Spotlight On Safety: Bike Accidents
In Charlottesville on Monday, April 20, two bicyclist collided with vehicles in two separate incidents. Matthew King died in the hospital shortly after a 9 a.m. collision with a city truck. Sherwood Richers, victim in the other accident, was much luckier.
The short window of time between these two events draws attention to the issue of bike and pedestrian safety.
Approximately 716 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2008. The number of bicyclists injured in traffic increased by 21%, continuing the upward trend. The City of Charlottesville reports 17 bicycle wrecks and 35 pedestrian accidents since the beginning of 2009.
As warmer weather moves in and fuel costs rise, biking is bound to become a more popular transportation option. As a driver, be sure to pay particular attention to where bike lanes end and begin.
As a biker, there are a few extra steps you can take to increase your safety.
1. Be careful riding at night. Sherwood Richers (referenced above) was riding his bike down a dark street a bit before midnight when he was hit.
Invest in a front headlight. Reflective gear is something you should also consider.
2. Dont stop in the blind spot of cars. Its called a blind spot for a reason. If youre riding on the road and come to a red light or stop sign, stop behind the car in front of you (unless you are in a separate lane). If you stop in the vehicles blind spot, only the most alert of drivers will recognize your presence. Besides, you wouldnt try that in a car, would you? In Virginia, the law states cyclists must obey all traffic signs, signals, lights and markings.
3. Wear something bright, even during the day. Lets face it: youre a lot smaller than most of the other things on the road. Make sure they can see you coming.
4. Signal your turns. If others on the road can predict your course, you are more likely to avoid collision. To signal LEFT, point your left arm straight out. To signal RIGHT, point your right arm straight out. While you may have been taught to signal right with a bend of the left arm, most drivers won't know what this means. Extending the right arm communicates this more effectively.
5. Ditch the Blackberry. You wouldnt drive and text, so why would you try to ride a bike and do the same thing?
6. Stay sober. The Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals recently ruled that riding a bike IS operating a vehicle, and thus a biker could be charged with DUI/DWI. Virginia courts also have a broad definition of what constitutes operating a vehicle.
Sometimes, even if you have taken all the appropriate precautions, accidents do occur. The best thing you can do is really to be aware of your surroundings.
Copyright (c) 2010 James Parrish
The short window of time between these two events draws attention to the issue of bike and pedestrian safety.
Approximately 716 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2008. The number of bicyclists injured in traffic increased by 21%, continuing the upward trend. The City of Charlottesville reports 17 bicycle wrecks and 35 pedestrian accidents since the beginning of 2009.
As warmer weather moves in and fuel costs rise, biking is bound to become a more popular transportation option. As a driver, be sure to pay particular attention to where bike lanes end and begin.
As a biker, there are a few extra steps you can take to increase your safety.
1. Be careful riding at night. Sherwood Richers (referenced above) was riding his bike down a dark street a bit before midnight when he was hit.
Invest in a front headlight. Reflective gear is something you should also consider.
2. Dont stop in the blind spot of cars. Its called a blind spot for a reason. If youre riding on the road and come to a red light or stop sign, stop behind the car in front of you (unless you are in a separate lane). If you stop in the vehicles blind spot, only the most alert of drivers will recognize your presence. Besides, you wouldnt try that in a car, would you? In Virginia, the law states cyclists must obey all traffic signs, signals, lights and markings.
3. Wear something bright, even during the day. Lets face it: youre a lot smaller than most of the other things on the road. Make sure they can see you coming.
4. Signal your turns. If others on the road can predict your course, you are more likely to avoid collision. To signal LEFT, point your left arm straight out. To signal RIGHT, point your right arm straight out. While you may have been taught to signal right with a bend of the left arm, most drivers won't know what this means. Extending the right arm communicates this more effectively.
5. Ditch the Blackberry. You wouldnt drive and text, so why would you try to ride a bike and do the same thing?
6. Stay sober. The Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals recently ruled that riding a bike IS operating a vehicle, and thus a biker could be charged with DUI/DWI. Virginia courts also have a broad definition of what constitutes operating a vehicle.
Sometimes, even if you have taken all the appropriate precautions, accidents do occur. The best thing you can do is really to be aware of your surroundings.
Copyright (c) 2010 James Parrish
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