Even one fatal bike accident is too many yet thousands of people die on bikes every year. A person on a bike is as vulnerable as a pedestrian is and nearly as vulnerable as a person on a motorcycle. Even if a person wears a helmet every time they get on their bike, they are not as safe as a person in a car. As a society, it is up to us to find ways to reduce the number of bike accidents – but how? Learn about some of the most often discussed options to help reduce accidents and deaths.
This is a Particularly Serious Issue in California
California has more bike accident fatalities than all but one other state, but many say that this is not accurate because we also have more people in our state than in most states. However, when you correct for population density, we still have the fifth-highest rate of bike fatalities per capita in the country. Nearly three fatalities for every million residents. This is too high and steps should be taken to lower it.
There Are Many Types of Bike Accidents
In order to learn how to prevent bike accidents, we must first be sure to understand what causes these accidents. In nearly three out of four fatal bike accidents that involved a car, the cyclist was struck by the front of the vehicle that hit it. Of these front-strikes, one in three involved in a turning vehicle hitting a bike, nearly 25% involved a bike crossing in front of the vehicle, fewer than 10% involved rear-ending a bike, and only about 3% of all bike accidents involved a vehicle hitting a cyclist who was riding against traffic.
Better Street Design is an Essential Part of Safer Streets
One of the most important things we can do is to improve street designs. The more streets we have with bike lanes and bike boxes, the safer our roads will be for cyclists. Bike lanes can help prevent both rear-end and head-on collisions. Bike boxes make cyclists more visible at intersections, which then helps lower accidents caused by turning vehicles. A cycle track, which is a bike lane separated from the roadway with a line of posts or similar barrier, is the safest kind of bike lane.
Better Bikes Can Make a Big Difference
A study done in Denmark confirmed what activists have long known – improvements to bikes can have a big impact too. It found that when bikes added daytime right lights to bikes, cyclists were safer. This study showed that daytime running lights for bikes helped reduce bike accidents by nearly 20% – and this is just one of many changes that can be made.
If you are involved in a bike accident and need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney then it is time to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
