Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

Health practitioners encourage cycling as a measure to get fit. But cyclists are rightly concerned about the risk of being involved in a Boston bicycle accident.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers are often called to represent victims who sustain serious injuries as the result of an accident with a careless or negligent driver.

Bloomberg Businessweek HealthDay News recently published the result of a study that found cycle-only paths separated from street traffic are safer than paths riding alongside passenger vehicles in the streets.

It was reported that injury rates are 28% less when cyclists are separated from having to ride next to motor vehicles. The design of intersections and green or red bicycle signals also directly impact cycling safety.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently reported over 600 deaths in fatal bicycle accidents nationwide in 2009, which accounted for 2% of all traffic fatalities during the year. Another 51,000 cyclists sustained injuries on American roadways in 2009 when involved in a motor vehicle crash. Massachusetts reported a total of 6 fatal bicycle accidents for 2009.

The Unites States is a little behind the times when it comes to cycling safety. American bike lanes are typically designated on roadways by a painted stripe. The Netherlands has approximately 18,000 miles of separate bike tracks. The lack of bike tracks encourages Americans to drive, not walk. In comparison, 25% of Dutch commuters bike, compared to less than 1% of Americans who commute to work via a bicycle.

When examining cycle tracks vs. cyclists riding next to motorists on roadways, the study found much lower risks on bike tracks. In fact, when given the choice, the study found that cyclists were 2 and a half times more likely to ride on congested bike paths than to choose a route that put them on the streets riding next to passenger vehicles.

The statistics indicate men have a much higher risk for being involved in a bicycling accident. That is mostly due to the fact that women fear cycling next to motorists on roadways. The study indicated more women would be interested in cycling, but only if separate tracks were to be implemented.

Americans are constantly trying to find ways to manage weight and stay fit. A healthy heart means a longer life, but is that really the case? Cycling is an excellent way to maintain a healthy heart but doesn’t necessarily mean a longer life when faced with the dangers of riding along next to motor vehicles.
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The 2009 data on pedalcyclist was recently released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For this data a pedalcyclist is a rider of pedal powered vehicles that have 2 non-motorized wheels or are a unicycle or tricycle. Our Boston personal injury lawyers remind you to ride safely to prevent a Massachusetts bicycle accident. While Boston was made significant improvements to its cycling infrastructure, riders still face the risk of serious or fatal injury in the event of a crash.

In 2009, there were 630 fatal bicycle accidents nationwide — down 12 percent from the more than 700 killed from 2008 and the lowest number in nearly a decade. More than 51,000 were seriously injured in bicycle accidents.

Some statistics from the report on nationwide bicycle accidents:

-The average age of crash fatalities is 41.

-Crashes occur in urban areas 70% of the time.

-Males accounted for 87% of the deaths and 80% of the injuries.

-Alcohol was involved by either the rider or driver in 40% of the crashes.

-33% of fatal crashes happened at intersections.

-Day time fatal crashes increased by 6% and night time crashes decreased by 13% from 2008.

Massachusetts had 6 cyclists killed in 2009.

The City of Cambridge Police Department remind cyclists of the following:

-Bicyclists must obey all traffic laws, must ride single file, should stay to the right of the roadway unless directed otherwise, and should always use hand signals.

-Bicycles can not be ridden on a sidewalk in the following area: (cyclist need to walk their bike, ride on the street or take another route) .

-Harvard Sq.

-Central Sq. business districts, as well as some newly created banned areas:

-Inman Sq.

-Huron Village

-Mass. Ave., from Wendell St. and Shepard St. to Russell St. and Cogswel

-Somerville Ave (entirely)

-Bicyclists when riding on a sidewalk must ride at a speed equal to a normal walk, give an audible warning before passing a pedestrian and remember that pedestrians have the right of way.

-Bicyclist will not pass to the right of a bus at a bus stop or ever be towed by another vehicle.

-Bicyclist riding between dusk and dawn must have a red light or reflector on the rear of their bike, have a white headlight on the front and have side reflectors.

-It is recommended that everyone wear a helmet while riding but riders 16 and younger must wear one when riding on public roads.
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Our Massachusetts injury lawyers continue to write about the dangers of Boston pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents. We applaud the Baltimore crackdown on speeders, aggressive drivers and other traffic scofflaws in accident prone areas. The city’s Street Smart campaign will target lawbreakers through the remainder of summer in an effort to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and should be replicated here.

This video shows the drastic difference of driving through a residential area at 35 mph as opposed to 25 mph. At 25 mph, the car is able to stop for the child in the crosswalk. At 35 mph, the child is struck and very likely killed. At 35 mph, it took 44 feet to stop. At 40 mph, it took 57 feet and the accident would have surely been fatal.

The campaign will target aggressive driving behavior, including tailgating, weaving from lane to lane, unsafe passing, running traffic signals and speeding. And it is the last of these — speeding — that remains the most socially acceptable and among the most dangerous.

The state reports that 70 percent of pedestrians killed last year were involved in accidents on roads where the speed limit is 35 mph or less. More than 500 children were among last year’s accident victims.
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CNN reports that cities named by Bicycle Magazine as some of the most bike-friendly in the nation are also among the metropolitan areas experiencing the biggest challenges in the relationship between cyclists and motorists.

As we reported last month on our Boston Injury Attorney Blog, the high number of Boston bicycle accidents continues to trouble authorities. The Boston Globe reported there were 700 bicycle accidents in the city in 2008. Boston ranked 8th on Bicycle Magazine’s top cycling cities in America.

Nationwide, more than 700 cyclists were killed and 52,000 injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

CNN points to differences in attitude even within the Boston area, where motorists in Brookline and Cambridge are typically more considerate of cyclists, while the South Boston attitude stops just short of war.

Cyclists see the Critical Mass rides — which occur the last Friday of each month — as riders coming together to promote cycling rights and awareness.

Some drivers, as CNN reports, see them as “nothing more than spandex wearing, stop-sign-running Lance Armstrong wannabes who slow traffic.”

But it’s important to note that attempting to teach a cyclist a lesson is a very bad idea. Most riders are responsible and are very aware of how dangerous cycling can be. Massachusetts cycling accidents frequently lead to very serious or fatal injuries for the cyclist and serious civil liability and even criminal charges for an at-fault motorist.

The popularity of cycling continues to increase. More than 18 million bikes are sold each year, according to the National Sporting Goods Association and about 1 in 4 adults ride at least once each summer. More than 6 percent of commuters ride to work — up 600 percent from the 1 percent reported a decade ago.
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