Head injuries cause the most severe personal injury of all bike accidents and result in a significant percentage of fatalities. Wearing a helmet can significantly reduce the risk of this type of injury. Other common causes of bicycle accident injuries include: the driver of a parked car opening their door in the path of a cyclist (dooring), drivers who weave through traffic, and other reckless behaviors.
1. Poor Visibility
Bicyclists are smaller than cars and trucks, and motorists may not always see them when they drive. However, it is the responsibility of each road user to make themselves as visible as possible. Cyclists can do this by using hand signals, wearing bright clothing and reflective gear at night, riding on the left side of the roadway, staying away from busy streets, and practicing safe driving skills.
In bad weather, roads can be more slippery and difficult to navigate. This can lead to poor visibility for both drivers and cyclists. It is also important to consider your speed when riding a bicycle. If you are going too fast, it can be difficult to react quickly in the event of a collision.
Drivers who fail to look for bicycles when turning or merging into lanes are a common cause of bicycle accidents. This can be a result of distracted driving, such as by cell phones, passengers, thoughts, music, or other distractions. It can also be caused by poor road conditions, such as potholes, cracks, and debris on the roadway.
Unsafe lane changes are another common cause of bicycle accidents. Drivers can easily turn into cyclists’ lanes without checking for them, especially when making a left turn at intersections or roundabouts.
Other types of collisions involving vehicles that are not moving can be just as serious for bicycle riders. These include dooring incidents where a bicycle is hit by car doors that open into the bike path, and rear-end crashes where a driver fails to give bicyclists enough room while passing them. Injuries in these types of crashes can include broken bones, severe head trauma, traumatic brain injury, dental injuries, and paralysis.
2. Impaired Driving
One of the most common causes of bicycle accidents is motorists driving while impaired. Drivers who have consumed alcohol or drugs are much more likely to hit cyclists, even at low speeds. They may also be distracted, attempting to read or send texts, listen to music, or use the phone while operating their vehicle. Drivers who make sudden maneuvers, such as changing lanes or making U-turns without checking their blind spots, are also a significant danger to cyclists.
Bicycle riders can suffer a variety of injuries depending on the type and severity of their accident. Some of the more common injuries include road rash, cuts, and bruises, broken bones, internal injury, and head trauma. Road rash is caused by skidding over rough surfaces. It can lead to shallow cuts and deep abrasions that will need to be treated with anti-bacterial creams. More serious falls can cause fractures in the arms, legs, pelvis, ribs, collarbone, and skull. These types of injuries will need medical attention and will likely require hospitalization for treatment.
A person injured in a bike accident should always seek medical attention after any crash. A doctor will be able to provide a diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment. Injuries that are left untreated can worsen, leading to long-term health problems, expensive medical bills, and a loss of income.
A bicycle accident victim can receive compensation from several different parties based on their injuries. A victim’s damages can cover medical expenses, lost wages, emotional trauma, and future care costs that could be needed as the victim recovers from their injuries. It is important to remember that insurance companies will try to deny claims or limit the amount they pay for victims’ injuries. It is important to speak with a skilled attorney after an accident to protect your rights.
3. Road Rage
Road rage is a dangerous and sometimes deadly threat to cyclists. A seven-year study found that road rage incidents caused 218 murders and 12,600 injuries. The study found that many drivers who experienced road rage were not acting alone and often involved other people, including bicyclists.
Drivers who are prone to road rage can be unpredictable on the road, and they are more likely to lose control of their vehicle if they are provoked. They may also swerve in and out of traffic lanes or overtake other vehicles, which puts cyclists at serious risk for collisions.
If a motorist is exhibiting signs of road rage, such as honking or gesturing threateningly, the best thing a cyclist can do is to keep their distance and ride away from the car. Engaging in a confrontation with a raging driver will only make the situation worse.
Other common bicycle accidents resulting from road rage include rear-end crashes when the driver fails to yield to a cyclist at an intersection or when making a turn. A cyclist is also at risk of being hit when a driver opens their car door into the path of a cyclist, which is known as “dooring.” Another type of road-rage related accident occurs when the driver makes a right turn without checking for oncoming bicycles in the bike lane.
Bicycle accidents involving road rage can result in serious injuries, such as broken bones, traumatic head or brain injuries, and facial injuries. These injuries can be very expensive to treat, and they can have a profound impact on the victim’s quality of life. They may need to miss work, require surgery or physical therapy, or need assistive devices.
4. Faulty Equipment
A faulty bicycle or other piece of equipment can cause a variety of injuries. In a work environment, faulty equipment often refers to machinery or power tools that are defective in some way. However, this can also apply to items such as kitchen appliances or office furniture that are not properly maintained. An employer has a duty to ensure that all workplace equipment is safe for use.
Facial Injuries
The face is especially vulnerable during a bike accident because of the cyclist’s exposed location on the bicycle. Injuries to the face can range from a broken nose or jaw to severe road rash that leads to permanent scarring and disfigurement.
Hip Injuries
A person’s legs are incredibly important when it comes to cycling, and a fractured hip can lead to serious consequences for the accident victim. These include significant pain and suffering, missed work, surgeries, rehabilitation, medication, assistive devices, diagnostic tests, and more. All of these can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in expenses for the injured party.
Road Hazards
Faulty or poorly designed roads can be a major cause of bicycle accidents. Injuries caused by road hazards can include slick surfaces, debris, or uneven pavement. Local government agencies are responsible for maintaining roadways, and they must make sure any dangerous conditions are repaired within a reasonable time frame. If they fail to do so, they may be liable for any accidents that occur on their property.
Speeding is another common cause of bicycle accidents. Drivers who exceed the speed limit do not have as much time to react to bicyclists in the road, and they can easily hit a cyclist.
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5. Poor Riding Skills
As with driving, poor riding skills can make it harder to maintain control of a bicycle and increase the risk of an accident. Bicyclists with inadequate bike handling skills can lose control or fall off their bikes and suffer severe injuries as a result. Cyclists who want to improve their riding abilities can take a variety of steps to become better riders. For example, cyclists can practice hand signals and use them to communicate with other road users. They can also ride on paved shoulders and bike lanes instead of busy roads, which are busier and more dangerous for cyclists.
Using the right protective gear is important for any cyclist. It can protect a rider from common injuries such as head trauma. A helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent, and it is highly recommended that cyclists wear a helmet every time they ride. In addition, wearing helmets can help cyclists avoid road rash, which is a common form of cycling injury.
Most cyclists are killed or injured when they hit cars or other vehicles. While cyclist error is responsible for some of these accidents, the vast majority of them happen because drivers fail to yield the right-of-way or behave recklessly around cyclists.
For instance,
Adriver who turns left in front of a cyclist without checking for them in the bike lane may cause a crash. The same is true for a driver who opens their car door in the path of a cyclist, a common type of crash known as “dooring.”
Other common causes of bicycle accidents include speeding, bad weather, and aggressive driving. When a driver is speeding, they have less time to react to other road users and are more likely to cause an accident that leads to severe injury or death.
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