Sharing The Road This School Year To Minimize Florida Bicycle Accidents
With school back in session, there might not be as many kids riding their bikes around neighborhoods as there are during the summer months, but there are a lot of children and teens who ride their bicycles to school. Unfortunately, bicyclists—including children riding their bicycles to and from school—are often in danger of being hit by drivers of motor vehicles.
Drivers of cars and trucks often have a hard time spotting children because they are smaller; however, there is no excuse for not seeing a child on a bicycle. The reason that many drivers fail to see bicycles is because they aren’t looking out for them. Most drivers are paying attention to the traffic that they fail to see bikes; however, bicycles have a right to be out on the road with moving motor vehicles and are, in fact, considered a legal vehicle.
This means that children have a right to ride their bicycles to and from school without being put in danger. Unfortunately, children are frequently put in danger while riding their bicycles due to:
- Distracted drivers,
- Drowsy drivers,
- Drunk drivers,
- Aggressive drivers,
- Reckless drivers,
- Negligent and careless drivers, and
- Drivers who speed.
Drivers and bicyclists need to always be sharing the road with each other in order to reduce Florida bicycle accidents, injuries and fatalities. If drivers would keep in mind that bicycles will be out on the road with them and that they need to yield to bicyclists, cyclists will be much safer. Additionally, drivers need to make sure they frequently clean their windshields so they aren’t affected by the grime on their windows and glare from the sun that can make it harder to see bicyclists and pedestrians.
Both drivers of motor vehicles and bicyclists—both children and adults—need to know that the greatest chance of a bicycle fatality is between 4 p.m. and midnight, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So that fatal bicycle accidents involving children are reduced, children need to minimize riding bicycles between these hours, and drivers of vehicles need to be extra careful and pay special attention to bicyclists during these times.
If your child has been injured or killed in a bicycle accident, you most likely have a claim for damages. To find out your rights and to access the maximum compensation available to you, contact an experienced South Florida personal injury lawyer for a free consultation today. Simply contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld at 954-677-0155 to learn about your rights.
