Florida Leads the Nation in Fatal Bicycle Accidents
FLORIDA – According to an online news report at orlandoweekly.com,Florida leads the nation in the number of bicycle deaths. In fact, bicycle related deaths for riders aged twenty and older has tripled since 1975, per the National Highway Traffic Administration.*
The statistics are staggering, especially during Bike Safety Month in Florida. According to recent figures, it demonstrates that almost 800 bicyclists were involved in fatal accidents in the United States back in 2017. 125 of these individuals, or sixteen percent, were based in Florida.
The deaths happened by relatively minor mistakes by both bikers and motorists. Specifically, thirty eight percent of bicycle related deaths were caused by either party failing to yield to the right of way. Ten percent occurred due to visibility issues where a motorist failed to see a bicyclist in its path. These typically occurred because the biker was not wearing clothing that is easy for motorists to see at night. Furthermore, eight percent of fatalities were caused by a failure of either the biker or the driver to obey local traffic laws. Another eight percent occurred because the biker or the motorist made an improper turn.
"Motorists and cyclists play an equal part in sharing the road," says AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins in a recent press release. "While motorists need to eliminate distractions and watch for people on bikes, cyclists can do their party by wearing a helmet and bright-colored clothing."
According to a recent survey conducted by AAA, it determined that thirty six percent of Florida bicyclists do not wear a helmet. Furthermore, it established that fifty seven percent of bicyclists rode their bikes with traffic while twenty one percent rode against it. This demonstrates a common misunderstanding of traffic laws. Lastly, seventy four percent of those who ride against traffic do so because they prefer to see cars approaching them, versus having automobiles pass behind them.
Accident News is a driver safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes. To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.
Source:https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/05/29/florida-still-has-the-most-bicycle-deaths-in-the-us-survey-finds and https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/People/PeoplePedalcyclists.aspx