Bicycle riding is becoming more popular as gas prices increase and much of the world shifts to a more “green” environment. While bicycle riding can be good for your health, it poses the risk of serious personal injuries when bicycles are involved in accidents with cars.
In a collision involving a bicycle and a motor vehicle, the bicycle rider will almost inevitably suffer greater injuries due to the fact that bicyclists have little protection. Injuries can be significant from a physical standpoint and include broken bones, paralysis, brain injuries (TBIs) and more.
While Florida has good weather for cycling nearly year round, May is National Bicycle Month. According to Bicycle Safe, these are the five most common ways that collisions occur:
1. Approaching from the left. One of the most common ways in which bicycles collide with motor vehicles is when a car is pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway on the right and a bicycle is approaching from the left. To avoid this type of collision:
Get a headlight. If you’re riding at night, you absolutely should be using a front headlight.
Helmet. Bicycle riders and passengers who are under age 16 are required to wear a bicycle helmet that meets recognized safety standards. Bicycle riders of any age may reduce the risk of a serious head injury by wearing a bicycle helmet.
Wave. If you can’t make eye contact with the driver, wave your arm.
Slow down. If you can’t make eye contact with the driver (especially at night), slow down so much that you’re able to completely stop if you have to.
Ride further to the left. You might worry that moving left makes you more vulnerable to cars coming from behind. But the stats say you’re far more likely to get hit by a car at an intersection ahead of you that can’t see you than from a car behind you that can see you clearly.
2. Drivers opening doors in your path. When this happens, most bicyclists simply can’t stop in time and run right into the open car door. To avoid this type of collision:
Ride further to the left. Ride far enough to the left that you won’t run into any door that’s opened unexpectedly.
3. Riding on the sidewalk. Bicyclists who ride on the sidewalk might think they’re being safer, but once you use a crosswalk, a car making a right turn is more likely to run right into you. To avoid this type of collision:
Don’t ride on the sidewalk in the first place. It’s safer to be in a bike lane.
Slow down. Slow down enough that you’re able to stop completely if necessary.
4. Riding against traffic. Riding against traffic might seem to be safer as oncoming cars can better see your approach. However, if you’re riding against traffic, a car making a right turn from a side street, driveway, or parking lot, is more likely to run into you. To avoid this type of collision:
Ride with traffic, in the same direction.
5. Riding in blind spots. While riding with traffic is always safer than riding against it, it’s important to make sure that you’re not in a car’s blind spot – especially when you are both stopped at a red light. When the light turns green, you move forward, and then they turn right into you. To avoid this type of collision:
Don’t stop in someone’s blind spot. Simply stop behind a car, instead of to the right of it. This makes you very visible to traffic on all sides. It’s impossible for the car behind you to avoid seeing you when you’re right in front of it.
Bicycle riding is becoming more popular as gas prices increase and much of the world shifts to a more “green” environment. While bicycle riding can be good for your health, it poses the risk of serious personal injuries when bicycles are involved in accidents with cars.
In a collision involving a bicycle and a motor vehicle, the bicycle rider will almost inevitably suffer greater injuries due to the fact that bicyclists have little protection. Injuries can be significant from a physical standpoint and include broken bones, paralysis, brain injuries (TBIs) and more.
While Florida has good weather for cycling nearly year round, May is National Bicycle Month. According to Bicycle Safe, these are the five most common ways that collisions occur:
1. Approaching from the left. One of the most common ways in which bicycles collide with motor vehicles is when a car is pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway on the right and a bicycle is approaching from the left. To avoid this type of collision:
2. Drivers opening doors in your path. When this happens, most bicyclists simply can’t stop in time and run right into the open car door. To avoid this type of collision:
3. Riding on the sidewalk. Bicyclists who ride on the sidewalk might think they’re being safer, but once you use a crosswalk, a car making a right turn is more likely to run right into you. To avoid this type of collision:
4. Riding against traffic. Riding against traffic might seem to be safer as oncoming cars can better see your approach. However, if you’re riding against traffic, a car making a right turn from a side street, driveway, or parking lot, is more likely to run into you. To avoid this type of collision:
5. Riding in blind spots. While riding with traffic is always safer than riding against it, it’s important to make sure that you’re not in a car’s blind spot – especially when you are both stopped at a red light. When the light turns green, you move forward, and then they turn right into you. To avoid this type of collision: