Bicycle Accident Injury Stats, Causes, and Safety
Collisions with vehicles are common causes of bicycle accidents, often causing severe injuries. According to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most bicycle accidents result from falls, and collisions with cars. 738 cyclists’ deaths were caused by motorists in 2017. Knowing the causes of bicycle accidents can help reduce the number of bike accidents in America.
Bicycle regulations allow bicyclists and motorists to share the road provided they treat each other with respect. However, cyclists risk more serious injuries than motorists in the event of an accident due to size, weight, and the safety features of a bicycle. If you’re a victim of a bicycle accident, you should contact a Bakersfield bicycle accident attorney.
Bicycle Accident Injury Stats and Causes
As expected, when a crash between a motorist and a cyclist hurts or injures the cyclist more. A large percentage of bicycle accidents are avoidable if motorists and cyclists obey traffic rules and exercise their duty of care towards each other. A survey conducted by the Department of Transportation indicated that bicycle deaths have increased by 37% in the past decade.
Also, medical facilities across the U.S attend to over 500,000 victims of bicycle accidents every year; most of those accidents occur in urban places. Although the number of preventable minor injuries declined by 40%– 515,861 to 308,864, in the past decade, nonfatal injuries increased by 7% between 2018 to 2019. Bicycle-related deaths peak during summer, from June through September.
Common causes of bicycle accidents include:
- Negligence
A bicycle accident can result from the negligence of a motorist or a bicyclist. Negligent acts can range from disobeying road signs, overspeeding, and much more. The injured party should be compensated by the faulting party for injuries or damaged property.
- Faulty Bicycles or Vehicles
Riding a faulty bicycle or driving a vehicle that’s not road-worthy increases the chances of a road accident. Motorists and cyclists should service their vehicles and bicycles, respectively, to avoid accidents resulting from mechanical failure.
- Riding in Prohibited Places
If a cyclist rides along a prohibited area, they would be risking and endangering their lives– and they can’t be compensated if they’re involved in an accident in the undesignated areas. Cyclists also set themselves up for prosecution if they’re arrested by traffic authorities.
- Bad Roads
Bad roads not only contribute to bike accidents but also other accidents. Bad sections of a road will likely have potholes, faint road marking, unclear or no traffic signs, and much more. Cyclists should ensure they’re familiar with damaged sections of a road before riding along.
- Disobeying Bicycle Safety Guidelines
Bicycle laws address the interests of bicyclists because they’re injured the most when they collide with cars. You could understandably be in hurry, but your safety is more important than arriving at your destination in time. Obeying bicycle safety guidelines is the only way to ensure you arrive safely.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicycle accident injuries can cause acute or severe trauma in various parts of the body, including:
- The head;
- The face, particularly the eyes;
- Musculoskeletal system;
- The chest;
- The abdomen.
- The skin and soft tissues.
Observing safety riding guidelines can help mitigate the risks of a bicycle accident.
Bicycle Safety and Avoiding Bicycle Accidents
The NHTSA’s road initiatives help motorists and bicyclists be more vigilant when riding or driving. The authority offer skills that promote safer driving and cycling choices, reducing bicycle fatalities and injuries on American roads. The following are some ways of improving cyclists’ road safety.
Safety Gear
Using safety riding gear is often ignored by most cyclists but it could play a big role when an accident occurs. Unfortunately, even the ones who use safety gear are never serious. I’m sure you’ve seen a cyclist with oversize or loose helmets that wouldn’t help them in an accident. Safety also involves enhancing visibility by wearing bright clothes and fitting your bicycle with a reflector.
Avoiding Crashes
Most bicycle accidents are caused by falls or car collisions, and a cyclist’s protection should be a priority. The following facts can help cyclists adjust their riding schedules to evade accidents.
- Most bicycle accidents happen between 6 and 9 PM.
- Urban cyclists are more prone to bicycle accidents than cyclists in rural places.
- Bicycle accidents occur 6 times more in males than in females.
Prior Preparation
You should prepare for cycling to mitigate the risks of accidents. Prior preparation involves:
- Getting a bicycle of the right size, off-size bicycles can be hard to control in emergencies.
- Riding properly serviced bicycles.
- Using safety cycling gear.
- Strap the items that can cause distraction on the back.
Negligence and arrogance can result in missed compensations. Cyclists and motorists must be vigilant and conduct their road affairs responsibly to avoid bicycle accidents.