Cycling is a popular form of recreation, and you may enjoy riding whenever the weather permits. Unfortunately, bike collisions are on the rise and often result in severe accidents with catastrophic consequences. Mistakes and oversights are hazardous if you lack the protection that others have while riding in cars, putting you in a vulnerable position.
Sadly, back injuries, spinal injuries and fatalities are relatively common and yet are almost always avoidable. If you are riding in higher-traffic urban areas, you are at the most significant risk of an accident and therefore may be more likely to need a personal injury attorney. Call a skilled Pittsfield bicycle accident lawyer to learn more.
Some of the most common causes of collisions, leading to severe injuries, include the following:
Failing to check blind spots is a leading cause of bike accidents, as motorists often overlook cyclists before maneuvering. This can occur while drivers switch lanes, merge, or turn without checking blind spots.
When vehicles follow cyclists too closely and fail to maintain sufficient distance, it increases the risk of severe accidents. This reduces reaction times, making it difficult to respond promptly if the cycle slows or stops. It is a hazardous driving behavior that can quickly turn tragic, leading to severe and life-altering injuries or death.
Dooring is a crash that occurs when a person in a vehicle suddenly opens a door into the path of an approaching cyclist. These incidents often happen because the car occupant failed to check the path and their blind spots. Abruptly swinging the door into a rider’s path leaves the cyclist little time to react or avoid the collision, and the injuries and losses can be severe.
Bicycle accidents caused by cars making left turns across the path of an oncoming bike are referred to as left cross or left hook collisions. They are among the most severe accidents, and are primarily caused by negligence, such as a driver misjudging the cyclist’s speed, failing to yield, or failing to see the cyclist altogether.
These deadly crashes often happen in busy intersections or where there is low visibility. An attorney could investigate your bike accident in Pittsfield, determine liability, and collect and analyze the evidence needed to demonstrate fault.
State traffic laws consider bicycles as vehicles, granting you the same fundamental rights to the roadways and responsibilities as motorists. These rights apply to all public roadways, streets, and bikeways to ensure that all vehicles adhere to traffic and safety rules and share the road safely. As a cyclist, you should avoid limited-access highways with signs posted to alert you.
Safe travel requires riding in the right edge of the lane unless passing or turning, or when avoiding hazards, and passing on the right. When necessary, riding on the sidewalk is okay, but you must yield to pedestrians and signal when passing. Automobiles must leave a minimum of four feet of passing distance, and, if that is not possible, wait until there is enough room. During a consultation, a bicycle accident lawyer in Pittsfield could answer your questions about the traffic and safety laws.
Drivers’ carelessness puts cyclists at risk and can cause avoidable accidents. State laws promote safe road sharing and give you the same rights to the road as other vehicles. Therefore, when a motorist fails to comply with the regulations, the courts should hold them accountable. Schedule a consultation with a diligent Pittsfield bicycle accident lawyer today to learn more.
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