With the beautiful Washington sun beginning to peek through the clouds this summer, many of us will feel that renewed urge to take our bikes out for a ride. In order to have as much fun as possible, it is important to understand and protect yourself against the risks involved in riding a bicycle in urban environments. As a Seattle personal injury attorney and King County car accident attorney, I have dealt with clients in bicycle accidents and understand the potential dangers we face. In 2008, bicycle accidents claimed 716 lives across the country. Bicycle injuries are also much more common, with more than 52,000 people injured on a bicycle in 2008. While these numbers represent a small percentage of total auto-related accidents and fatalities, they can be drastically reduced with certain safety precautions.
Riding a bike through the streets of crowded neighborhoods can be very difficult. Cities like Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Spokane, Everett, and many others have busy roads that can be difficult for a cyclist to navigate. Through my time working with bicycle accident clients, I have developed a list of my top 5 tips for reducing the risk of a bicycle accident.
1. Stay off the sidewalk – Bike lanes are great for drivers and people on bikes alike and should always be used when available. However, when there is no bike lane, the legal and safest way to ride a bike is on the street. The sidewalks are packed with pedestrians and make the existence of a cyclist almost non-existent for drivers on the road. There are many potential accidents that can occur this way. The most common would be a situation where you are approaching a crosswalk and a car on the other side of the street is making a left turn. In a sea of pedestrians, a bicycle can be invisible to a driver. Because of this, the person turning left may not recognize his speed on a bike and turn right towards you. Accidents are split-second mistakes, made much easier when visibility is disturbed in some way. Stay on the street, because that’s where oncoming traffic can see you.
2. Protect your brain! While it may not yet be state law, many cities and counties require bicyclists to wear helmets. Just to name a few, King County, Tacoma, Renton, Puyallup, Spokane, Lakewood, and many others have this law in place. As a personal injury attorney, I have seen firsthand how different the medical repercussions can be between someone who wears a helmet and someone who does not. Your parents did not lie to you when you were a child. Studies show that helmet use reduces head injuries by 85%. A helmet can save your life and also save you some hassle dealing with insurance that won’t pay for all your damages.
3. Don’t go against the flow: Driving against traffic may feel just as comfortable or even more comfortable for you than driving with traffic, but it is much more dangerous. Reaction time is drastically reduced when going against traffic, because both you and the cars on the road are approaching at fairly high speeds. Traveling with traffic means cars will be coming at you from behind, giving them time to make adjustments if necessary. A common accident that can occur when driving against traffic is when a car from an intersecting street approaches the street you are on. If they want to turn right on your street, they’ll look to their left because that’s where all the cars will come from. You, however, would be going against traffic, therefore coming from the right of this car. Not having seen it, this is an accident waiting to happen, and the car could spin right into you.
4. Be well lit: If you do not have a headlight and flashing backlight, do not drive at night or immediately go to the store and buy them. With no lights, you’re just asking to be in an accident. These lights are not only a very smart idea for night driving, but are also required by law. You may have the best eyesight in the world and can see at night as if it were day, but these lights are as much for drivers on the road as they are for you. As with driving, riding a bike at night adds risk. Get as much noticed as possible, or just stay inside and wait for some sunlight the next day.
5. Stay where they can see you: Probably the simplest steps, saved for last. Driving slowly makes your trip safer in two ways. First, it’s much easier to avoid potholes or road debris when you’re going slow, because it gives you time to react to what you see. Driving slowly also gives drivers on the road more time to see you before reaching an intersection or somewhere where an accident could occur. Avoiding the blind spots of a bicycle is equivalent to avoiding the blind spots of a car next to a truck. It’s not easy for a trucker to see a car, and it’s not easy for a car to see a cyclist. Avoid a potentially bad situation by staying behind or in front of cars, especially at stoplights.