There is little question that motor vehicles are a major safety concern for cyclists. Typically, those on bicycles have to share the road with motor vehicles unless they travel on designated bike paths.
Cyclists have the same basic rights as anyone else in traffic. They travel with the flow of traffic and must abide by all posted signs and traffic lights. Regardless of how safe they may try to be, cyclists are at the mercy of those in larger vehicles.
The choices that drivers make in traffic can lead to cycling collisions that cause permanent injuries or death for someone on a bicycle. The following are some of the more common ways that drivers injure cyclists in traffic.
Failing to watch for cyclists
Many crashes between bicycles and motor vehicles occur because a driver doesn’t spot the cyclist in traffic. They may stop across the intersection from the cyclist who has the right of way. However, instead of yielding, they proceed through the intersection, striking the cyclist. Bicycles are smaller than motor vehicles and therefore less of a threat to a driver’s safety. If motorists don’t actively look for cyclists, they could easily cause a preventable crash with serious consequences for the person on the bike.
Dooring incidents
A vehicle does not need to be in transit for it to represent a threat to a cyclist. When vehicles stop on the side of the road, they continue to be a safety concern for any cyclist approaching the vehicle on the street. Specifically, the cyclist could be at risk of a dooring incident. Drivers and their passengers may open the doors of a vehicle into traffic. If a cyclist strikes the door, they could suffer blunt force trauma injuries. They could also end up thrown out into traffic, leading to catastrophic injuries. The law does prohibit opening vehicle doors in a way that would cause a crash, but many people don’t stop to check for cyclists before exiting a vehicle.
Backup and frontover collisions
As motor vehicles have become larger, the hazards they create in traffic have become more significant as well. It is very easy for someone in an SUV, pickup truck or crossover vehicle to have a hard time spotting a cyclist nearby. In a frontover collision, someone pulling out of a parking space or driveway may strike a passing cyclist without even realizing they were there. Backup collisions often involve similar circumstances. Drivers become too comfortable relying on their backup traffic cameras. A rapidly approaching cyclist may not appear on camera until the last moment, leading to a preventable collision.
Cyclists cannot do much to control the behavior of others in traffic. Still, they can learn about their rights so that they can pursue compensation after a bicycle-car collision. Recognizing when a driver is to blame for a wreck can help cyclists hold that negligent driver accountable for injuring them in traffic.