Most people know that cyclists face a higher rate of risk and danger on the road than any other motorist. But some situations can create increased hazards and hurdles even for already-plagued bicyclists.
What are the most dangerous situations that cyclists face on the road? And how avoidable are they?
Junctions and parked cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration examines the top dangers cyclists face. Some of the dangers have to do with how the road itself works, such as T-junctions and roundabouts. Unfortunately, higher rates of crashes occur among all vehicles at these junctions. They just happen to prove a more deadly issue with cyclists, who do not have as much protection as a standard covered vehicle.
Parked vehicles also cause a huge issue called “dooring”. This happens when a person inside their car does not check for approaching cyclists before opening the door, often directly into the path of the victim who slams in and crashes. Again, due to the lack of comparative protection, even injuries from a parked car’s door can prove dangerous.
Filtering and overtaking
Then, you have overtaking and filtering. Cyclists are within their right to filter through and overtake still or slow traffic while on the road. Unfortunately, many crashes happen when cyclists do this and a motorist changes lanes at the same time without checking their blind spots or mirrors. Vehicles may also cause issue when they try to overtake cyclists. In some cases, a cyclist can even face damage by getting forced off the road or their bike by a car that passes too close without actually touching them.
If you wish to seek compensation for potential injuries or harm you have faced while biking, consider contacting legal help to guide you through.