Information About Florida Bicycle Accidents You Probably Don’t Know About
According to a news article published in May 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a “bicycle renaissance” in the United States of America. Unfortunately, with an increased number of bicyclists on American roads comes an increased number of bicycle accidents and fatalities. Sadly, just as is with pedestrians, bicyclists usually have little to protect themselves with compared to vehicle occupants. A helmet is generally the only thing that a cyclist has to protect themselves.
Florida Ranked Third Dangerous State for Cyclists
A report from StreetLight Data, a mobility analytics company that ranks U.S. states by biking risk, ranks Florida as the third dangerous state for cyclists. Unfortunately, even though Florida is not ranked as the riskiest state for cycling, the Sunshine State has the most fatalities per capita. According to StreetLight, Delaware is the most dangerous state for cycling, followed by South Carolina. On the other side, StreetLight ranks Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois as the top three safest states for cycling.
To come up with the report, StreetLight used 2018 and 2019 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, together with StreetLight bike mileage data.
Main Causes of Florida Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle accidents in Florida occur due to many reasons. Often, bicyclists are at the mercy of motorists. Even though bicycle accidents occur due to many reasons, the reality is that most Florida bicycle accidents occur due to negligence on the part of motorists. Some of the negligent acts that result in bicycle accidents include;
- Over speeding
- Drunk driving
- Failure to yield
- Turning in front of oncoming bicycles
- Distracted driving
- Reckless driving
- Swerving into bicycles
Even though negligence on the part of motorists is said to be the leading cause of bicycle accidents, you must keep in mind that this is not to say that cyclists are never at fault, at least partially. Nevertheless, it is important that we point out, as a cyclist, even if you are partially to blame for your accident, you can still obtain compensation from an at-fault driver since Florida operates under the pure comparative fault system.
Common Types of Bicycle Accidents
Many types of bicycle accidents occur in the state of Florida. But some of the bicycle accidents that occur quite often include;
- Rear-end collisions
- Dooring
- Left-turn collisions
- Right hook collisions
- Pull-out collisions
Dooring is a common danger for Florida cyclists. This type of crash occurs when a driver or an occupant of a parked vehicle opens the door directly in front of an oncoming cyclist. This type of accident is often the fault of the vehicle occupant who opens the door without checking their mirrors to see if it’s safe to do so.
Common Types of Bicycle Accident-Related Injuries
Unfortunately, if you are a cyclist, you are at a much higher risk of injury if an accident occurs. Some of the common bicycle accident-related injuries include;
- Head and brain injuries, including skull fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and head lacerations
- Neck injuries, including whiplash
- Back injuries, including fractured vertebrae
- Broken bones
- Face injuries
- Internal injuries
- Skin and soft tissue injuries, including road rash, cuts, and lacerations
Contact Us if You Were in a Bicycle Accident in Broward County
The skilled Parkland bicycle accident attorneys at Lyons & Snyder are ready to collect the evidence you need for your bicycle accident case. We can help you prove that another party is liable for your bicycle accident and obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Resource:
usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/these-are-the-most-dangerous-states-for-cyclists
