Common Causes of New York City Bicycle Accidents

Bike Crash Injury Lawyers Serving Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx

Bicyclists are a common part of New York City traffic, although they are frequently overlooked by motorists. State law makes clear that bicyclists “shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle,” but too many motorists fail to share the road with bikes.

Tragedies can happen when a New York driver doesn’t take the time to notice a bicycle or doesn’t fully respect a bicyclist’s right to use the roads. Bicyclists in New York City are particularly susceptible to collisions at intersections, where motor vehicles can pull out in front of or turn in front of oncoming bicycles. Accidents can also happen when motorists crowd into a bicycle’s lane of travel or when they fail to check their mirrors and blind spots before switching lanes.

Even though the city has hundreds of miles of bike lanes on its streets, it is unclear whether those lanes improve safety for cyclists. Some studies indicate motorists are prone to turning right across bike lanes without checking for bicycles, and bike lanes may also give riders a false sense of security.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a New York bicycle accident, protect your rights by calling the New York City bike accident injury attorneys at David Resnick & Associates, PC. There is no obligation for the consultation, so call today at (212) 279-2000 or contact our injury lawyers through our online form.

Common Causes Of New York Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists accounted for 630 fatalities and 51,000 injuries in collisions with motor vehicles nationwide in 2009, according to recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Although those numbers have been trending downward in recent decades, there is still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to bicycle safety.

Federal Highway Administration statistics show that almost 70 percent of bicyclist fatalities occur in urban areas like New York City. About half of all bicycle-motor vehicle crashes are associated with intersections, and about three-quarters happen on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less.

Here are some of the common causes of bicycle-motor vehicle collisions:

• Crashes at traffic lights often happen when a bicyclist stops on the right side of a motor vehicle waiting at a red light. When the light turns green, the motorist will often make a right turn into the bicyclist because the driver did not check to see if there was a cyclist in his or her blind spot.
• Other vehicles making left turns also pose a hazard for bicyclists. Motorists may not be keeping a proper lookout for bicycles and will make a left-hand turn immediately in front of them either at an intersection or when turning into a driveway or parking lot.
• Motor vehicles pulling out from cross streets, driveways or parking lots can hit a cyclist or cause the bike rider to hit the motor vehicle. Parked cars and other obstacles can contribute to this problem by obstructing the motor vehicle driver’s vision, as well as that of the bicyclist.
• Opening car doors pose a real danger to bicyclists in New York City. A driver or passenger of a motor vehicle that is parallel parked at the curb can unwittingly open a door into the path of an oncoming bicyclist. The website bicyclesafe.com lists at least two dozen bicyclists who were killed in recent years when they collided with an open vehicle door — and several of those fatal accidents were in New York City.
• Motor vehicles making right turns can cut off a bicyclist riding to the right of the lane. In some instances, the driver fails to check mirrors and blind spots before making a right-hand turn. In other cases, a motorist will see the bicyclist and pass to turn right but underestimate the speed of the bicycle they just passed, cutting off the cyclist and either hitting the bike directly or causing the cyclist to collide with the side of the turning motor vehicle. These scenarios can happen even if the cyclist is riding in a dedicated bike lane.
• Motor vehicles exiting driveways can be very dangerous, particularly if a bicyclist is riding on a sidewalk (an activity that is generally banned in New York City for cyclists older than 12). Drivers generally do not anticipate bicycles on the sidewalk and might check for traffic in only one direction. However, even if a cyclist is riding on the street, a motorist who fails to keep a proper lookout may collide with a bike while pulling out of a driveway.
• Riding on sidewalks also poses dangers at intersections where motorists expect foot traffic but might not anticipate a faster-moving bike to be in the mix. This is particularly an issue if the cyclist is riding against traffic.
• Rear-end collisions are many cyclists’ greatest concern, but statistics show that they are relatively rare. FHWA figures show that rear-end collisions with bikes account for less than 4 percent of all bicycle-motor vehicle accidents. However, cyclists are prone to being hit from behind in city traffic, particularly if motorists are not paying attention or if the cyclists dip into and out of gaps in traffic instead of following a straight line of travel.
• Driving under the influence and distracted driving threaten bicyclists’ safety just as those behaviors pose a threat to other motorists. In fact, because bikes are smaller and less visible, cyclists may be more vulnerable to a collision with a distracted driver or someone operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Were You Hurt In A Bicycle Accident? Call Our New York City Lawyers Today

If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a New York City bicycle wreck and someone else was at fault, you could be entitled to compensation. The personal injury attorneys at David Resnick & Associates, PC, are skilled at evaluating traffic accident claims and have a track record of getting results for our clients.

Call our firm today at (212) 279-2000 or use our New York City, including the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, NY and Long Island.