While the fact that bicycle accidents are down is good news, the numbers are misleading under further scrutiny. The data shows sixty-two people lost their lives in 2017 due to being struck by cars while riding bicycles in Southern California. This is according to data tracked by Ted Rogers, who is the editor of Biking in L.A. Mr. Rogers obtains his data from local news reports along with information provided by coroners’ offices and family of the deceased.
The reduction in number of deaths, Rogers theorizes, is due to a reduction of bicycles on the roads as a result of infrastructure, which isn’t conducive to riding bicycles. The inability to safely ride a bicycle is an uncomfortable and harrowing experience, causing those who are less daring to ditch their bicycles for other forms of transportation – including walking.
Bike Lane Infrastructure
According to a number of sources, including Rogers and Zachary Rynew of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, bike lane infrastructure is an area of road safety which doesn’t receive enough consideration. Rynew contends that bike lanes are “added piecemeal but they aren’t forming a network that can safely get people to where they need to go.”
This results in cyclists running out of designated road and having to run the risks associated with mingling in normal traffic. An increase in bicycle accidents is an almost inevitable result, if the same number of riders present on the roads of California. The coalition has noted a decline in bicycle riders that has been ongoing since the early 2010s.
When bicycle accidents increased due to the popularity of cycling as a cheap and effective form of travel, safe street projects received a period of support in government. However, Los Angeles City Council members halted a number of bike lane projects in the city in 2017. Much of the rollback on bike lanes was due to protests.
The numbers are clear when comparing the work completed on bike lanes in recent years. Less than 9 miles of bike lanes were laid in Los Angeles in the fiscal year covering 2015-16. Rewind back to the 2011-12 fiscal year and there were 50 miles of bike lanes laid to help prevent bicycle accidents. This, the county bicycle coalition says, closely correlates with a reduction in the number of people prepared to actively ride bicycles on the streets of L.A.
Pedestrian or Bicycle Accident Lawyer
The reduction in number of bicycle accidents does not necessarily mean California citizens are any safer on our streets and roads. If you have been involved in a pedestrian or bicycle accident, you have the right to seek compensation, if you were not to blame. Maison Law can help you pursue monetary compensation for your injuries and losses.
Reach out to the offices of Maison Law to further discuss the details of your accident. We are committed to fighting for fair compensation on behalf of clients who have suffered injury or damages as the result of an accident which wasn’t their fault.
