Bike Accident Injuries

In 2008, the number of people injured in bike accidents in the United States was on the rise. There were 52,000 injuries and 716 deaths according to government data. The total number of injuries has been steadily rising in recent years but the experts are at a loss as to the reasons why.

Many people think that children account for most of the deaths in bicycle accidents in the United States but that is not the case. The average age of people who died was 41 years old and the average age of those injured was 30. The vast majority of the victims in bicycle accidents are men; 88 percent of the bicyclists who died were male and 80 percent of those injured were male. Government statistics show most of the fatal accidents occurred between 5 and 9pm and occurred in urban areas.

The most common cause of bicycle accidents, according to a recent study, was cyclists pulling out of a driveway into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Other frequent causes include the cyclist turning left in front of a passing car and the cyclist losing control and swerving into the path of the car. The study shows the bicycle operator was frequently at fault in the crash.

Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of all bicycle related deaths according to the U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This agency has determined that non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a deadly crash than riders who wear helmets. A number of studies conducted on the benefits of riders wearing a helmet show the extent of head injuries can be significantly reduced. It has been estimated that it costs over $2 billion dollars per year to care for bicycle riders who have chosen not to wear helmets.

Most states now have laws requiring bicycle helmets for riders. The vast majority of the laws only apply to children under a certain age and there are 14 states with no laws regarding helmets. There are several examples of helmet laws reducing the number of head related injuries. In California, a study for Accident Analysis and Prevention showed that the number of injuries fell by 18 percent after the helmet law for teens took effect. A similar study by Pediatrics magazine discovered that in Canada the head injury rate was 45 percent lower in provinces with helmet laws than in those without.

The Alabama injury attorneys of Burns, Cunningham & Mackey, P.C., have experience litigating medical malpractice, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, and other personal injury cases, in addition to business litigation cases.