Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle ridership is increasingly touted as a cheap, easy, environmentally-friendly way to burn calories and get to your destination.

There is ample evidence to suggest bicycle ridership has increased in Florida and nationally over the last several years. This is good for our air quality and overall health.

But there are some downsides to it as well, most notably being the dramatic rise in the number of bicyclist injuries and deaths.

Recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study analyzing the number of bicycle trauma injuries and hospital admissions in the U.S. between 1998 and 2013. Doctors reported that the number of hospital admissions due to bicycle injuries during this time nearly doubled during this time.
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Bicycling in Florida can be great. There are many miles of flat, picturesque terrain and weather that is generally conducive year-round to good riding (though you may opt for an early morning or evening jaunt at the peak of summer).

But bicycling in Florida is also very dangerous.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports a 19 percent increase in pedalcyclist fatalities since 2010, with Florida having by far the highest percentage of bicycle deaths. We had 6.80 bicycle deaths per million, and a total of 133 for the year in 2013. That was far in excess of any other state – even those with much higher populations.

We also know that an increasing number of riders are over the age of 65, with many even over the age of 70. A report last year by peopleforbikes.org found that between 1995 and 2009, there was a 320 percent increase in bicycling rates for those between the ages of 60 and 79.
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Accidents involving large trucks and bicyclists/pedestrians are a serious problem in urban areas. The growth of e-commerce has meant more trucks venturing into cities, while cycling as a form of transportation and recreation has rapidly gained popularity.

Part of what makes these collisions so dangerous (aside from the fact that cyclists and pedestrians have little to no protection from these huge masses of metal) is that so many people end up being knocked underneath the vehicle. That puts them at risk for being run over – and sometimes even dragged – by the back wheels.

There are a number of incidents that point to this issue in South Florida.
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Florida has become a more dangerous place for cyclists, according to the most recent data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The latest Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, which reflects final numbers from 2013 indicate bicycle fatalities in Florida rose from 122 to 133 – an increase of 9 percent.

Nationally, the number of bicycle fatalities has been on the rise as well. In 2010, there were 618 bicyclists killed in crashes. In 2011, there were 677 bicyclists killed. The following year, that figure climbed to 726. And then in 2013, it increased again to 743. That is a staggering 20 percent increase from 2010 to 2013.
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Lawmakers are expected to approve a $700,000 claims bill to compensate an engineering professor at Florida State University who suffered serious injury after he was struck by a garbage truck while riding a bicycle five years ago.

It may seem an odd step in the civil litigation process, but the reason the case took this route is because in Florida, claims against the government are capped at $200,000 – no matter what the circumstances or expenses incurred. The legal doctrine of sovereign immunity prevents people from bringing claims against the government unless the government approves. Capping damages is one of our state’s limitations on civil claims. Even when the court finds or the government concedes liability for a higher sum, the additional amount must get a final approval stamp from the state legislature in the form of a bill.

In this case, the city of Tallahassee, where this accident occurred, conceded liability and agreed to pay the cyclist $900,000. It gave him the $200,000 it was allowed to give by law, but in order to fulfill the rest of the out-of-court settlement obligation, the case had to go before state lawmakers.
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A bicyclist was killed in Coral Gables recently after being struck by a driver who then fled the scene. Authorities say it’s clear the driver likely knew he or she had hit someone because there is evidence the driver needed stop to remove the bicycle from underneath the vehicle before driving away.

Just minutes after the crash, which occurred around 3 a.m., an officer spotted the victim. He stopped to render aid, but the cyclist was already deceased.

Using bits of the vehicle left at the scene, officers were able to determine the make, model and color of the vehicle, and from that information, were able to locate the vehicle in Miami. The car sustained heavy front-end damage consistent with the crash details, including a shattered from window. Still, no arrests have yet been made.
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Bicycling has become an incredibly popular form of transportation and recreation across the country, but particularly here in Florida, where the weather permits riders to enjoy the activity year-round. In fact, between 2000 and 2013, there was a 62 percent spike in ridership in the U.S.

However, this has inevitably led to an increase in bicycle accidents, particularly because our streets weren’t designed to safely accommodate cyclists and because most drivers still don’t look twice for them.

A recent study has now identified another issue: The outdated way in which police departments around the country are reporting these crashes is failing to provide crucial information that could help make our streets safer for cyclists.
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A number of cities throughout Palm Beach County are pledging to take significant, tangible action in an effort to forge safer streets for both bicyclists and pedestrians.

Florida – and South Florida in particular – has an abysmal record with regard to bicycle and pedestrian safety. The Florida Department of Transportation reports this state is No. 1 in the nation for bicycle deaths and No. 2 for pedestrian deaths. Pedestrian fatality rates are double the national average while bicycle fatality rates are triple the national average.

Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties have the highest rates of bicycle and pedestrian deaths in the state. This has got to change, and increasingly, a number of city leaders are willing to take steps to make it happen.
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The vitriol against bicyclists by motorists is such that even when they abide by the law, they still may be targets of harassment, road rage and, all too often, hit-and-runs.

However, one South Florida man who commutes to work on his bicycle, didn’t expect to be ticketed by police while he operated his bicycle defensively – and lawfully. Yet that’s reportedly what happened recently in Lee County.

The cyclist was ticketed last fall for “slow bike, failure to ride to right curb.” At the time, the rider was cycling in the full lane as he biked to his office in North Fort Myers. That was the first time he received a ticket, though he revealed on at least four previous occasions, deputies had stopped to order him to move over to the right.

It’s an important case in a state where not only cycling is increasing, but also where it remains one of the most dangerous activities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association reported a six percent increase of pedalcyclist fatalities from 2011 to 2012, with Florida having the highest rate of cycling deaths in the country.
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