Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Whether you bike on trails or on in streets in Parkland, Hollywood, or any South Florida community, you’re taking part in an activity that promotes fitness and a great way to view the natural beauty of the area. If you’re using a bike to get around, you’re also doing your part to reduce air pollution.
Preventing Bike Accidents in Parkland and Other Communities
Even with all the advantages of bicycling, bicyclists face many dangers on the road. If you head out on a bike, there are several ways you can reduce your risk of bicycle accidents and injuries:
- Use extra caution at night: More than half of fatal or injury-causing traffic crashes in Florida happen during dusk or at night. If you’re a motorist, stay alert for bicyclists and pedestrians. If you’re a bicyclist, stay visible by using a headlight, reflectors, taillights, and reflective or light clothing.
- Bike sober: Have a plan to get home safely. Bicycling under the influence slows your response times, make you more prone to falling over on your bike, and can result in poor choices that lead to collisions.
- Slow down: Speed contributes to almost a third of traffic accidents. If you’re a motorist, always follow the speed limit, especially in areas where there may be bicyclists and pedestrians.
- Consider bikes as vehicles: That’s what they are legally defined as in our state. If you’re a motorist passing a bicycle, give them three feet of passing distance and treat them like another vehicle. If you’re a bicyclist, act like a car: give other vehicles plenty of space, indicate turns, and follow all rules of the road.
- Wear a helmet: As a bicyclist, it’s the most important thing you can do to stay safe. About 40% of bicycle crash fatalities in the state are caused by brain injuries, so wearing a helmet can reduce your risk of one of the deadliest bike accident injuries. For your helmet to do its job, make sure your helmet is properly fitted and worn correctly each time you bike.
- Understand bicycle signs and signals: Whether you’re a bicyclist or motorist, review FDOT’s guide to bicycle road signs. It can help you arrive at your destination safely.
- Consider biking on trails: Florida has many trail systems for bicyclists. While these have their own safety considerations, when you bike on popular biking trails, you’re not sharing the road with cars, which can reduce your risk of some of the most dangerous collisions.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident in Parkland, Hollwyood, or anywhere in South Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free, no obligation consultation. Our law offices in Hollywood, Homestead, and Hollywood serve the entire South Florida area and our team has more than 60 years of combined experience. We have already recovered more than $100 million on behalf of our clients and we are deeply committed to helping individuals who have been injured through the actions or negligence of others. A consultation with us can help you understand whether you have a claim.