Blog

Everything You Need to Know About Bike Accidents When You’re Turning Right

Bike accidents in general happen too often but right-hand accidents in which a bike rider is turning right and a car hits them are way too common. In fact, the number of these types of accidents is on the rise as more and more California residents elect to ride a bike instead of driving. At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we’ve seen many bike accidents in which the driver turned right unsafely and hit a bike rider. If this has happened to or someone you love, then it’s time to call us at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.

There are situations in which a cyclist can legally leave the bike lane

According to California Vehicle Code, a bike rider on California roads has both the rights and the responsibilities as a motorist. They are able to get out of the bike lane and into the right lane if they’re passing or preparing to turn left, they are getting close to a place where it’s legal to turn right, or they are avoiding hazards on the road / side of the road.

Officers are often quick to assign blame to the bicycle rider

The unfortunate truth is that it’s all too common for a police officer to assign blame to the bike rider. Why? Because they believe that since the bike rider has a lane just for them, that they are legally required to stay in it. The truth is that officers are sometimes just not familiar with the exceptions to this California Vehicle Code. That’s why you need a personal injury attorney to help you through this situation – we understand the law and we understand your rights.

It’s common for drivers to not use their right-hand turn signals

A common cause of a right-hand turn accident is a cyclist pulling up parallel to a car at a red light and the vehicle turning right when the signal changes to green. This is often caused by the motorist not using a right turn signal because they don’t think there’s anything in their way.

However, the cyclist is under the belief that the driver is going straight, as they haven’t indicated otherwise. The light changes to green, the cyclist moves forward, and is then in a collision with a car that’s turning right.

There are situations in which it’s safer to take the lane

There’s a good reason that there is an exception to California Code that allows the cyclist to get closer to where right turns are allowed – because cars can turn right suddenly or change their minds at the last minute. A bike rider who’s passing a slow-moving vehicle or bike rider may need to take the lane on the left, instead of passing them on the right.

If you’ve been involved in a bike accident then it’s important that you have an attorney on your side. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today for a free legal consultation.