Bicycles may not amount to a whole lot when it comes to people using them for real traveling purposes, but the truth is that bicycle accidents can be dangerous for the rider. There is a huge risk of crashes and even death when a bicycle crashes with another vehicle on the road. You should read more here about why they happen below.
With more than a thousand deaths happening because of bicycle accidents in the United States alone and hundreds of thousands of injuries happening as well, it is something that has certainly caused a lot of worries.
Top Causes of Injury Among Bicycle Riders
Bicyclists are on two wheels while most vehicles are on four wheels. So chances of them being in serious accidents are high on the road, especially on a busy one. Here are some of the important causes of injury that they face:
- Being hit by a car
- Badly maintained roads
- Falling from the bike
- Collision with a fixed object
- The fault of the biker
Bicycle accidents can commonly happen on bylanes, intersections, and city streets. It is often found that when a car hits a bicycle, nothing much happens to the car or its driver, but the bicyclist is seriously injured. That is why keeping as safe as possible at all times during the ride is necessary.
Reason Behind Bicycle Accidents
There are so many reasons why such accidents take place and the common ones are mentioned below:
1. Car Drivers that are Distracted
This has to be the No. 1 reason why such accidents occur. Car drivers being distracted is hardly uncommon in today’s times. Whether it is talking on the phone or texting, anything can distract car drivers and cause accidents on the road. And the funny thing is, this can be prevented easily.
2. Speeding
Whether it is the bicycle speeding or the driver of another vehicle speeding, it can be said with confidence that it can cause accidents. Usually, it is the other driver and because it is a bicycle, accidents happen easily. Speeding is a no-no even in areas that do not explicitly mention it.
3. Cutting Off
Many car drivers are prone to cut off bicyclists, putting them in a situation when the rider may be injured seriously, it is just not okay to cut off any kind of vehicle on the road because it can lead to more problems than one.
4. Opening a Car Door
This is such a simple issue but can be dangerous if you are a cyclist. A car door that is being opened without noticing there is a cyclist behind, or even, car doors kept open in a stationery location, can be the cause for an accident.
5. Aggressive Driving
Some car drivers are just too aggressive on the road and that is also one of the common reasons why bicycle accidents happen.
As you can see, bicycle accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, most of them being preventable. So take extra precautions if you are a cyclist and it will be easier for you to stay safe.