Bicycle Safety and Preventative Measures in Banning

Motor vehicle drivers in California have a legal duty of care that requires them to watch out for and avoid negligently striking bicyclists on public roadways. If a driver fails to live up to this duty and directly causes a bicyclist to suffer an otherwise preventable injury as a result, that bicyclist can seek financial restitution from that driver through private insurance negotiations, a civil lawsuit, or potentially both at once.

That being said, there is a lot that individual bicyclists can do to protect themselves from injury while riding—and as any experienced bicycle accident lawyer will tell you, avoiding a crash in the first place is much better than suing over injuries caused by one. Here are some tips for bicycle safety and preventative measures in Banning that should significantly reduce your risk of injury on the road, as recommended by the team at Walter Clark Legal Group.

Make Sure Bikes Are in Good Working Order Before Riding

Mechanical breakdowns are a deceptively common source of biking-related injuries, whether they cause accidents on their own or lead to a bicyclist being unable to stop or steer away in time to avoid an oncoming car. Either way, taking a few moments to check the vital components of a bicycle—especially the tires, brakes, chain, and reflectors—is a very helpful safety measure for Banning riders to take in order to prevent accidents.

Wear a Safety Helmet During Every Ride

While California state law does not strictly require all bicyclists of all ages to use helmets while riding, putting on a properly fitted and secured safety helmet prior to getting on a bike can sometimes literally be the difference between life and death. According to a meta-analysis of bicycle accident statistics, wearing a helmet can reduce a bike rider’s risk of suffering a serious head injury in a crash by 60 percent and their risk of suffering any serious or fatal injury by 34 percent.

Maximize Visibility for Motor Vehicle Drivers

Even if a motor vehicle operator is doing their best to be careful and attentive behind the wheel, they cannot avoid a bicyclist whom they cannot see in the first place. With that in mind, one key bicycle safety and preventative measure that attorneys in Banning and throughout the Golden State recommend is for bicyclists to wear bright-colored clothing with reflective strips during every ride, and to use headlights and flashing indicators when riding at night or during inclement weather.

Practice “Defensive Riding”

One last thing bicycle riders should keep in mind while riding is that they are ultimately the person most directly in control of their own safety, which means that it can be beneficial to be a little paranoid about the possibility that other people around them might act unsafely. Taking just an extra second or two to make sure oncoming drivers are stopping or yielding properly before advancing through an intersection could be the difference between a near-miss and a catastrophic accident caused by someone else’s illegal act.

A Banning Attorney Can Help If Bicycle Safety and Preventative Measures Could Not Prevent a Crash

Unfortunately, even the most responsible and safety-conscious bicycle riders can wind up suffering serious harm in a wreck caused entirely by someone else’s negligence. If that has happened to you, you have support available from compassionate legal professionals with understanding and then proactively enforcing your right to civil recovery.

A member of the Walter Clark Legal Group can go into further detail about bicycle safety and preventative measures in Banning, as well as legal options following an accident during a private consultation. Schedule yours by calling today.