What Are the Most Common Types of Bicycle Accidents?

Bicycle accidents in New York can cause serious injuries. The state of New York has implemented some safety plans to try to keep the residents who ride bicycles safer on the street.

If you get injured in a bicycle accident, an experienced bike injury attorney in Buffalo, NY can help.

Safety Plans in the State of New York

The state of New York and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee hold events to help raise the awareness of bicycle safety around the state. They have online resources and education guides on how to be safe on the road on a bicycle.

One of the programs offered by the state is a bicycle rodeo and helmet fitting event. At this event, they set up and obstacle course for riders and properly fit their helmets or supply them with one. Officials take the time to make sure that newer riders are educated on the laws pertaining to bicycle riding.

The month of May is National Bike Safety Month. Across the country, thousands of people participate in the event “Walk or Bike to School”. This encourages the communities to be more conscious of the amount of bicycle riders.

New York holds a Walk-Bike Symposium every year and it brings together over 150 local, state, and federal entities who are invested in making walking and bicycling safer for those in their communities. The next symposium is being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rochester in June.

Common Bicycle Accidents in New York

If you are involved in an accident while riding your bicycle, the first thing you need to do is contact a Buffalo bicycle accident lawyer to help you build your case. These lawyers are knowledgeable about these kinds of accidents and know the next steps to take.

Road Turn Accidents

The most common places for bicycle accidents in New York is at an intersection, corners, or while turning. A lot of times drivers of an automobile aren’t watching for bicycles or fail to yield the right of way to them. When this happens, a car can turn right into a bicyclist.

When taking turns, cars are traveling too fast unless they had to make a complete stop. When a car is turning at too high a speed, it makes it impossible for them to stop fast enough for a bicyclist. The driver may also be distracted checking for other cars around them that it does not dawn on them to check for a bicycle rider coming upon them or in their blind spot.

There are a lot of things happening at intersections. There are often 4 different directions of traffic trying to get where they are going and all they do is watch for a light or for their turn to go. A lot of times in traffic like this it is hard to see a bicycle rider in the mix. Thanks to highway departments changing the lanes and the addition of more bicycle lanes, a bicycle rider doesn’t have to try so hard to be seen by other cars.

Accidents Involving Car Doors

The worst depiction of a car and bicycle accident portrayed on television is when the occupant of the car swings their door open in front of the unsuspecting bicyclist and they flip off the bicycle. Unfortunately, this isn’t a humorous accident as television may portray it to be. Depending on how the accident occurs, the rider of the bicycle could be thrown into heavy traffic which causes even more injuries.

The majority of these accidents tend to happen on busy and congested streets. Most drivers don’t think to look for an oncoming bicycle and most bicyclists are too busy paying attention to the cars around them that they don’t look at the parked cars.

Reckless Drivers

Just like other vehicle accidents, there is the chance that a bicyclist could come upon a reckless driver. These are the ones who have no regard for the rules of the road or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

When involved in an accident with a reckless driver, especially head-on, the bicyclist could end up extremely injured.

Reckless Bicyclists

In the same way that drivers can drive their cars recklessly, bicyclists have the same capacity to ride their bicycles recklessly. Often times bicyclists are trying to keep up with the flow of traffic, but they end up going too fast and their stopping distance is shorter than that of a car. A lot of rear-end accidents can be avoided by simply maintaining a decent speed and using signals.

One of the biggest mistakes made is not using hand signals or not illuminating a bicycle at night. If you are injured in an accident while riding a bicycle, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact a bicycle accident law firm in New York for a consultation.

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