It seems every year someone walking through Central Park is seriously injured or even killed by a negligent cyclist. Despite claims to the contrary, these crashes are completely avoidable when cyclists exercise safe biking techniques. To get a better understanding of what needs to change, we need to look at the problem with Central Park cyclists.
Crash Factors
There are two main contributing factors to bike crashes in Central Park. The first is speeding. Simply put, the faster something is moving, the more damage it will cause in a crash. At the same time, the faster someone is moving, the quicker their reaction times must be to avoid a potential collision.
Speeding is especially dangerous for bikes because they lack the stability and power brakes used by cars. When a speeding cyclist brake too hard, they could flip over and cause potentially serious injuries. Bike riders need to remember that the speed limit in Central Park is a strict 20-mph. Anything faster is more likely to cause serious injuries or even a fatality.
The second issue is cyclists ignoring the park’s traffic signals, especially near crosswalks. The issue of cyclists running red lights, in particular, has become so prevalent that it lead the city’s Park & Environment Committee to examine whether Central Park needs an entirely updated traffic signal system for the benefit of both cyclists and pedestrians.
The City’s Response
When a pedestrian in Central Park is injured or killed by a bicycle, the NYPD cracks down on bike violations by issue significantly more tickets for speeding and ignoring traffic signals. The problem is that this trend doesn’t continue long-term. Speeding cyclists is a constant problem in Central Park, but the city’s response is more reactive than proactive. While the Park & Environment committee is looking into it, it seems these crashes may continue until something changes.
If you or someone you love were struck by a bicycle, you need affordable representation from a team you can trust. If you’d like an experienced New York City injury accident attorney from Koenigsberg & Associates Law Offices to evaluate your case, don’t hesitate to call us at (718) 690-3132 or send us an email!