Riverside bike crash? "I didn't see him" is not a defense.

Just under two people lose their lives every day throughout the year in the United States, which brings the total to an astounding national average of 726 bicycle/motor vehicle crashes yearly. But what do California bicycle statistics look like overall? What does The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) say about these statistics? What about the Riverside, CA Police Department? What advice does the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles give to the public about bicycle injuries and bicycle-related incidents? How can Riverside bicycle accident lawyers help you after a bicycle-related incident? Answers to these questions will soon follow.

California Bicycle Statistics

According to the Bicycle Guider of 2020, over 1 billion bicycles exist around the world today, with approximately 100,000,000 of them in the United States alone. The number of United States bicycle trips doubled in the last twenty years, going from 1.8 million bicycle trips to 4 billion bicycle trips. Americans spend approximately $81 billion on biking every year, thereby generating 7770,000 jobs and $10 billion in taxes. Surprisingly, in 2015 alone, the US bicycle market was worth 6.2 billion dollars—the same as Cambodia’s and Andorra’s 2017 yearly budget.

With every 19^th person in the world who buys a bicycle each year, accidents are surely prone to occur. During 2018, cyclist deaths ranked highest in September at 12% and lowest in March at 5%, while the highest risk of cycling fatalities falls between June and October, and from between 6 pm and 9 pm. The lowest risk for bicyclists is daytime riding between the hours of 9 am and noon.

But what does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Governors Highway Safety Association have to say?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

According to the NHTSA, since 2009 in Riverside County, injuries and fatalities related to bicycle accidents have gotten better.  2014 ended the year with 0.52 bicyclists (or other cyclists) fatalities and ended 2018 with 0.29 bicyclists (or other cyclist fatalities). While these statistics indeed appear encouraging, what does the Count of Riverside have to say?

County of Riverside, California

The city of Riverside is divided into 26 neighborhoods and two industrial parks but has only two designated off-street bike paths. While the elementary and middle schools allow bicycle parking, the question is: where can a bicyclist safely ride?

Back on May 22, 2007, The City of Riverside adopted a Bicycle Master Plan, of which many objectives have been met.

Its agenda described bicycle and safety educational programs (customized for bicyclists of all ages) conducted in the plan’s area, wherein the efforts by the law enforcement agency have primary traffic law enforcement responsibility in the plan’s area to enforce provisions of the Vehicle Code pertaining to the operation of bicycles and compile existing data on the resulting affecting on accidents involving bicyclists.

The city of Riverside encompasses 90 square miles and has over 70 miles of existing bikeways. So why do bicycle commuters choose to ride in Riverside?

The city is known for the temperate climate, grid-based street network, parks and trails, and scenic vistas. So how many Riverside commuters ride to work?

On average, for commuters that ride to work in 15-29 minutes—a statistic that represents 36% of US commuters, 35% of California commuters, and 31% of Riverside commuters—that total equals 35,883 riders daily—not including the children going to school, those who enjoy their daily recreational riding, etc. Commuter trips only make up 20% of the data above.

With that high number of commuters, imagine the number of accidents that could happen just in Riverside alone?

Two skill levels separate Riverside, California bicyclists: causal riders and experienced riders. For those bicyclists, the county has provided safety tips, parkway maps, a bicycle club, and a home for a bicycle program providing a list of bicycling resources for bicyclists.

The County of Riverside, California, has provided a list of trip characteristics, objectives, and example routes that only cyclists of specific capabilities might take.

State of California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

According to the DMV, over 100 bicyclists in California are killed each year, while over 10,000 are injured in collisions. The DMV for California offers the following safety tips while riding a bicycle on the streets of Cali.

Safety Tips for Bicyclists

• Control your bicycle.
• Protect yourself by wearing a helmet.
• Always stay alert.
• Obey all traffic laws.
• Use lights and reflectors during the night.
• Ride in a safe lane position.

Sharing the Road

• Obey traffic signals and signs.
• Use the bicycle lanes.
• Make left turns using traffic lanes.
• Make left turns using crosswalks.

The City of Riverside offers two different types of safety classes:

1. Traffic Safety Classes. Geared for those ages 6-18 and offered in February, May, August, and November. Approximately 1-1.5 hours long. Please accompany your children. Helmets sold at a discounted rate.)
2. Bicycle Safety Classes. Geared for neighborhood riders or community groups and clubs. Class can be customized to fit the needs of the groups.

How Riverside Bicycle Accident Lawyers Can Help

TORKLAW's Riverside bicycle accident lawyers know their stuff, and can help you get compensation and closure following a bicycle-related injury.

Our team will:

• Focus on holding negligent drivers responsible for the injuries you have endured
• File lawsuits against liable parties including (but not limited to):
  • Automobile manufacturers for unsafe car design
  • Helmet and other bicycle gear manufacturers for product defects
  • Local and state transportation agencies for unsafe road and highway design
  • Street construction companies for inadequate maintenance and negligent construction
  • Commercial landowners for failure to maintain a safe parking lot, driveway, or sidewalk
• Help victims receive the maximum financial and physical recovery by identifying all responsible parties
• Determine the common causes behind the bicycle accident in Riverside County
  • Left-hand turn incidents
  • Right turn incidents

Bicycle accidents can cause devastating and heart-wrenching ramifications. But you do not need to feel alone. TORKLAW can help you with your Riverside bicycle accident injury needs. Contact us today and let us help you carry the load.