Summer is here and that means that an increasing number of people are going to be taking their bikes out of the garage to get some exercise. Whether for recreation, or for commuting to and from work, the increased number of riders means that there will be an increased number of accidents.
This past week, 58-year-old Rick Ried was riding in Rantoul when he struck a parked semi-truck. The accident threw Ried from his bike and caused severe injuries that required hospitalization. The semi-truck had been parked by Ricardo D’Andre who was in the process of entering information into his log book.
“Drivers and cyclists must share increasingly congested roadways. When motorists park their vehicles and obstruct the roadway, they increase the possibility a collision will take place,” remarked Chicago accident lawyer John M. Power.
Illinois is one of the most dangerous states for cyclists. Just a few years ago, the state was ranked 5th in the nation for the number of bicyclist deaths. Many of these fatalities occur on busy streets where cyclists are forced to share the roadway with everything from distracted drivers to drunk drivers.
“While helmets can save lives and reduce the risk of head trauma, they do not protect limbs, the neck, or the torso from injury. Thus, even if a rider is wearing a helmet, they are at considerable risk for blunt force trauma, broken necks, and broken bones. In the end, the key to protecting riders and saving lives is increasing awareness of the risks of cycling in urban areas,” commented Chicago accident lawyer John M. Power.
In 2014, there were 113 cyclists killed, and another 3,401 were seriously injured in bicycle accidents in America. Many of these involved collisions with parked vehicles and other obstructions in the roadway. That same year, nearly 21,287 injury causing accidents were reported nationally. Of these, nearly 75% were reported in urban areas such as those found in Chicago.