While riding your bicycle alongside motor vehicles on roadways is your right, it can also be dangerous. In fact, deaths from cycling incidents have increased by around 30% between 2009 and 2018. The good news is that nonfatal injuries have decreased.
Although cycling often takes a backseat to driving as the days cool with the arrival of winter, cyclists are still on the roads and could suffer serious injuries if drivers aren’t watching out for them.
Recent data on cycling accidents
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), cooler months still have a significant number of deaths, with 91 fatalities occurring in October in 2018, 80 in November and 54 in December. Of the cyclists that were included in this data, 682 suffered fatal injuries related to auto accidents, while 342 were the result of other kinds of accidents.
Bicyclists account for 2% of the fatalities on the roads. Collisions also result in around 424,350 emergency department visits, based on 2018 statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). That means that there are thousands upon thousands of people and their families who are living with the fallout of these serious collisions.
Know your rights
As a cyclist, make sure you know your rights. For instance, you have the right to pursue a claim if a driver hits you while not paying attention to the road or following proper roadway signs.
You have a right to ride in a bicycle lane or in the main lane as long as you adhere to the laws. If you are injured because of others’ mistakes, then it may be a good idea to file a legal claim for damages.
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