Bike accidents can be caused by everything from driver inattention to road rage; learning more about the most common types of bicycle accidents allows you to take steps to prevent accidents when you are sharing the road with motor vehicles. While every accident is unique, most bike accidents fall into one of several categories, detailed below.
3 Types of Common Bike Accidents
Right Side Collisions
These are very common and occur when a car makes a turn that invades the cyclist’s space on the right hand side. In many cases, the cyclist has already passed the car; as the vehicle makes the turn, it clips the bike, causing an accident and injuries. Right side collisions happen when cars are exiting parking lots, alleys, driveways and garages. While left hand accidents can happen, the right side collision is far more common, due to typical traffic patterns and road setups. Avoid this common accident type by increasing your visibility; right side collisions often happen because the driver of the car is not paying attention or does not see the bike until it is too late.
Rear Ended on a Bike
It happens more often than you would think; a cyclist is rear ended by an impatient or inattentive driver. This accident can occur at any time but is most often seen when traffic is heavy and during rush hour, when drivers are in a hurry to get to work or are heading home. Since a rear end collision on a bike can lead to significant injury, lights, high visibility gear and reflective tape can help make you more visible on the road.
Hit by a Door
These accidents, also called “dooring”, are occurring more frequently, as cyclists begin to share city streets and populated areas with cars. A dooring accident is caused when the driver of a parked car opens the door directly in the path of a cyclist. The bicyclist can’t get out of the way in time, and ends up hitting the door. Again, visibility can help prevent this accident; simple awareness of cars you are approaching or passing can help as well.
Learning more about these common accident types can help you share the road successfully and safely with other drivers. We hope you’ll never need our assistance, but if you are injured in a bicycle accident, we can help. Get in touch right away to talk about your options and discover what our Redlands personal injury team can do for you.