
Visibility is the primary factor in bicycle accidents
In bicyclist-car collisions, poor visibility is a significant factor. Because bicycles are so small and the wheels and tires blend in with the color of the road, drivers may not see them. Additionally, most bicycle-car accidents occur during nighttime, when visibility is reduced. The geometric design of the road and changing traffic conditions can affect bicycle visibility, as can the lighting conditions. Fortunately, there are ways to improve bicycle safety.
Bicycle-motor vehicle collisions are highly prevalent because of driver inattentiveness. Drivers do not always notice cyclists until they are near their vehicle and cannot react in time. In addition, cyclists are not aware of their own blind spots and have difficulty practicing safe behavior in these areas.
Falls cause bicycle accidents
Falls are one of the main reasons for bicycle accidents, and the injuries they can cause can range from minor to severe. In most cases, bikers suffer road rash, which may take weeks or months to heal, while more serious falls may result in broken bones. These bones may break during the fall or during the collision with another vehicle, and they may also result in skull fractures. A serious fall can even result in a person’s death.
If you have experienced any bicycle accidents you may know that a common type of bicycle accident involves a cyclist being thrown from their bicycle by a motor vehicle. These victims are typically thrown onto the pavement, where their bicycles will catch and crush them. In some cases, bikers also suffer a secondary fall that is caused by the weight of the vehicle, which propels the biker straight into the pavement. The bicycle, however, may be able to cushion the initial crash force, so the initial crash can be less severe. In addition, distracted drivers or tailgating cyclists may run over cyclists and cause serious injury. In these cases, an experienced bicycle accident attorney can help road bikers recover compensation for their injuries.
Uncontrolled intersections
Uncontrolled intersections can be dangerous for bicyclists. They can cause accidents if bicyclists fail to yield to vehicles on the other side of the street. Moreover, these uncontrolled intersections are common in residential areas. These uncontrolled intersections can be especially dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians, and runners. Fortunately, many neighborhoods have introduced traffic circles in order to improve safety in their neighborhoods. However, these traffic circles are expensive and a challenge for local governments.
An uncontrolled intersection is an intersection without a stop sign or a signal. This makes it difficult for bicyclists to tell which vehicle is in the right lane. The cyclist and the motorist can’t determine who has the right-of-way and may collide. The cyclists can be seriously injured, and the motorist may be at fault for the collision.
Side swiping bicyclists
Bicycle accidents often involve a side-swiping collision with a motor vehicle. While a side-swipe collision between two cars might result in only light to moderate damage, a side-swipe collision involving a bicycle can result in serious injury or death. This is because the size disparity between the two vehicles is so great, that even a mere glancing contact can propel a cyclist into the air, and into the street below. This places the cyclist at serious risk of being hit by oncoming traffic.
A side-swiping collision usually occurs when the driver of the motor vehicle fails to give sufficient room to a bicyclist. In Illinois, drivers must always maintain a safe distance when overtaking a bicycle. The other type of side-swipe collision is called a rear-end collision. In this type of bicycle accident, the car driver’s failure to yield at the intersection results in a 90-degree angle collision.
Falling bicyclists
Bicycle accidents are common and often result in serious injuries, but not all are the result of one factor. Injuries can be caused by a variety of factors, including falling and collisions with motor vehicles. In such cases, you may be able to seek compensation from an injury lawyer for your injuries. Massachusetts General Law Chapter 231, Section 85, stipulates that the injured person’s fault does not limit his or her recovery from other at-fault parties. Nonetheless, the portion of fault that the injured person bears can lessen the amount of compensation that can be recovered.
While it is impossible to predict the exact location of an accident, falling on a bicycle is a common cause of bicycle accident injuries. If you have fallen off your bike, you should stop immediately and examine your injuries carefully. You should then get out of the road, out of the path of oncoming traffic, and move to a safe location.