Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents
According to the CDC, about 1,000 people are killed in bicycle accidents each year. Another 130,000 are injured in them. You should consider hiring a bicycle accident lawyer if you sustained injuries during a recent crash.
The CDC reports that bicycle accidents cost Americans upwards of $23 billion each year. You might be entitled to collect compensation following a bicycle accident caused by someone else.
Knowing the common causes of bicycle accidents may prevent you from being involved in a crash in the first place. It might also come in handy when trying to determine who should be blamed for a crash you were in.
Read about the common causes of bicycle accidents below.
Speeding Drivers
A 2022 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey found that many American drivers speed. About half of the drivers who took part in this survey admitted to driving at least 15 miles per hour over the highway speed limit, and about 35% admitted to driving at least 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on residential roads.
Speeding drivers can present problems for everyone, including those on bicycles. If a driver speeds up to make it through a yellow light, they risk running right into a person on a bicycle attempting to cross the street at the same time
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Distracted Drivers
Distracted driving is another issue that negatively impacts many Americans each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it’s responsible for killing over 3,300 people annually, including some bicyclists. This makes it one of the most common causes of bicycle accidents?.
Nowadays, drivers are distracted by all kinds of things while behind the wheel of their vehicles. Smartphones, infotainment systems, food and beverages, and even passengers and pets are just some of the distractions drivers might face.
If a driver takes their eyes off the road for even a second or two, they might lose sight of other vehicles, pedestrians, and, of course, bicyclists. They may run right into them without realizing it until it’s too late.
Impaired Drivers
The FBI recently reported that drunk driving-related arrests have dropped dramatically over the last few decades. Thankfully, Americans aren’t drinking and driving or using drugs and driving anywhere near as often as they once did.
Still, hundreds of thousands of Americans are arrested on DUI and DWI charges every year. These people aren’t always able to see or think clearly when they’re out on the road, which may lead to them hitting other vehicles, pedestrians, or bicyclists.
Some bicycle accidents involving impaired drivers will also turn into hit-and-run accidents before long. Impaired drivers will sometimes flee from accident scenes due to a combination of their inebriation and their inability to process the severity of what has happened in the moment.
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Aggressive Drivers
An in-depth 2024 investigation on aggressive driving conducted by The Zebra unearthed a shocking statistic. It discovered that more than 80% of American drivers admit to exhibiting aggressive driving or road rage within the last 12 months.
Sadly, some aggressive drivers are filled with so much rage that they’ll intentionally run right into bicyclists out of anger. These types of bicycle accidents can cause extensive injuries and damage and might even warrant punitive damages in certain cases.
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Inexperienced Drivers
Those who have only been driving for a few months or sometimes even a few years don’t always have enough experience to navigate roads with bicyclists on them. Something as simple as a failure to yield to bicyclists could cause a bike crash to take place.
Inexperienced drivers might also make unsafe lane changes while in the presence of bicyclists and accidentally hit them. It’s yet another one of the common causes of bicycle accidents that should be on your radar if you routinely share the road with motorists, regardless of your level of driving experience.
Other Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents
The common causes of bicycle accidents we just mentioned are cited early and often in the aftermath of crashes. However, there are also a few other causes of bicycle accidents that you shouldn’t overlook.
Examples include:
- Faulty traffic signals
- Dangerous road conditions
- Dooring (car door collisions that occur after drivers park their vehicles and open their doors without checking for bicyclists first)
What To Do If You’re Involved in a Bicycle Accident
You’ll typically be shaken up right after a bicycle accident happens. Don’t let this stop you from taking steps to put yourself on the path to recovery.
Here is how to respond to your involvement in a bike accident:
- Call 911 or ask a bystander to do it for you so police and first responders can make their way to your accident scene.
- Seek medical attention on the scene of a bicycle accident and head to a local hospital immediately.
- Document your bicycle accident scene by taking photographs and videos of it from every angle.
- Speak with a bicycle accident attorney about taking legal action against a negligent driver.
- Consider filing a bicycle accident lawsuit.
Hiring a bicycle accident lawyer will put you in a better position to collect compensation in your case. They can determine which of the common causes of bicycle accidents led to your crash. They can also establish liability and work to prove negligence on the part of the driver who hit you.
Contact Us To Seek the Services of a Trusted Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Now that you know about the common causes of bicycle accidents, would you like to pursue a legal case against someone who struck you on your bike? Let Accident Hotline connect you with a local bicycle accident attorney who can assist you with taking every step along the way. They may help you collect compensation in your case to cover medical bills and other expenses.
Call us at (844) 343-9609 today to talk with a representative about which lawyer in your area you should trust to evaluate your bicycle accident report and help decide what to do next in your pursuit of fair compensation.
For a free consultation, call (844) 343-9609
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