If you have ever been riding a bicycle while colliding with a motorist, they you can appreciate how shaken that cyclist can become. Imagine what it would be like to hear from the motorist that you, the bike rider is to blame for the collision.
Suppose the accident happens at an intersection?
The insurance company would check to see who had a stop sign. By the same token, it would examine the intersection, in order to determine who had the right-of-way. Was the bicycle rider trying to pass the motorist? A bike rider should never try to pass a motorist at an intersection or at a driveway. Bicycle riders that reach an intersection or a driveway at a time when a motorist is moving slowly should either match that pace or enter the motorist’s lane, and then pass on the left-hand side.
General rules for riding a bicycle on the open road
Anyone riding a bicycle should follow the rules of the road. For that reason, a cyclist should never ride against the flow of traffic. The drivers approached by that same cyclist will not be ready to deal with the on-coming bike rider. That rider would be as confusing as a car that was going the wrong way on a one-way street.
Stay clear of a vehicle’s blind spot. Truck drivers often make it easy to identify their blind spot. Many have this statement on their trailer: If you cannot see me in the mirror, then I cannot see you.
Be sure that you can be seen.
The ways that a bicycle rider can become more visible, and thus decrease the chances for an accident:
• Wear bold-colored clothing
• Invest in good lights for nighttime use.
• Have a working bell or other alarm that can be used to signal a motorist.
• Avoid undertaking an action that would catch a motorist by surprise. For instance, do not enter a cross walk from a sidewalk.
• Do not assume that you have the right-of-way. Be ready to brake, if that should prove necessary.
The latest scenarios
Those are the ones that result from the presence of a hand-held gadget, and the bicycle rider’s attempt to use that gadget, while traveling down the road. Of course, a motorist might cause an accident by using a hand-held device, while trying to control a vehicle’s movements.
The personal injury lawyer in Rosemead knows the possibility for such an accident has not declined. For that reason, all bike riders should pay special attention to the ways by which they can increase their visibility. The rules of the road call for issuing an alert to drivers, if they stand in danger of causing an accident.