When you ride a bicycle near traffic, it is vital to stay vigilant at all times, especially since careless drivers do not always pay attention to the road or observe traffic safety guidelines. While riding a bike, the chances of you suffering a serious injury are especially high if an accident occurs, and you should review data on traffic collisions involving cyclists in order to understand the consequences of these accidents.
It is also very important to review risk factors and take preventative measures to avoid an accident.
Traffic accidents and bicyclist injuries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared data on bicyclist injuries. This data shows that more than 130,000 cyclists sustain injuries on U.S. roads per year, and bicyclists between 10 and 24 represent almost one out of every three bicycle accident injury victims in emergency departments. Furthermore, male cyclists are 5 times more likely to suffer an injury in a bike accident when compared to female cyclists.
Risk factors that result in bicycle accidents
The CDC states that alcohol plays a role in roughly one out of every three fatal bicycle accidents, whether the bicyclist or driver is under the influence. A majority of deadly bike accidents take place on urban roads, outside of intersections. Sometimes, drivers use their phones behind the wheel or go too fast, and bike accidents also occur because of poor visibility and chaotic traffic.
As a cyclist, you can wear fluorescent clothes during the day and reflective clothes at night to help drivers see you. Regardless of the precautionary measures you take, you could still suffer an injury in a bike accident due to a negligent driver, and you need to go over your legal options if this occurs.
