As a means of helping to avoid accident-related injuries, it is important to keep some bicycle safety tips in mind. While our experienced and knowledgeable bicycle accident attorneys are prepared to represent you if you are injured in a bike accident, we would of course prefer that bicycle accidents and resulting injuries be entirely avoided.
Some basic steps that can reduce your risk of being involved in a serious bike accident include:
- Wearing the proper protective gear: Helmets, shoulder, and knee pads are essential.
- Properly equip your bike with safety equipment: Headlights, bells, and horns.
- Be aware of your surroundings (bike defensively): Maintain a careful lookout for distracted drivers and try to catch their eye or slow down if they can’t see you.
- Avoid drivers exiting their vehicles: When riding on the left hand side of parallel-parked cars, you should ride far enough to the left to avoid slamming into the door of a car if a driver suddenly opens the door in front of you. Moving cars can already see you as they are attempting to pass you, but drivers who have just parked may not be paying attention or looking for bicyclists as they climb out of their cars.
- Never ride against traffic: This is an extremely dangerous bike-riding practice to be avoided at all costs. Every year Oregonian bicyclists are seriously injured or killed because they chose to ride the wrong way down the street.
It is important to be educated about all possible bike accident scenarios and to take proper precautions to avoid getting into those accidents. The bicycle accident and personal injury attorneys at Dwyer Williams Cherkoss PC believe that “minor bike accident” is a misnomer because bike accidents usually involve severe and even life-threatening injuries including brain injuries, neck and back injuries, and paralysis.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident anywhere in the state of Oregon, please call us toll-free to discuss your injuries and case: 541-617-0555.