MARYLAND BICYCLISTS BEWARE OF RIDING THROUGH CROSSWALKS!
By Steve Heisler on January 15, 2009
Lafayette, Colorado teenager Jaideep Mangat was seriously injured in September of 2008 when he was struck by a pickup truck while riding his bicycle through a crosswalk.
According to Michael Bluejay of Bicyclesafe.com, collisions involving cars turning right at an intersection and striking bicycle riders in crosswalks are very common.
“Cars aren’t expecting bikes in the crosswalk, so you have to be careful to avoid this one,” says Bluejay.
Bluejay adds that one study revealed that sidewalk-riding is twice as hazardous as road riding.
How to avoid this kind of collision? Bluejay recommends getting a headlight (in most states this is the law), riding slow enough so that you’re able to come to a complete stop if required, and don’t ride on the sidewalk to begin with.
“Crossing between sidewalks can be a fairly dangerous maneuver. If you do it on the left hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed. If you do it on the right hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed by a car behind you that’s turning right. You also risk getting hit by cars pulling out of parking lots and driveways. These kind of accidents are hard to avoid, which is a compelling reason to not ride on the sidewalk in the first place,” states Bluejay.
If you’ve been injured in a Maryland Bicycle Crosswalk Accident or have any questions, e-mail me at sheisler@injurylawyermd.com.
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Posted in: Bicycle Accidents, Injuries, Pedestrian Accidents |
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