Bike accidents boston

Beyond equipment, truck drivers and companies have to commit to follow safety laws. Truck drivers who speed, make faulty turns at intersections and operate with fatigue endanger cyclists.

Under Massachusetts law, truck drivers have a clear responsibility to check and yield to cyclists before making right turns at intersections. Truck drivers should utilize all their mirrors and really check, not just for cyclists traveling ahead of them, but also in front, right, left and behind. Failing to check and yield to cyclists often results in fatal collisions at intersections.

These are called right hook accidents or left hook accidents. Distracted driving can cause severe injuries to cyclists. Operators of large trucks should never use cell phones while traveling.

Trucks of any size carrying unsecured loads - such as furniture or construction equipment - are another hazard for cyclists. In October , Boston became the first U. The goal was safety for cyclists and pedestrians, who are vulnerable to being hit and trapped under a tire's carriage. Boston's ordinance applies to motor vehicles which weigh more than 10, pounds and semi-trailers over 26, pounds. Some vehicles are exempt, such as trucks used exclusively for snow plowing. Other Massachusetts cities have been considering side guard requirements.

By , the City of Somerville had a local ordinance for city-contracted trucks on the books. In January, the City of Cambridge - which had already retrofitted city trucks with sideguards - was also talking about an ordinance for city-contracted trucks. The same month, Gov. Charlie Baker proposed new statewide legislation mandating side guards and other safe guards for state- and city-owned trucks.

What Our Clients Say Read More Client Reviews. COVID information. You are here. Boston , MA Monday through Friday, 9 a. Upcoming events Events. Cambridge Street Office Hours. Better Bike Lane Projects. We've implemented a large number of bike lanes in Boston, now we're working to make them better. Bluebikes Bike Share. Help Us Plan. About Our System. Check Your Eligibility Today. Some of those costs are easy to quantify. For example, the value of your past medical bills is established by simply showing the amount you had to pay.

Every personal injury case is different. Bike accident victims are entitled to reimbursement for their costs, or economic damages. Our attorneys at Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP will fight to recover full economic and non-economic damages if you were hurt in a crash. Your expenses can start to add up quickly if you were seriously hurt. You might not even be able to work to cover your daily living expenses.

That means the other party might try to blame you for causing the accident. Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence law.

Your compensation award can be reduced to account for whatever share of the blame is allocated to you. Meanwhile, three other California […]. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Previous Next. View Larger Image. Overview of Bicycle Accidents in the United States Statistics show that while the overall number of bicycle accidents in the country is declining , the number of fatal bike accidents is on the rise.

Overall Decline in Bike Accidents If more bicyclists are on the road than ever before, why are bicycle accidents happening less frequently? Reasons that the number of fatal bike accidents has risen include: New bicyclists are less familiar with safe biking practices Drivers are not using caution when sharing the road with bicyclists, and Cities are planning, but have not implemented changes to infrastructure to support bicyclist safety.

Urban Bicycle Accidents Statistics show that urban bicycle accidents 1 tend to happen more frequently and 2 result in more serious injuries. Safest Cities for Bicyclists Smaller cities tend to reflect a decline in both the number and severity of bicycle accidents.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents Advocacy efforts will be most successful if we understand why bicycle accidents tend to happen. Statistics show that these are some of the most frequently cited causes of bicycle accidents in the United States: Driver Inattention: Drivers are becoming increasingly more distracted behind the wheel.

How to Reduce Bicycle Accidents How can cities across America help to ensure the safety of the rising number of bicyclists hitting the road? Education Efforts Cities can help to keep riders safe by implementing educational programs and making safety information readily available.

Education efforts that have proven to be successful in cities across the country include: Offering bicycle safety courses Distributing materials about driver and bicyclist responsibilities, and Implementing educational programs for children and students.

Safer Infrastructure How can cities change their roads and highways to increase bicyclist safety? Related Posts. One Comment.