Biking is an economical and healthy way to get around. It’s also good for the environment. While biking does have wonderful positives, there are some negatives as well.
Safety is probably the biggest concern. While cyclists typically watch for other vehicles, they also have to be on alert for obstacles in the road.
Road Obstacles and Bicycle Accidents
Dangerous obstacles and cracks are found pretty much anywhere. Urban, suburban, and rural areas all have these dangerous cracks and holes in the roads. While cars are better equipped to absorb the hazardous blow of a road defect, cyclists may find themselves losing control and suffering severe injuries from one of these road traps.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries Due to Road Defects
It’s not uncommon for large defects to plunge riders off their bike and into the road. Uneven surfaces seem to appear out of nowhere, and cyclists don't have time to prepare for the fall.
The most common bike injuries as a result of one of these falls, include:
- Concussions
- Broken Bones
- Head and Back Injuries
- Facial Injuries
- Lacerations
- Wrist Injuries
Avoiding the Most Common Road Obstacles While Cycling
The best course of action for cyclists is to know the most common road hazards and learn how to avoid them.
Uneven Surfaces: These can be virtually any type of road defect, such as cobblestones, gravel, speed bumps, potholes and cracks.
Solution: Rise up from the seat and use arms and legs as shock absorbers. Ride around holes if safe and possible. A seasoned cyclist can even learn how to jump over these holes, but that takes practice. You could also consider purchasing thicker tires which ride over rough surfaces more easily.
Painted Lines and Wet Metal: Painted lines on the road reduce the ability for your bike tires to grip the road, especially when the road is wet. Sewer grates, steel plates and utility hole covers can also get very slippery, and the grates can even trap narrow bicycle tires.
Solution: Avoid grates by riding further away from the curb. Slow down and give more time to brake when approaching painted marks, like pedestrian crossings and metal surfaces.
Railroad Tracks: Every rider will likely cross these dreaded tracks at some point, and it’s easy for tires to lose traction on the slippery steel.
Solution: Slow down to avoid a tire puncture and rise slightly off the saddle, then cross the tracks at a perpendicular angle to avoid any mishaps.
Vehicles Are Still the Biggest Hazard for Cyclists
All of these road obstructions are potentially hazardous, especially while a cyclist is trying to avoid an accident with another vehicle. Of course, the biggest hazards still tend to be other drivers on the road and the data shows that motorists are mostly responsible for bike accidents.
It’s crucial as a cyclist to get help from a serious injury lawyer in the case of a bicycle accident, as the injuries tend to be severe.
Get Help from a Bike Accident Lawyer
When you work with Steinberg Injury Lawyers, you get help with proving your innocence as well as getting the real value of your case. We thoroughly investigate the accident, contact all necessary parties involved, and back it up with the application of California laws.
When you're injured as a result of a bicycle accident, it's important to hold the responsible party accountable for your medical bills and damages.
Contact us today at 1-800-350-8888 for a free, no obligation evaluation of your case to see how we can help you move forward.