9 Best Ways to Stay Safe While Cycling
Bicyclists are at an Increased Risk of Injury due to a Collision with a Car Bicycles don’t have the same safety features in place that cars do. Cars have the ability to monitor blind spots, see what’s behind them, and even keep the driver from drifting between lanes. To ensure safe bicycling, the rider has to be aware of their surroundings at all times. Even worse, when cyclists are hit, they often suffer from worse injuries than those in car accidents simply because of the lack of protection bicycles offer. Motor vehicle drivers are often much more concerned with looking out for other vehicles that they may miss bicyclists and motorcyclists, especially if they’re driving dangerously. In 2019, there were 843 bicyclists killed because of crashes with motor vehicles. Florida is the most dangerous place for cyclists, with 5.7 average annual deaths per million residents, a large difference from the second-place state Louisiana, at 3.8. Top Bike Safety Tips for Florida Bicyclists When riding a bicycle, you should always keep these safety tips in mind. If you are the parent of a child who wants to start riding their bike in busier areas or even just around the neighborhood, make sure they’re following...
How to Handle Being Involved in a Car Accident During Coronavirus Pandemic
[caption id="attachment_2991" align="alignnone" width="900"] health protection, safety and pandemic concept - male taxi driver wearing face protective medical mask driving car with passenger[/caption] The “normal anxieties” that bombard people when being involved in an auto accident have now been overshadowed by worries from the dreadful coronavirus; for this reason, it is vital to educate yourself about how to handle being involved in an auto accident during this worrisome time so that you can hopefully avoid worrying about contracting this virus and can instead focus your attention on receiving treatment for your injuries. How is Coronavirus changing America’s roadways? At The Eberst Law Firm we have noticed that throughout this pandemic less people have driving on our roadways, but we know that with recent loosening restrictions, many people will be ready to venture into the world and seek out long-awaited shopping, entertainment, dining, and more at full force. Of note is that throughout this pandemic, bicycle accidents have increased so it is important to protect oneself as a cyclist as well. Please read our article, “Biking Accidents Increasing Due to Coronavirus” to read more about this. Also of importance is that even though less people are on America’s roadways, more traumatic...
Car Accidents Decreasing, but Biking Accidents Increasing due to Coronavirus
Eerie photos that show the formerly bustling New York City’s popular sites such as Times Square and Wall Street with hardly a soul in sight have been circulating the internet this Spring of 2020 as the city has enforced lockdowns due to COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus. Even smaller cities, like those on the Treasure Coast of Florida, have been transformed from previously busy highways, town roads, and downtown areas into ghost towns without hardly any cars on the road. These lockdowns, government mandated forms of social distancing, and a general fear of catching coronavirus, are the main reasons why people aren’t traveling America’s roadways as much. However, despite the drop in traffic from motor vehicles, the overall stir-crazy that has resulted from these quarantines has pushed people to get out of their house any way they can. This has led to a steep increase in pedestrians and bicyclists. Coronavirus Leading to Less Auto Accidents, but Possibly more Traumatic Crashes Traffic accidents have decreased tremendously since the coronavirus outbreak due to the near complete shutdown of cities, according to news sources Quartz. The Washington Post recently reported that the usual rush hour traffic congestion has nearly disappeared in many cities since the coronavirus outbreak in the United...
Accidents Involving Bicycle Rentals or Bike Shares in Florida
Bike sharing has changed the way both locals and tourists zip around their cities. The way this service typically works is users borrow a bike from one of many docking stations around the city. They have the option to return it to any station where an empty spot is available. Other systems are dockless, allowing riders to lock and unlock bikes via smartphone apps. There are multiple companies operating in Florida in the bike sharing space. Some of these companies have a widespread presence in various states across the country while others only offer rentals regionally and locally. Lime is a major national company in this space. Currently, Lime operates in four major Florida cities: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando. The company has fleets of electric bikes that are partially battery-powered as well as electric scooters. Jump is a subsidiary of Uber, the largest ride-sharing company in the world. Miami and Tampa are two of the cities where Jump currently rents out electric scooters and electric bikes. Hopr, formerly known as Juice, operates in Orlando, Miami, St. Petersburg, and Tampa. They operate a fleet of manual bikes with plans to introduce e-bikes eventually. Safety Issues with Bike Sharing In recent years, there has been an...
Do people really “Share the Road”?
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents in Florida People choose to walk and bike on our roadways for many reasons; some might simply want to get some fresh air outside while others may walk or bike to as a primary means of transportation. However, if you are walking or biking outside for whatever reason, it is important to exercise caution. Since cars are obviously much heavier and more solid than a bike or pedestrian, the outcome is often tragedy for the person walking or cycling. Florida Pedestrian and Bicycle Accident Statistics Research performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that incidents between vehicles and pedestrians occur so frequently that one pedestrian dies almost every 1.6 hours here on America’s roadways. Similarly and even closer to home, an article published by the National Public Radio (NPR) in February states that out of the top ten most dangerous cities for pedestrians, an alarming eight of those are in Florida. Regarding cyclists, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reports that Florida has the highest amount of fatalities among bicycle riders in all of America. Statistics aside, it isn’t difficult to see why it is dangerous to be a pedestrian or biker on today’s roads. In a fast-paced world, many are either driving too...
What do I do After a Bicycle Accident Injury?
Steps to take in the Aftermath of a Bicycle Accident Injury Many people rely on alternative forms of transportation such as bicycling to get around town. The reasons for this vary widely but regardless of why people rely on bicycles to get around, they are at a high risk to be involved in accidents with motor vehicles. These accidents with motor vehicles have the potential to cause incredibly severe injuries that can drastically alter the course of a person’s life. When it comes to what someone can do to deal with the severe damages caused by these accidents, there can be a great deal of confusion. The aftermath of a bicycle accident can be an especially stressful time but what you do in this time can determine how successful a potential bicycle accident claim can be in addition to its value. Seeking Compensation for Bicycle Accident Injuries In the event that a bicycle accident is caused by the negligence of a liable party, a bicycle accident victim may be able to seek compensation for the injuries they suffered as a result. Bicycle accident injury claims can recover settlements that pay for things such as medical bills, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering. A claimant...
Tips to Avoid Florida Bicycle Accidents and Stay Safe
Bicycle Safety and Preventing Accidents on Florida Roads Bicyclists will often find themselves having to share the road with a multitude of drivers that have their safety fairly low on their list of priorities. Sometimes drivers can even go so far as to be especially aggressive towards bicyclists. Here are some of the more important bits of safety knowledge for a bicyclist riding a bicycle among larger motor vehicles and as a driver sharing the road with bicyclists. Wear a Bike Helmet Easily one of the best things that someone can do to increase their safety while riding a bicycle is wear a bicycle helmet. Not just any helmet, but a helmet specifically designed for use by bicyclists and that can prevent and reduce the trauma caused by a blow to the head when worn. One of the most common bicycle accident injuries is a traumatic brain injury. Many bicyclists find themselves suffering concussions or worse after riding with a helmet and colliding with either a motor vehicle or a static object. It has repeatedly been shown that wearing a bicycle helmet significantly reduces the chances of someone receiving a traumatic brain injury. Maximize Bicycle Visibility Bicycles have a very similar problem with motorcyclists when it comes to visibility. Many...
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries and How They Occur
Understanding Florida Bicycle Accident Injury Risk Bicycling in Florida is a beloved pastime partaken by many both local and visiting. Beautiful beaches, nature trails, and morning work commutes are filled with cyclists taking their bicycles out. Unfortunately, many cyclists that take to the road end up suffering severe injuries as a result of collisions with motor vehicles. These injuries come in all shapes and sizes with unique ways of affecting a bicycle accident victim’s quality of life. You may be Able to File a Bicycle Accident Injury Claim As a result of these severe bicycle accident injuries, many victims have their lives turned upside down with a number of damages. Some of the most common damages that bicycle accident victims suffer are expensive medical bills for things such as surgery, medications, doctor consultations, and physical therapy. Bicyclists can also end up out of work and miss out on wages that they could have possibly made while they were recovering from their injuries. On top of all of this, there is also an immense amount of pain and suffering involved with the injuries and trauma caused by an accident. What Does it Take to File a Bicycle Accident Claim? By filing a bicycle accident injury...