Balancing on two wheels with pedals on a bicycle is tougher than controlling the steering wheel of a car. A slight distraction and you can lose control and fall. If by any chance you are riding a bicycle and collide with a motor vehicle, that accident could end your life. You can get seriously injured.
Such an accident can even cause paralysis. If you are not wearing a helmet, you might get a brain injury as well. Fractures and spinal cord injuries are other worst-case scenarios of such accidents. Cuts and bruises are very normal injuries as well.
There are quite a few types of bicycle accidents that occur very often in Philadelphia, and you can avoid them if you follow the instructions that we have added to this page.
Accidents at Intersections:
Although intersections are less commonly the site of where a bicyclist would go, these areas are a much more dangerous place for cyclists to be in during a collision. Intersections are where there’s a high possibility of a deadly traffic accident. Forty-five percent of bicycle accidents occur in intersections, where cyclists fail to judge the angle, speed, and distance of other vehicles.
Often, a cyclist tries to ride out into the corner in front of a vehicle that has the right-of-way, stopping at a sign where the car doesn’t have to. In such a scenario, the bicyclist may be liable for the outcome since the vehicle would have the right of way and is not required to stop.
If the cyclist was not required to stop, but the car was based on signage, for instance, and then tried to get into the intersection, and caused the bicycle crash, the driver on the vehicle may be liable. If both the cyclist and driver approach from the opposite of the traffic, causing an accident, both parties could be considered at fault.
How to Avoid A Bicycle Accident In An Intersection?
- When you are a bicyclist and don’t want to cause an intersection accident, you have to increase your visibility.
- You should adjust your position in the lane and signal to let you know other drivers are there.
- Don’t disobey a traffic rule or ignore stop signs.
Right Turn Of A Car:
Right turns are quite dangerous since they require interaction with other vehicles and even bicycles. Frequently, an accident can occur during such turns due to carelessness. Here are a few cases that usually take place.
- When a car tries to pass a bicyclist approaching an intersection and attempts to cut him or her off while turning right.
- If the driver is waiting at the stop, then make a rough right turn when the light changes and hits you.
How To Avoid a collision?
- Take the right measures before making right turns. You can also keep a mirror for precautions.
- Keep your eyes on the car in the car’s lane. You can adjust your maneuvering, stay close to the vehicle, and take the entire right turn at the intersection.
- Keep your hands on the brake, so you can pull it if the driver decides to act carelessly such as trying to cut you off.
- Try to avoid a driver’s blind spot.
- Whether at a driveway or intersection-do not pass any car on your right.
A Car Turning Left:
When the bicyclists and the motor vehicle come from the opposite intersection, the driver turns left, crashing into the bicyclist. The driver will be liable for such an accident for his or her misjudgement of the cyclist’s speed.
How to avoid it?
- You can avoid such accidents by maximizing your visibility. Watch from which direction the car is approaching and if it’s taking a left turn.
- Take the entire intersection turn. It will also save you from a left-turn accident.
- Minimize your speed while approaching an intersection or while a car takes a left turn. You can also let it pass before you proceed.
Try not to cross the intersection through a sidewalk. It increases the chance of accidents from both the left and right sides. You will most likely become invisible to the driver in it. If you ultimately end up in an accident anyway, you should hire a bicycle accident lawyer.
