Every cyclist who rides on Utah’s streets knows that riding a bicycle can be a dangerous proposition. There are myriad ways to get into a bicycle accident. The website bicyclesafe.com has laid out the top ten ways cyclists get into accidents with motorists. For an exhaustive amount of information on cycling accidents, visit their website. The following is a brief overview of five types of common accidents.
Below is a list of the five most common bicycle accidents. Be wise; learn to avoid these scenarios.
- The Right Cross: entering an intersection while traffic from the opposite direction has the right of way;
- The Door Prize: riding along parked cars, when a door suddenly opens up;
- The Crosswalk Slam: cars turning right at an intersection often do not expect to see cyclists in crosswalks, so stay out of crosswalks and ride with the flow of traffic;
- The Wrong-Way Wreck: riding against traffic when a car turns right at an intersection, hitting the cyclist head-on;
- Red Light of Death: a cyclist coming up to a red light at an intersection and stopping in a motorist’s blind spot, leaving the cyclist unseen. Always stop either in front of the car or behind it. Make sure the motorist sees you; eye contact is preferential.
Utah bicycle accidents happen because one of the parties involved performed a maneuver in which the other did not expect. Anticipate the actions of others in order to avoid collisions.
If an accident does occur, call the Christensen Law Firm at (801) 506-0800 to personally speak with a bicycle accident lawyer who cares.
Infographic Courtesy of Salt Lake County Bicycle Coalition