Communities are implementing different strategies to combat different types of accidents.
Along with pedestrians and motorcyclists, bicyclists are known as “vulnerable road users” because they have virtually no protective structure around them. Even if a bicyclist wears a helmet, they still have nowhere near the level of protection a vehicle occupant can expect.
Though traffic accidents involving bicycles are somewhat rare, with bicycle accidents accounting for roughly 2 percent of all traffic fatalities in a given year, nonetheless communities across the country and across the world are making great efforts to reduce bicycle accident rates.
Considering that California has the 5th-highest rate of bicycle fatalities per capita in the nation, with 2.9 fatalities per million residents, we should hope for improvements in bicycle safety in our state.
Types of Bicycle Accidents
In order to develop effective strategies for reducing the rate of bicycle accidents, it is important to first understand the types of accidents that may occur, and why they occur. Looking at data from 2008 to 2012, one study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that in 74 percent of fatal bicycle accidents, the cyclist was struck by the front end of a vehicle. They further identified the following common front-end collision scenarios:
- Turning vehicle hitting a bike –33 percent of accidents, 3 percent of deaths
- Bike crossing in front of a vehicle –29 percent of accidents, 22 percent of deaths
- Vehicle rear-ending a bike –9 percent of accidents, 23 percent of deaths
- Vehicle hitting cyclist riding against traffic –3 percent of crashes, 6 percent of deaths
Better Street Design
Improving street designs with bike lanes and bike boxes is an excellent strategy for reducing bicycle accidents. By giving cyclists their own space, bike lanes help prevent rear-end and head-on collisions, and by making cyclists more visible at intersections, bike boxes help reduce accidents associated with turning vehicles. Studies have shown that the safest type of bike lane is actually a “cycle track” that is physically separated from the roadway with a barrier such as a line of posts.
Better Bikes
One study done in Denmark confirmed that just as adding daytime running lights to cars made driving safer, adding lights to bikes can make cycling safer. The researchers found that the daytime running lights reduced bike accidents by 17 percent.
Better Cars
So far all the strategies mentioned have depended on drivers to change their behavior by noticing bikes more easily. But what if the car could do this work for the driver? This is exactly what some automakers are trying to achieve with new automatic crash avoidance systems that can detect cyclists and pedestrians as well as other cars. According to one study, a well-designed crash avoidance system that was programmed to handle all of the most common bicycle accident scenarios could mitigate or prevent 47 percent of bike accidents and 38 percent of fatalities.
Keep a Bike Accident Attorney in Mind
Regardless of what safety measures may be in place in your community, if you bike on roadways with any regularity you could be at risk for an accident. Be sure you have the phone number for experienced bicycle accident injury attorney Fernando D. Vargas programmed into your phone before you hit the road so you can get the help you need fast in the event of an accident.
