Good weather is a key ingredient to all of the most popular bicycling destinations in the U.S., and Orange County certainly has no shortage of that. Orange County naturally lends itself to a lot of beautiful bicycle paths and trails, like the Santa Ana River Trail, Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Limestone Canyon & Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, and Upper Newport Bay. Unfortunately, Orange County also lends itself to more bicycle accidents than most places. In 2017, there were 1,032 bicycle accidents in Orange County alone. That’s more than Riverside County and San Bernardino County combined, even though Orange County’s population isn’t even close to their combined population. If you have recently been involved in a bicycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact an Orange County bicycle accident attorney at the Crockett Law Group to learn about how we can help you maximize your settlement. Call (800) 900-9393 for a free consultation with a personal injury attorney.
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What Are the Most Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents?
The most common cause of bicycle accidents is being hit by a car, which accounts for about 3 in 10 bicycling injuries according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But what’s more interesting is to look at what exactly causes these accidents between bicyclists and cars. These are the 9 most common causes of bicyclist accidents involving a car we see here in Orange County:Distracted Driving
A driver looking down at their phone is the most common type of distracted driving that causes bicycle accidents. It’s just so easy to miss seeing a bicyclist while you’re texting or checking social media.Failure to Leave a Safe Distance
Sometimes bicyclists and cars have to share the road, like when there’s isn’t any designated bike lane. A motorist driving too close to the bicyclist leaves little room for error.Failure to Yield
We see this where a car intends to turn left but doesn’t wait for the bicyclist to finish crossing the street before initiating their turn.Opening Car Doors
It’s the perfect storm when someone opens their car door at the exact moment that a bicyclist is riding by.Pulling Out of a Driveway
We see this all the time where a bicyclist rides on the sidewalk while a car simultaneously tries to pull out into the road from a parking lot or driveway.Running Stop Signs or Red Lights
A bicyclist legally crossing a road controlled by a stop sign or light signal is naturally going to expect opposing traffic to stop when it’s not their turn. But if a driver fails to stop, a slower-moving bicyclist simply won’t be able to move out of the way in time. Of course, this cuts both ways. Sometimes bicyclists fail to adhere to the rules of the road by not stopping at stop signs and red lights.Speeding
Speeding is one of the most common causes of accidents in general, and bicyclist accidents are no exception. Driving too fast for conditions leaves too little time to avoid colliding with a bicyclist.Turning Into the Bicyclist’s Path
This typically happens when a car tries turning right onto another street but turns into the bicyclist’s path of travel while doing so.Unsafe Lane Changes
Sometimes drivers forget to check before changing lanes. Sometimes they do, but miss seeing a bicyclist who’s in their blind spot. When bicyclists were asked by the NHTSA which actions motorists take that scare them the most, their answers were pretty consistent with the most common causes of bicycle accidents we see. These are the top 5 threats according to bicyclists themselves:- When cars drive too close (39 percent)
- When cars drive too fast (24 percent)
- When cars almost hit them (16 percent)
- When cars cut them off (13 percent)
- Just the presence of cars is threatening (12 percent)
Where Do Most Bicycle Accidents Occur?
Bicyclist accidents are more common in urban areas than they are in rural areas. This is true, too, of fatal bicycle accidents. 68 percent of fatal bicycle accidents happen in urban areas, whereas only 30 percent happen in rural areas. This makes sense if you think about it. Urban areas are more crowded which lends itself to more opportunities for bicycle accidents to happen in the first place. But also, crowded places leave less room for human error. Bicycle accidents are also more common along a roadway than they are at an intersection. According to the NHTSA, 57.3 percent of fatal bicycle accidents happen at non-intersections, whereas only 30.5 percent happen at intersections. Altogether, this means that bicycle accidents are most likely to occur along a roadway in an urban area. For example, think of a bicyclist riding going down E Katella Ave. to get to Angel Stadium of Anaheim for game time. Now that you know where most bicycle accidents occur, consider taking these 5 steps to make yourself more visible to motorists at night so you don’t become a statistic:- Use A Taillight.
- Use A White Headlamp As Required By California Vehicle Code (CVC) 21201.
- Use Reflectors As Required By CVC 21201.
- A rear red reflector.
- A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle.
- White or yellow reflectors on the front sides and white or red reflectors on the rear sides, unless your bike has reflectorized front and rear tires.
- Wear Fluorescent/Reflective Clothing And Shoes.
- Wear Lights On Yourself And Belongings.
Top notch job!
Kevin handled my injury case when I was hit while on my bicycle by an SUV. Kevin and his associates did a professional job for me. They kept me informed and answered my questions and phone calls quickly. They obtained a very favorable settlement for me from other parties insurance company. I would recommend Kevin and I would hire him again.
Blake W., Orange County
What Are the Most Common Bicycle Accident Injuries?
Virtually any body part could get injured in a bicycle accident. For one thing, a bicyclist is relatively unprotected compared to a motorist. Another thing is that a bicyclist usually sustains multiple impacts—first with the car and then again with the ground, for example. This is a list of the most common traumatic injuries for bicyclists here in Orange County, California:- Chest: collapsed lungs, rib fractures, and sternum fractures
- Face and Eyes: corneal foreign bodies, contusions, cracked teeth, and facial fractures
- Internal: bowel trauma, kidney contusion, liver laceration, pancreatic trauma, renal contusion, ruptured spleen, traumatic hernia, and vascular perforation
- Head: brain bleeds, cerebral contusions, concussions, and fractured skulls. Head injuries actually account for 22 to 47 percent of bicycle injuries and more than 60 percent of fatal bicycle injuries according to a journal article in American Family Physician.
- Musculoskeletal: broken bones, sprained ligaments, strained muscles, and torn tendons
- Skin: bruises, lacerations, road rash