According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 500,000 Americans are treated in emergency departments for bicycle injuries each year. In addition, a pedestrian injury occurs approximately every eight minutes in the United States. While an auto accident lawyer or injury lawyer can help you get compensation after a pedestrian or cyclist injury, there are several ways that you can avoid these injuries in the first place. Check out this pedestrian and cyclist safety guide for more information:
The best way to avoid a pedestrian accident is to take precautions when walking in public. For instance, you should wear bright or light colored clothing, carry a flashlight while walking at night, cross in well-lit areas, and always walk on the sidewalk. In the event that there is no sidewalk, pedestrians should walk facing traffic. It is also important that pedestrians never assume that vehicles will stop. Likewise, don’t rely solely on pedestrian signals before crossing the street—always look both ways.
There are a number of ways that cyclists can keep themselves safe while on the road with other vehicles. These include but are not limited to:
- Riding on the right hand side in the same direction as automobile traffic
- Obeying stop signs and all other traffic signs and signals
- Using hand signals to notify motorists of your intended actions
- Following lane markings
- Avoiding weaving in and out of parked cars
- Not passing vehicles on the right side
- Turning left the same way that cars do or crossing at an intersection
- Avoiding road hazards, such as manhole covers, oily pavement, potholes, gravel, and parallel-slat sewer-grates
- Keeping both hands in place so that you are prepared to brake
- Riding a well-equipped and properly maintained bicycle
- Wearing a helmet and brightly colored clothing
If you or a loved one has suffered a pedestrian or bicycle accident, you’ll want to seek the legal representation of a high-quality personal injury attorney. For more information on our services, give our auto and motorcycle accident attorneys with Owen, Patterson & Owen a call at (661) 799-3899.
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The materials available at this website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use and access to this website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the firm or any individual attorney.
