Bicycle Accidents: 3 Most Common Related Accidents to Look Out for

COVID lockdowns lead to an effort to avoid crowded public transportation. And just a general desire to be healthier, there has been a serious rise of cyclists on the roads. Unfortunately, even with more cyclists, the knowledge of how to share the road with cyclists has not increased too much. Accidents happen and sometimes the best way to prevent them is to know the common areas where bicycle accidents often occur.

Are you a cyclist looking to avoid the sharp rise of bicycle accidents that came with the sharp rise of cyclists on the roads? Here are where the common bicycle accidents happen and what you need to be looking out for.

3 Most Common Bicycle Accidents You Should Look Out for

Collisions with Turning Vehicles

Known as “right hook,” “left hook,” “or left cross” accidents. They are the most common bicycle accident – and can be the most fatal. Anytime you as a cyclist find yourself at an intersection, you want to remain as visible as possible and vigilant. What happens most often is that you are moving forward, but a car is turning either left or right. The slow-off-the-start nature of a bicycle stopping at an intersection also plays a role in this. You have less momentum to avoid these cars. In fact, you may find yourself getting hit in a full T-bone type accident.

Providing you had the right of way at these intervals, the driver will have liability in these accidents. But the issue is the fatality rate and how common they are. When at an intersection, sometimes a cyclist, especially a newer cyclist, just feels safer getting off the bike and walking across as a pedestrian or allowing turning cars to turn first before moving.

Doored by Parked Cars

There isn’t a single cyclist that doesn’t get at least a little nervous when they are riding past a line of parked cars. Even if they are in what should be a safe bike lane. Those who are parked by a bike lane often feel the safety of that buffer that keeps cars away. As such, they are less likely to check for actual cyclists using the bike lane before opening the door. Crashing headfirst into an open car door, as you’d expect, is pretty devastating. Furthermore, attempting to react and swerving into traffic could be just as dangerous.

Passed by a Car

In short, cars should treat passing a cyclist on the road like passing another car. Unfortunately, too few do that. What happens is that they see the cyclist off to the side a bit, and then try to inch past them. The lack of clearance either ends up with the car hitting the cyclist or the cyclist being pushed off the road and having to deal with rough terrain or a curb. This is why when there is no bike lane, you want to prevent cars from trying to inch past you by staying more center-oriented in the lane.

Are You an Injured Cyclist?

Have you been in a cycling accident and need help? Cyclists often face horrible injuries when it comes to auto-related accidents. If you have been in an accident, contact us today. The Law Office of Freeman & Freeman can help you go over your case and represent your interests to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.