Bicycle Accident Trends And Prevention In Southern California

In this article, you can discover:

• A statistical overview of bicycle accidents in Southern California.
• The primary causes of bicycle accidents and their severe consequences.
• Some common types of injuries resulting from bicycle accidents.
• General guidelines for bicycle accident injury claims in California.

How Often Do Bicycle Accidents Happen In Southern California?

From 2018 to 2022, approximately 2,500 individuals sustained injuries annually in bicycle accidents in Southern California, with about 35 fatalities each year. These incidents predominantly occur on roads with speed limits exceeding 35 miles per hour.

They also often occur on routes with at least three lanes of traffic in each direction. A significant proportion, over half, of these accidents and injuries happen in the evening, often in areas lacking bike infrastructure, such as dedicated bike lanes.

What Are The Most Common Causes Of Bicycle Accidents That Result In Injuries?

The primary causes of bicycle accidents leading to injuries include:

1. Distracted driving: This is the most prevalent cause, where drivers are not fully attentive to the road.
2. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
3. Riding against traffic: About 25% of bicycle-motor vehicle accidents occur when cyclists ride against oncoming traffic.
4. Right cross collisions: This happens when cyclists riding alongside traffic are struck by vehicles pulling out from side streets or driveways.
5. Left cross collisions: These occur when an oncoming motorist turns left in front of a cyclist.
6. Rear-end collisions: These happen when cyclists fail to brake in time or swerve unexpectedly.
7. Right hook collisions: Occur when a vehicle overtakes a cyclist and then makes a right turn, cutting off the cyclist.
8. Overtaking accidents: When a vehicle attempts to pass a cyclist and makes contact.
9. Dooring: This involves a parked car’s door opening into the path of a cyclist.
10. Uncontrolled intersection accidents: These occur at intersections without clear right-of-way signals.
11. Road rage incidents.
12. Collisions with pedestrians: Especially in areas lacking sidewalks.

Notably, 54% of these crashes result in serious injury or fatality. It’s crucial for cyclists to remain vigilant and for drivers to be aware of and cautious around cyclists.

What Are The Most Common Types Of Injuries That Result From Bicycle Accidents?

The most frequent injuries from bicycle accidents are:

1. Concussions and head injuries: They account for 25-50% of cyclist injuries and over 60% of fatalities.
2. Spinal cord injuries: Often leading to paralysis or chronic pain, these injuries represent a significant portion of bicycle-related injuries.
3. Facial injuries: Despite helmet use, cyclists often suffer injuries to the face, including fractures, dislocated jaws, or loss of teeth.
4. Bone fractures: Cyclists commonly incur broken bones, such as collarbones, hands, wrists, pelvis, femurs, arms, feet, and ankles, often requiring surgery and extensive physical therapy.

Death is also a notable outcome of these accidents, underscoring the severity of these incidents. For more information on Bicycle Accident Injury Claims In California, an initial consultation is your next best step.