Each year, about 11,000 NYC cyclists are injured in crashes across the city. The exact causes of these accidents are varied, but most fall into just a handful of categories. What are these top causes of NYC bike accidents? Let’s find out.
Poorly Maintained Roads
Most cyclists in the city use thin wheels designed for lightweight commuting on nice, even paved streets. More often than not, city bikes aren’t equipped for road debris and potholes.
When cyclists (especially inexperienced riders) hit these obstacles, they could quickly lose control of their bikes. That means bike riders need to look at both their surroundings in traffic and at the ground in front of them at all times.
Dooring
A surprisingly common cause of bike accidents, “dooring” describes when the driver of a parked car opens their door as a bike is approaching. Often, a cyclist doesn’t have enough time or enough room to brake safely. In some cases, dooring can knock a cyclist off their bike and into oncoming traffic.
A significant number of these crashes are caused by taxi passengers who open their doors without looking behind them. The issue became so severe that the NYC Department of Transportation (DoT) took notice a few years ago and launched the LOOK! for Cyclists safety campaign.
Vehicles Stopping in Bike Lanes
By now, drivers should understand the consequences of stopping their vehicles in a bike lane to pick up or discharge passengers. Drivers should, but don’t know, that blocking a bike lane can cause severe accidents and injure cyclists. Until these drivers can conform to the rules of the road, cyclists must take extra cautions when the bike lane is blocked to avoid entering other lanes where vehicles are moving.
Vehicles Turning Without Yielding to Cyclists.
All over the city, new, needed bike lanes are appearing. But drivers don’t seem to understand that before they turn and cross a bike lane, they must check to see that the lane is clear. Every day a cyclist is struck because the vehicle driver failed to check that the lane was clear and yield to the cyclist. Cyclists must take extra caution if a vehicle seems to be turning and is unaware of nearby cyclists.
If you or someone you love were seriously injured while biking, you need affordable representation from a team you can trust. If you’d like an experienced New York City bike 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.