What Are Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents?

With Covid keeping us inside, many more people are still hoping on their bicycles and exercising outdoors. There are many upsides to riding a bike. It’s great for the environment, your health, and your wallet. However, it comes with its own set of serious risks, with bicycle accidents commonly resulting in serious injuries or even death.

What Are Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents?

There are many causes of bicycle accidents. Bikes and cars end up in collisions for many reasons, such as the following:

1. Distracted Driving

Despite knowing the serious risks involved with multitasking while behind the wheel, people continue to engage in distracted driving. As the popularity of Smartphones has increased, so too has the number of people whom text, make calls, and check emails while driving. However, distracted driving includes more than just the use of a cell phone. It includes anything that takes your eyes off of the road, your hands off of the wheel, or your mind off of what you are doing. For instance, here are just a few examples of distracted driving:

● Eating

● Changing the radio, a CD, or a song on your phone

● Talking to a passenger

● Putting on your makeup/engaging in grooming activities

When a driver is distracted, he or she often fails to notice people, other vehicles, and road conditions in time to avoid accidents. This includes accidents with bicyclists too, as drivers often fail to notice that they are entering into the bike lane.

2. Impaired Driving

Another common cause of bicycle accidents is impaired driving. One of the worst things about impaired driving is the fact that it is 100% preventable. Impaired driving not only includes driving after consuming alcohol, but also illegal drugs, and even certain prescription drugs. It is driving after consuming anything that impacts a driver’s reaction time, ability to pay attention, and ability to make decisions. Individuals who drive while impaired pose an extreme danger to everyone else on the road. But bicyclists, who have nothing to cushion them from the impact of a motor vehicle, are at a much higher risk of serious injury or death.

3. Speeding

Most people have gone above the speed limit at one time or another in order to get somewhere on time. But what many people fail to realize is that when you speed you have less time to react. For instance, when you see a bicyclist you have less time to brake. Also, when you speed you often tailgate, which leaves even less time to brake. Therefore accidents are much more likely to occur.

4. Failure to Yield or Use Proper Turn Signals

Many drivers believe that they have the right of way over bicyclists. However, bikers have the same rights on the road as any other driver. So when people driving motor vehicles believe they have the right of way they often fail to yield to bicyclists that were at a stop sign or intersection before them. Common scenarios in which drivers fail to yield to bicyclists include when:

● At a stop sign

● Backing out of a driveway or parking space

● Entering an intersection

● Merging

● Turning left

Sometimes drivers also fail to properly signal – or check their mirrors – before changing lanes. This is when they often hit others.

5. Road Rage

As with impaired driving, reckless or aggressive driving is also 100% preventable. This is often referred to as “road rage,” which encompasses a wide variety of risky driving behaviors, including:

● Speeding

● Tailgating

● Yelling and profanities

● Inappropriate hand gestures

● Failing to follow traffic laws

● Failing to signal

● Cutting someone off

● Excessively honking

● Blocking the bike lane

When road rage is directed at a bicyclist it can have deadly consequences.

6. Defective Or Malfunctioning Parts

Whether on a bike or a car, when a vehicle has a defective or malfunctioning part it can pose a significant danger to both the one operating the vehicle and those around him or her. Generally such a defect results in a product liability claim against the manufacturer of the part.

How Can You Help Prevent a Bicycle Accident?

Unfortunately, the truth is you can’t always prevent a bicycle accident. However, there are certain things that you can do to lower the risk. For bicyclists this includes:

● Always wearing a helmet

● Never consuming drugs or alcohol before riding

● Always checking your brakes ahead of time

● Refraining from riding on the freeway

● Refraining from stopping in the bike lane

● Refraining from wearing headphones

● Refraining from using a cell phone unless it’s an emergency

● Ensure you have a headlight if biking at night

For drivers this includes:

● Leaving ample time to get from one place to another

● Never consuming drugs or alcohol ahead of time

● Refraining from using a cell phone unless it’s an emergency

● Always using proper turn signals

● Always checking your mirrors to make sure the it’s clear before changing lanes

● Always remaining calm – not driving aggressively

● Pulling over when you must do something distracting such as eat, put on makeup, or changing the radio

When injured in an accident it can be really hard to prove your case when you are concentrating your energy on recovering from your injuries. That’s why it’s in your best interest to consult with a knowledgeable and experienced Tennessee bicycle accident attorney.

Robert BatesRobert is a Kingsport trial lawyer who handles car, truck and motorcycle wreck cases across the Tri-Cities. Every client gets his cell number.