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Bike safety in Los Angeles shows signs of improvement

On Behalf of Max Draitser - Southern California Bicycle Attorneys | Jan 21, 2021 | Bicycle Injuries

Since 2012, Los Angeles has carefully tracked the number of collisions that occur between cyclists and people in motor vehicles. 2020 saw a boom in bicycle use across California, which you might expect to lead to an increase in bicycling accidents as well.

However, recent statistics released from the Los Angeles Police Department show that the city may have finally begun to decrease the risk that cyclists take when they go out for a ride.

September 2020 showed an impressive drop in crashes

In 2019, there were 185 reported collisions between bicycles and vehicles. Despite data showing that there may have been more than a 50% increase in the amount of bike trips taking place in Los Angeles, total crashes went down in 2020. September had only 18 crashes, which is a shocking reduction.

September’s significant reduction was not just a freak occurrence either. Every month of 2020 saw lower amounts of collisions than the same month did in 2019. At the end of November, the total number of crashes in the city for the first 11 months of the year was 496. There were 1,655 crashes in the first 11 months of 2019.

Until all crashes can be prevented, there will always be risks

While a reduction in the total amount of crashes by more than half is incredible progress, hundreds of people have still been hurt in preventable collisions. Drivers are often responsible for causing bicycle accidents, and they typically get to walk away from such accidents completely unharmed.

Unfortunately, cyclists may have done nothing to cause accidents but still suffer life-threatening or life-altering injuries. Factors such as the speed of a motor vehicle, the age and health of the cyclist, and the gear they have on at the time of the crash can impact how severe any injuries are.

Many injured cyclists will have thousands of dollars in medical costs. They might also miss out on crucial income while recovering from their accident. Insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits may be necessary for cyclists who get hurt by drivers.