Getting out and about on your bike in the city offers considerable ease of transportation while allowing you to get in some exercise and help save the planet. It’s a lot. Unfortunately, however, bike accidents are exceptionally dangerous, and they are all too frequent in NYC. If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured in a bike accident, an experienced NYC bike accident attorney can help.

Bike Accidents: The Statistics

According to the New York City Department of Transportation, there were 4,304 injury-causing bike accidents and ten fatal bike accidents throughout NYC in 2018. Additionally, Safer Cycling shares that, in recent years, the number of annual bicycle trips has increased considerably. In fact, in the decade leading up to 2017, this number rose by 150 percent.

Intersections

According to Safer Cycling, most bike fatalities and most injury-causing bike accidents happen in intersections, which makes always keeping your wits about you when you move into intersections imperative. Consider the following:

• In 2017, 65 percent of all NYC bike fatalities happened in intersections.
• In 2017, 89 percent of all NYC bike accidents that led to either severe injuries or fatalities happened in intersections.

The Three Primary Categories of Life-Threatening Bike Accidents

Safer Cycling also shares the three primary causes of dangerous bike accidents.

Traveling Adjacent to a Motor Vehicle

29 percent of all NYC bike fatalities in 2017 happened when the cyclist was riding next to a motor vehicle. When you are on your bike, you are more difficult to see, and it is far easier to get lost in a motorist’s blind spots (than when you are behind the wheel of a vehicle). Proceeding as if motorists do not see you is the safest approach when you must travel next to motor vehicles, which includes yielding the right of way and not leaving your lane if you aren’t sure that the drivers near you see you on your bike and limiting the amount of time you spend directly next to other vehicles (whenever possible).

Traveling at a Right Angle to a Motor Vehicle

27 percent of all NYC fatal bike accidents in 2017 happened when the cyclist was at a right angle to a motor vehicle. This accounts for when you are entering traffic on your bike from an alley, a driveway, a parking lot, or another road, and it highlights one of the reasons that intersections are so dangerous.

Motor Vehicle Turn Crashes

21 percent of all NYC fatal bike accidents in 2017 happened when a motorist made a turn. Again, this points to the dangers associated with intersections.

Driver Negligence

All too often, driver negligence is the cause of dangerous bike accidents, and such negligence can come in any of the following dangerous forms:

• Distraction
• Impairment
• Excess speed
• Exhaustion
• Aggression

Seek the Legal Guidance of an Experienced NYC Bike Accident Attorney

If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured in a bike accident, the trusted NYC bike accident attorneys at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus &Moverman in Brooklyn are standing by to help. Your case is important, so please don’t wait to contact us online or call us at 212-285-3300 today.