Bicycle Collisions And Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said 698 people were killed in bicycle collisions, which account for nearly 2 percent of the total road fatalities in 2007. The agency also said that about 43,000 bicycle-related in injuries happened during the same year.
Meanwhile, a 10-year study revealed that bicycle-related fatalities declined by 14 percent from 1997 to 2007. Despite this drop, the National Safety Council said the US spends about $5.4 billion every year due to this accident.
While this showed a continuous decline in bicycle collisions which resulted to injuries and death, the bicyclinginfo.org said that it is hard to give an exact figure since only 10 percent of these cases were recorded by the hospitals and police departments.
Safe travel in bicycles
The bicyclinginfo.org provided these safety tips when riding a bike:
Follow traffic rules and laws. Just like a typical motorists, bicycle-riders should follow the traffic rules and laws to make the road safer for everyone.
Do not counter-flow the traffic. This is dangerous since other motorists cannot easily predict the bicycle-riders direction if he counter-flows the traffic.
Do not use the sidewalk
The sidewalk is for pedestrians and not for bicyclists. Meanwhile, some people still use this area thinking that it will be safer for them, but contrary to this belief, safety experts said it is not uncommon for a bicycle-rider and a motorist to crash head-on while using the sidewalk.
Use the bike lanes
These designated areas for bicycle-riders are safer than the main road.
Use light signals especially when traveling at night. This will allow other motorists to see that there is a bicycle-rider in front of them.
Do not cut into the lane. This is the most common causes of bicycle collisions as motorists will have a harder time to stop or reduce their speed when a bike suddenly appear in front of them.
Give hand-and-arm signals to other motorists.
Get off the bike and walk in a pedestrian lane. By doing this, a person can avoid hitting other individuals who are also crossing.
According to lawyers, if a rider who did not get off his bike while crossing the pedestrian lane will be considered at-fault when a car hit him.
Wear the proper helmet. In choosing a head protection gear, make sure that it passed the federal safety and quality standard, has proper ventilation to avoid overheating, and fits snugly on the head. If possible, riders should choose helmets which are brightly colored to make them more visible to the motorists.
Do not wear headphones while riding a bike. Do not wear something that will distract the attention such as cell phone and MP3 headset.
Be careful when crossing an intersection. According to statistics, most bicycle accidents happen in driveways and intersections and that getting hit from behind rarely happens.
Check if the breaks and wheels are working properly.
If possible, wear safety gears such as gloves, knee pads, and elbow pads.
Meanwhile, a 10-year study revealed that bicycle-related fatalities declined by 14 percent from 1997 to 2007. Despite this drop, the National Safety Council said the US spends about $5.4 billion every year due to this accident.
While this showed a continuous decline in bicycle collisions which resulted to injuries and death, the bicyclinginfo.org said that it is hard to give an exact figure since only 10 percent of these cases were recorded by the hospitals and police departments.
Safe travel in bicycles
The bicyclinginfo.org provided these safety tips when riding a bike:
Follow traffic rules and laws. Just like a typical motorists, bicycle-riders should follow the traffic rules and laws to make the road safer for everyone.
Do not counter-flow the traffic. This is dangerous since other motorists cannot easily predict the bicycle-riders direction if he counter-flows the traffic.
Do not use the sidewalk
The sidewalk is for pedestrians and not for bicyclists. Meanwhile, some people still use this area thinking that it will be safer for them, but contrary to this belief, safety experts said it is not uncommon for a bicycle-rider and a motorist to crash head-on while using the sidewalk.
Use the bike lanes
These designated areas for bicycle-riders are safer than the main road.
Use light signals especially when traveling at night. This will allow other motorists to see that there is a bicycle-rider in front of them.
Do not cut into the lane. This is the most common causes of bicycle collisions as motorists will have a harder time to stop or reduce their speed when a bike suddenly appear in front of them.
Give hand-and-arm signals to other motorists.
Get off the bike and walk in a pedestrian lane. By doing this, a person can avoid hitting other individuals who are also crossing.
According to lawyers, if a rider who did not get off his bike while crossing the pedestrian lane will be considered at-fault when a car hit him.
Wear the proper helmet. In choosing a head protection gear, make sure that it passed the federal safety and quality standard, has proper ventilation to avoid overheating, and fits snugly on the head. If possible, riders should choose helmets which are brightly colored to make them more visible to the motorists.
Do not wear headphones while riding a bike. Do not wear something that will distract the attention such as cell phone and MP3 headset.
Be careful when crossing an intersection. According to statistics, most bicycle accidents happen in driveways and intersections and that getting hit from behind rarely happens.
Check if the breaks and wheels are working properly.
If possible, wear safety gears such as gloves, knee pads, and elbow pads.
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