walnut creek bike crash injury | Northern California Personal Injury Blog

Celebrate National Bicycle Safety Month With Safety Tips

By Kelly Balamuth on May 18, 2012

May is National Bicycle Safety Month. For many, being aware of bicycle safety – whether you’re in a vehicle or on a bike – can help avoid serious injury or death. Bicycle accidents are the single largest cause of death among children under 14, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). Many of these bicyclists don’t know the safest ways to ride a bicycle, especially in traffic.

The number of bicycle crash-related deaths in California has stayed steady over the past few years, according to OTS statistics. However, the number of injuries has increased slightly, along with the number of bicyclists on the road at any given time. Some tips to help you and your family avoid injury include:

• Choose helmets that fit properly and are approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If a helmet has been involved in a serious accident, discard it and get a new one. It may not be fully able to protect you in a crash, even if it looks fine.
• Before riding, make sure your bike is in good condition, with properly inflated tires, working brakes and gears, and all reflectors secured in their proper places.
• Follow the rules of the road. Don’t cut between vehicles or lanes, especially at stoplights or intersections. Wear brightly-colored or reflective clothing to increase the chances that motorists will see you.

Bicyclists can be seriously injured in a crash with a car or other vehicle. They can also be hurt if a defective bicycle part gives way during a ride. If you’ve been injured in a bike accident, call the experienced Walnut Creek personal injury attorneys at Balamuth Law today at (888) 254-1234 for a free, confidential consultation.