Bicycle accidents are unfortunately increasingly common in both California and Arizona, causing many to seek damages to compensate for their losses. Defensive driving and being aware of your surroundings are the best tools for safety, as is making sure your bicycle is properly maintained, making sure to wear a helmet, and obeying all street laws to avoid accidents as best you can. In addition to wearing a properly fitted bicycle helmet, here are five products every bicycle rider should have at their disposal.
Riding on poorly-inflated or leaking tires can be dangerous, as can finding yourself in the middle of nowhere with a tire that needs patching, or a disconnected chain. You should carry a small kit with your patch kit, spare tire tube, levers to switch out tubes, and a pump to make sure you are prepared. It’s also smart to include a small first aid kit, as well as a multi-tool, should your repair needs be a little more complicated.
Your helmet, shoes, bicycle, and your top layer of clothing should all have reflective elements on them, if possible. Reflective leg bands will work to reflect light and keep you visible, and also help to keep your paints from getting caught in your chain. You should also carry extra backup reflective tape should you lose any on the ride or be stuck with less reflective clothing than normal.
Hand and arm injuries are incredibly common in bicycle accidents, so wearing bicycle gloves can at least keep your hands free of injuries to your palm, and cushion the blow a bit.
Installing a light on the front and back of your bike increases visibility overall. Installing them will announce your presence the same way a motorcycle’s does, making people aware of your positioning. Having a bike bell or horn is also important in the case of needing to indicate your presence to other bicycles, motorists, or pedestrians. Combined with defensive driving, both of these items should decrease your likelihood of a crash.
Mirrors can be installed directly on the bicycle, on your helmet, or both. These will make your ability to see behind you easier, especially since it can be difficult and dangerous to look too far over your shoulder while maneuvering a bicycle. In case of an accident, it also doesn’t hurt to have a “dashcam” type digital camera, most of which come with the equipment to tape to your helmet or handlebars, and which can help in the case of determining fault in an accident.
Safe driving and bicycle riding are always your first line of defense, and you should always assume – and drive as though – no one else can see you. Signal, drive defensively, and try to remain visible and as obvious as possible. Unfortunately, the busier the roads, the more common accidents will become. If you are the victim of a bicycle accident, you should speak with an attorney to understand your rights as soon as possible.
blogs
How Truck Accidents are Different from Car Crashes
Even though all types of auto accident are dangerous and have the potential to cause life-altering injuries, truck accidents are nearly, if not always catastrophic or fatal. Unfortunately, they’re becoming quite common. According to the Truck Safety Coalition, about 5,000 people died in truck crashes last year, marking a 46% increase in truck crash deaths […]
Five Slip and Fall Facts
The more we have to go out into the world, the more dangers we’ll face. The key is not to be worried about it, but to be prepared and act safely. It also helps to know what to do and who to contact in the case of suffering a slip and fall injury yourself. Avoiding […]
5 Ways Parents can Encourage Safe Teen Driving
For teenagers, getting a driver’s license is a significant milestone. It marks the beginning of independence and instills a sense of responsibility. Most teen parents often share their children’s excitement but remain equally apprehensive since they’re well-aware of the dangers that come with driving. And they do have a perfectly valid reason to fret because […]
Commercial Truck Accidents
While it may not seem like it, there are bigger differences when dealing with a truck accident than just the size of the vehicle. Although they are well insured, companies with commercial trucks will fire back at you with a whole legal team to avoid paying out for damage, injury, or even death. This is […]
Looking Out for Motorcycles
In 2019, the number of deaths caused by motorcycles was found to be 29 times that of deaths caused by cars. Motorcycles can go very fast, they have no sides to protect the rider, they are more difficult to see on the road and they do not perform well in bad weather. While it is […]
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycles may be a reliably safe mode of transportation but, as in so many accidents out in the world, the problem is not often with the mode of transportation you’re in, but how the person who hits you is traveling. Every year, more than 50,000 bicyclists are injured in collisions with automobiles. Too few of […]
Hit by a Police Car? Here’s What You Need to Know
Although car accidents are pretty common on Californian roads, car crashes involving law enforcement officers are quite rare. However, this is not to mean they do not happen. A police officer might cause an accident during a police chase against a suspect, or even due to negligence. What do you do when you are injured […]
Stay Safe in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
In the history of cars, hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles are still essentially brand-new. With new technology comes a new way to look at transportation. This includes an eye toward safety – anything new in automobiles is going to require a new understanding of how they work, what the dangers are, and how to maintain […]
The Most Unsafe Era for Pedestrians in 40 Years
Pedestrian safety is of utmost importance right now, and not just because pedestrians legally have the right of way in most places in the United States. Being asafer pedestrian is always key to avoiding injuries by being aware of ones surroundings and avoiding distractions, but as it stands, North Americans are not stemming the tide […]
Benefits of a Dashboard Camera
As we all know, the streets and highways of California can be a wild place and accidents can happen. Collisions can range from disorienting to terrifying, and reconstructing the events around a crash can be a challenge in some cases. While there are more street and traffic light cameras than ever before, obviously not every angle of […]
contact form