Under California state law, bicycles have the same rights to use the roads as other vehicles. That means every cyclist has to follow the same road rules as motorcycles, cars, and other vehicles. This also means that other vehicles must respect bicyclists as they would other types of vehicles.
Category: Bicycle Accident
What to Do After an Electric Bike Accident in California
E-bikes are growing in popularity in California because they are far less expensive than a car, take less physical effort than a traditional bicycle, have a lower impact on the environment than many other transportation options, and are easy to navigate through the city and suburban environments. Of course, because they can...
Can I Ride My Bike on the Sidewalk in Santa Monica, CA?
It is against the law to ride a bicycle on a public sidewalk in Santa Monica, California. You might feel that it is safer to ride your bike on the sidewalk than in the street on many of our congested roads, but you will risk getting charged with a criminal offense if...
California Cyclists Beware: The Streets Are Not Safe
According to the NHTSA, there was a 6.3 percent increase in bicyclist fatalities in 2018. California is consistently at the top of the list for the highest number of bicycle deaths in the United States each year. During the past decade, California has had the highest or second-highest number of...
Bike Accident Insurance Settlements: What Can You Expect?
Being hit by a car while you are riding a bicycle can result in life-altering injuries. Pursuing legal action against the driver typically begins by filing an insurance claim with the driver’s insurance provider. However, recovering compensation for a bicycle accident claim can be difficult. Many insurance companies can make the...
Do Mandatory Bike Helmet Laws Reduce Injuries?
It is estimated that wearing a bike helmet reduces the chance of a head injury in a bicycle accident by 50 percent. The chance of a neck, head, or face injury is reduced by 33 percent when wearing a bicycle helmet. Twenty-one states currently...
Bike Collision Accidents
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that, in 2015, more than 1,000 bicyclists died while bicycling. 2015 data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that 818 of these were bicyclists killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and that this marked a roughly twelve percent increase from...
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Bicyclist hit by Detective’s Vehicle
Chesterton, Indiana -- In the summer of 2014, Sheila Gonzalez was enjoying a bike ride with her children. As the family approached a busy intersection, Sheila was the first to cross. She thought there was enough time for her to pedal across the street. Unfortunately, there was not. Sheila...
What Is Causing All of the Bicycle Accidents?
The University of Southern California reported recently on an alarming study released by the University of California San Francisco. The study showed that over the past 17 years, bicycle accidents have cost America more than $237 BILLION, and that the cost of those accidents is only going up. Some of the study’s most...
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California Leads Nation in Number of Pedestrian Accidents
Did you know that California also has the highest number of pedestrian accident fatalities?
In California, drivers always have a duty to exercise reasonable care while driving so as not to injure others. Some causes of driver negligence include distracted driving, excessive speed, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and more. A...
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Bicyclist, 31, Killed In Crash With Car Near Soquel
Bicycling is a fantastic way to stay fit and enjoy the outdoors, especially in California, where cyclists enjoy premium cycling weather year-round. Unfortunately, when cars and cyclists collide, it is always the cyclist that loses, often faced with serious and life-threatening injuries.
Such was the case in Soquel this...
Bike Accidents and How to Avoid Them
Who's at fault when a bike and a car collide?
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Many cyclists, especially those who ride for pleasure rather than commutation, try to ride through as few intersections as possible. Nonetheless, in spite of the fact that most bicycle accidents (59 percent) involve only the biker cyclists most frequently collide with...
Building a Safer Bike Helmet
Is bicycling a leading cause of sports-related brain injuries?
Bicycling in Northern and Southern California is a popular exercise and recreational activity, and most cyclists ride with bike helmets - even though the state's law only mandates helmets for riders who are under the age of 18. While helmets offer some degree of protection, and...
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When Bicyclists & Motor Vehicles Collide
Bicycle accidents in California are on the rise and have reached a high of approximately three hundred and thirty eight bicyclist fatalities. The state even topped the charts in 2012 when it “had the most bicyclists killed of any state.” Apparently, eighty-four percent of these deaths involved adult-males over the...
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Bay Area Bike Accidents on the Rise
Q: Who is at fault in a bicycle accident?
With the beautiful weather and healthy, active lifestyle of Californians, it’s not surprising that bicyclists are out in full force on park trails and roadways. Unfortunately, when sharing the road with automobiles, accidents are bound to happen. When they do, even the most safety-conscious, protective...
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