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5 Most Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Ormond Beach

Recent statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reveal that almost 5,000 bicycle riders across the state were involved in a bicycle accident in 2009.

Ormond Beach bicycle crash victims may discover the Florida bicycle accident law is on their side, depending on the accident that occurred.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the 5 top common causes of bicycle accidents are:

• Collisions – This occurs when a bicyclist crashes with a motor vehicle or another bicycle.
• Losing Control – There are various reasons a rider loses control such as riding too fast, trouble with braking, riding double, riding a bike that is too large or doing tricks.
• Structural and Mechanical Problems – These types of issues often cause a crash due to a failure with the brakes, chain or pedals detaching, a loose wheel or steering mechanism, trouble with shifting gears, or spokes bending or breaking.
• Entanglement Problems – This happens when a person’s clothing, hands or feet gets caught in the bicycle.
• Pedal Slips – Some accidents occur when a bicyclist’s foot slips off the bike’s pedal.

Bicyclists may suffer severe, long-lasting issues when they are facing the consequences of an accident. State law has established safety regulations on road systems within Florida so cyclists and drivers can share the road; however, many times this cooperation is ignored, causing major accidents and severe injuries.

Florida is ranked as one of the most dangerous states for bicyclists coming in with a total of 4,774 bicycle crashes for 2009.

The breakdown of crash statistics for 2009 from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles lists:

• 99 bicyclists killed;
• 1 bicycle passenger killed;
• 4,376 bicyclists injured; and
• 49 bicycle passengers injured.

In 1996, The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) released a comprehensive report that examined bike and motor vehicle accidents that caused the most serious injuries and death to cyclists in the previous year. While the statistics are dated, the data from the report is still helpful when trying to comprehend what leads to a car and bicycle collision.

Here are some of the most common riding scenarios included in the FHA’s most recent extensive report that were found to lead to serious injury or even death:

• a bicyclist pedaling out of a driveway in front of an on-coming vehicle;
• the bicyclist turns left in front of a passing vehicle;
• a motorist trying to pass a bicyclist;
• a bicyclist struck while riding on the wrong side of the road( left side)
• the bicyclist riding on the wrong side, made a right turn in front of a vehicle;
• the motorist couldn’t see the bicyclist;
• the bicyclist lost control of his bike and veered into the path of a car;
• the bicyclist made a left turn but disregarded on-coming vehicles;
• the motorist lost control of the vehicle and hit the bicyclist.

By looking at what has caused serious injury or death in years past, we can get an understanding of what safety measures could help prevent accidents in the future.

A bike accident near Ormond Beach requires a personal injury attorney who understands Florida bicycle accident law. The goal of the insurance company is to pay as little as possible to settle your claim. Obtaining the compensation you deserve is the job of an experienced Ormond Beach personal injury lawyer you can trust.

For more on traffic safety issues, see the library of articles by Ormond Beach bicycle accident attorney.

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