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Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle riding is an enjoyable sport. Many people hop on their bikes and go. What many people don't know is that bicycling is an extremely dangerous sport. Not because a bicyclist is at risk of losing a wheel or having a pedal fall off, but the risk of getting hit by a car. When we were kids, all the bike stores used to have these orange flags that you'd attach to the back of your bike that allowed cars to see you. Nobody uses those things anymore. Instead we rely on people to wear helmets and wear reflective clothing to warn drivers that there's a biclyclist nearby.

The problem is that bicyclists appear to be going very slow when compared to a car travelling at greater speed. The differences between a bicycle rider and a passenger in a 4000 pound car are incredible. Behind all the glass, steel, metal, rubber, mechanics and electronics is a driver and passengers. Every safety device is found on cars today; pre-tensioned seat belts, air bags, air curtains, anti-lock brakes, anti-slip devices, stabilization devices, skid-control, seats that immediately fold backwards to minimize injury to neck and back (in a Volvo) are just a few.

Contrast that with the saftey devices on a bike:

Reflectors, front and back. Reflective stripes on a bike rider's sneakers, jacket and pants. Headlight and rear light, and also a blinking red light to alert cars. A bike rider wears a helmet to protect him from injuring his head. That's it!

Bicycle accidents happen often when bike riders are hit by cars turning and they don't see the bike rider. Another type of bike accident involves getting 'doored' where a person in a parked car opens their door into moving traffic and hits a passing biker causing damage and injury. Many bikers have been thrown into the middle of the street and suffered horrible injury when they then get run over by a passing car or truck; all because the person opening their car door never bothered to look behind them to see if there was anyone there.

As with most accidents, bike accidents can be preventable. Be aware of your surroundings, watch the weather and ride safely. If you've been in an accident, get yourself to a hospital, then call an experienced lawyer who's represented injured people in all five boroughs of New York including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and also Nassau and Suffolk Counties. A serious injury deserves a serious attorney committed to helping you and representing you.

I know first-hand the effects of a bike accident with a car. Trust yourself to an experienced bicyclist and an experienced attorney. Call Gerry Oginski today for your free consultation 516-487-8207. Until then, be safe.

Library for Bicycle Accidents:

• Bicycle Accidents In New York- Bicycle V. Car, Who Wins?   
  Description: Learn what a young man went through when he was smashed into the road by a fast-moving car who never saw the bicyclist. Learn what safety features bicyclists have compared to a car. Read what an experienced New York accident lawyer has to say about bicycles and cars and what happens when they unintentionally meet up.
• My Bicycle Accident   
  Description: Gerry describes how a woman who didn't look caused an accident with him while he was riding his bicycle. A riveting story of a great bike ride gone horribly bad.
• The 10 Most Common Car-Bike Collisions & How to Avoid Them   
  Description: The following material examines the 10 most common bicycle-car collision types and discusses how cyclists and drivers can avoid them.
  
  This is considered essential reading for all cyclists and all drivers.
• Read about Gerry's recent bicycle accident [PDF]   
  Description: Bike accident, bicycle, bicycle accident, car accident, bike injury, bike injuries, cannondale, cannondale bike, damages, hurt, pain, suffering
• My Bicycle Accident - A Detailed Account Of a Woman Who Didn't Care [PDF]   
  Description: My Bicycle Accident - A Detailed Account Of a Woman Who Didn't Care. Gerry describes in vivid detail what happened to him when a woman opened her car door into moving traffic without looking. Unfortunately for Gerry, he was riding a bicycle at the time, and not driving his car. In his case, the bicycle accident was traumatic and forced him over the handlebars and right into the middle of the road.
• Common questions about bicycle and pedestrian traffic laws in the State of New York   
  Description: Common questions about bicycle and pedestrian traffic laws in the State of New York
• Bicycle and Pedestrian laws in the State of New York   
  Description: Read frequent questions that arise when bike riders share the road with cars. Learn what the rules of the road are in New York State. Read about what a pedestrian's legal responsibilities are as they cross the road.
  
  Bikes, bicycles, bicycle law, New York, State of New York, bike accidents, bicycle accidents, laws for pedestrians, pedestrian, bike, laws for bicyclists, rules of the road, New York State bicycle laws, New York State pedestrian laws.
• How not to get hit by cars- 10 Ways not to get hit by a car   
  Description: Bicycle safety
  How not to get hit by cars
  Bicycle accidents
• Ten ways to avoid getting hit by cars while bicycle riding   
  Description: Ten ways to avoid getting hit by cars while bicycle riding.

Frequent Questions for Bicycle Accidents:

• What type of bike do you like to ride?
• Bicycle Accidents In New York- Bicycle v. Car, Who Wins?

Videos about Bicycle Accidents:

• My Bicycle Accident

Web Resources for Bicycle Accidents:

• 5 Borough Bicycle Club

  Description: 5BBC advocates for your right to ride, and to ride safely
  Your bicycle club has joined with Transportation Alternatives and other organizations in efforts to restore 24-hour bicycle access to the George Washington Bridge.
  We promote the Bike Safety Action Plan, a set of workable proposals to make your city a safer place to ride.
  Safe bicycle riding begins with YOU. Here are some of our favorite tips for a safe ride.
  Welcome to the website of New York's Five Borough Bicycle Club. We invite you to explore these pages, then get on your bike and explore the city and countryside with us.
  
  We offer day rides every weekend and many holidays. We also offer multi-day weekend trips, monthly meetings, and classes on bike repair. And each May, the 5BBC hosts New York's bicycling event of the year, the Montauk Century.

• Bicycle Traffic Safety- Ken Kifer's Bike Pages

  Description: Articles on bike traffic safety. Bicycle traffic accidents, also called cycling accidents, pedalcycle accidents, bicycle crashes, pedalcycle crashes, and bike-car collisions, can be avoided through understanding why they occur.

• New York State Bicycle and Pedestrian Laws- Sharing the Road

  Description: COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT BICYCLE
  AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC LAWS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

• Oregon Bicycle Accident Attorney

  Description: Bicycle accident attorney, Michael Colbach also handles Vehicle Accidents, Automobile, Motorcycle, Bicycle, Truck, Bus, Light Rail, Scooter, ATV - All Terrain, and Snowmobile accidents.

• The 10 Most Common Car-Bike Collisions & How to Avoid Them

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