Safety Tips to Reduce Your Risks of Bike Accidents Involving Motor Vehicles

Bicycling is a popular hobby in and around San Jose, in addition to being an environmentally friendly form of transportation. Unfortunately, even when a bike lane is in place, it can still be dangerous sharing the road with other motorists.

Bike accidents resulting from collisions with motor vehicles end up causing serious and potentially life threatening injuries. The following offers tips on how to protect yourself when traveling on two wheels.

Bicyclist Suffers Fatal Injuries After Being Struck by Driver

A recent collision with a motor vehicle near San Jose that left a bicyclist with fatal injuries highlights the potential dangers riders can face from other motorists. The Gilroy Dispatch reports that the bike accident occurred in late February 2018 when a cyclist was struck from behind by another motor vehicle while traveling on SR 25 in Cupertino. According to police, the cyclist was driving along when a Toyota raced up from behind, causing a collision. The impact caused the victim to be thrown from the bike and he died almost immediately at the scene. California Highway Patrol are blaming the crash on the motorist, claiming the driver was driving at unsafe speeds.

Tips to Prevent Bike Accidents on Open Roads

Unfortunately, this type of accident is common and puts bicyclists at a distinct disadvantage. With little to shield them against the weight of a 200 pound or more motor vehicle, impacts are often severe. Bicycling.com states that you can help protect yourself by staying alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. The following safety tips are recommended:

• Use your senses: Often, you can feel a car approaching from behind and may even get a sense of how fast it is traveling by the sound of the engine. Pay attention to noises such as engine acceleration and tires or brakes squealing. In these situations, it may be wise to pull over and let the vehicle pass.

• Pick routes wisely: Do your best to avoid high traffic areas and roads with blind spots or where vehicles travel at high rates of speed. You have just as much right to travel these roads as any driver, but you can also play it safe by planning an alternate route.

• Be a responsible driver. Bicyclists are subject to many of the same laws as motor vehicles. This means riding with the flow of traffic and adhering to all stops signs and traffic signals. Be considerate on the road by avoiding sudden moves and signaling before making turns. Use headlights, rear deflectors, and wear light, bright colored clothes to make yourself more visible.

Contact Us Today for Professional Help

If you have suffered injuries in a bike accident due to the reckless actions of a motorist, Jachimowicz Law Group is here to help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact our passionate San Jose bike accident attorneys online and request a consultation to discuss your case today.

Sources:

http://gilroydispatch.com/2018/02/26/child-among-four-dead-traffic-accidents/

https://www.bicycling.com/training/skills/how-to-stay-alive-in-traffic