Do You Have to Follow the Rules of the Road?

Yesterday was a beautiful day in downtown Scranton. The temperature was in the high 80's, the sun was shining, and there were numerous people out for walks and bike rides, some of our staff included.

Our attorneys have been bringing awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and the dangers motorcyclists face, now we want to focus on bringing awareness to the dangers bicyclists face.  Bicycle accidents account for over 600 deaths annually. Sadly, our attorneys have witnessed the devastation bicycle accidents and injuries cause victims and their families. We want to help prevent as many of these accidents as possible. Below we've listed the top four common causes of bicycle accidents and brief tips on how to avoid these types of accidents.

1. A bicycle enters the roadway from an alley, driveway, parking lot, etc- without stopping to look for traffic. Just as you stop and look both ways before walking across a street, and before driving through an intersection you should the same on your bicycle
2. A bicyclist riding the wrong way in traffic- When you are walking on the street it’s common to walk facing traffic. This rule changes when you are on a bicycle, though. Why? Because bicycles are considered to be vehicles, too, and therefore should follow the same rules of the road as all other vehicles. Ride on the right side of the road, going with the flow of traffic to avoid head on collisions.
3. Motorists passing bicycles- Motorists often pass out bicycles and sometimes misjudge the room they have and by the time they see or realize that they may hit the bicyclist it is often too late to react. These collisions happen most often on narrow roadways, at night, and are usually caused by distracted or impaired drivers. If possible, avoid cycling in dark conditions, on narrow roads, and roads with a speed limit of 35 mph. If you do ride at night be sure to wear reflective gear or have lights on yourself or your bike.
4. Bicyclists failing to obey traffic lights and signs- As mentioned above, bicycles are considered vehicles and as such, must, by law, obey the rules of the road. This includes obeying traffic lights and stop signs. Bicyclists must stop at stop signs, stop at red lights, yield at yellow lights, and yield when there is a yield sign. Watch out for traffic signals and for extra precaution consider walking your bicycle across busy intersections.

Enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having and if you ride a bicycle, please be careful. If you or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle accident, we can help. Call our bicycle accident attorneys at 1-800-444-5309 or fill out the form on our bicycle accident page on our website to email an attorney directly.