Preventing Car-Bicycle Crashes in Virginia

This week, I wrote about the wrongful death of a young man who was killed in a Newport News car accident that occurred when a drunk driver lost control of his car while arguing with his passenger.

There is nothing a bicyclist can do to stop a drunk driver, but most Virginia Beach bicycle-car accidents occur simply because the car driver did not see the bicyclist. Bicyclists can do their share to help prevent potentially fatal accidents by remaining visible and following the rules of the road.

Virginia personal injury attorney Lawrence Land represents victims of serious accidents in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, Nassawadox and throughout Virginia. He offers these tips to prevent serious bicycle-car crashes.

What cyclists can do to prevent bike accidents:

• Plan your route. Try to avoid roads with heavy traffic or a lot of intersections.

• Follow traffic laws. Ride with traffic, not against it; ride single file on busy streets; obey all signs and traffic signals.

• Don’t take chances. Don’t try to beat a red light or another car that is crossing the intersection. Don’t weave around traffic, or make unexpected moves. It is worth an extra minute to stay safe.

• When possible, ride in the center of the lane. Don’t share the lane with a car – this reduces your visibility.

• While in an intersection, stay behind the lane of stopped cars. Avoid pulling up to the right of a stopped car as this puts you in the car’s blind spot

• Use hand signals to signal your stops and turns.

• When in doubt, yield to the car. The car is bigger and it’s safer to stay out of its way.

• Avoid confrontation and offending car drivers. Even if they are wrong, it’s just not worth risking your life to tell them so.

• Watch for parked cars that may pull out into the lane.

• If a car makes a right turn and turns directly in front of you, turn in the same direction to avoid a collision.

• Wear proper safety equipment. A helmet may save your life in a crash and is your best protection from serious brain injury.

• Be seen. When biking at night, use headlights, flashing lights on your back, and reflective clothing. In overcast weather, choose bright colors.

Let me reiterate that the most important steps you can take toward preventing injury is wearing a helmet, properly maintaining your bike, and being seen.

What cyclists cannot do to prevent bike accidents:

These tips can help, but as I mentioned earlier, there is nothing a bicyclist can do to stop a drunk driver. If drunk driving, distracted driving, or other driver negligence is responsible for your Virginia bicycle crash injury, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries and other losses. Contact Norfolk car crash attorney Lawrence Land at 757-251-0198 to schedule a free consultation.

To learn more about the rights of Virginia accident victims, downloand a free copy of Lawrence Land's book, "5 Deadly Sins That Can Destroy Your Injury Claim."