Avoiding Disaster: Different Types of Bicycle Collisions

Different Types of Bicycle Collisions

Bicycle safety is a topic that is generally talked about in a very broad, and therefore ineffective, way. This lack of information about bike safety has led many riders to being forced to hire a personal injury attorney.

Safety experts tell you to use common sense, to be aware of your surroundings at all times, and to wear safety equipment during every ride.

What they don’t tell you, however, is how to handle specific situations that most commonly lead to injuries for riders.
When you’re riding, the last thing you want to think about is having to hire a personal injury lawyer in Kentucky as the result of an incident that could have been avoided.

To help you prevent this issue, let’s take a look at a few different types of bicycle collisions and what you can do to avoid them.

#1 – Door Crash

The door crash is a collision that happens when you’re riding and a parked car opens its door. You, the rider, are unable to swerve out of the way to avoid the door opening and proceed to crash into the door.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult types of bicycle collisions to avoid, as it’s almost impossible to tell when a driver intends on opening their door.

Because of this, the best way to prevent a door crash is to avoid putting yourself in the position of riding too close to the doors of parked cars.

While there are times when this is unavoidable, you’re much better off riding a bit further out in the road, where oncoming drivers can see you clearly and act accordingly, then to trust that a parked driver won’t abruptly open their door.

#2 – Red Light Scenario

One of the most common bicycle accident scenarios is when both you and a driver are stopped at a red light.
As the light turns green, the driver doesn’t see you and makes the turn while you’re riding straight. The result is you needing to hire a personal injury lawyer in Kentucky.

To avoid this scenario, you need to first put yourself in a position where the driver knows that you’re there.
If you’re unable to do so, you should at least be aware of whether or not the driver has their turn signal on. If they do and you think that they haven’t seen you, hang back until they’ve made their turn.

If the driver fails to put their turn signal on and causes a preventable accident, it’s in your best interest to get in touch with a Northern Kentucky personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

#3 – Right Crossover Scenario

Another common type of bicycle collision is the right crossover scenario. In this situation, the driver is pulling left, through the right lane of traffic, to exit off of a side street or parking lot.

You, as the rider, are going at a steady pace down the right lane. Since drivers are generally only looking for other cars, they pull out when they see a clear right lane and end up hitting you.

Avoiding injury in this situation is as simple as getting the attention of the driver that is doing the crossover.
If you feel that you haven’t gotten their attention, it’s best to slow down as much as possible until you know that they aren’t pulling out.

If they do end up pulling out and causing an accident, you’ll definitely want to get in touch with a personal injury lawyer in Covington once you’ve received the proper medical treatment.