DISTRACTED DRIVERS CAUSE BICYCLE ACCIDENTS

When a distracted driver causes a car accident, their negligence effects all parties involved. However, cyclists are impacted the most when an accident like this happens. A bike is clearly no match for a car, but there is something else to this. A bicyclist has to follow the same laws as a driver and in fact shares the road with them. This gives new meaning to being in harm’s way. It is unfortunate that the same things that make bicycles attractive – they are fun, out in the open, lightweight and portable – also make them incredibly dangerous when sharing the road with negligent drivers.

Studies in the past have shown that approximately 80% of all bike accidents with cars could have been avoided. A cyclist can be doing everything right and still find themselves the victim of a bicycle accident due to a collision with an automobile. This is truer than ever, now that the roads are filled with distracted drivers.

We are in a new age of technology. Back in the good old days of 2007 when the first iPhone was released, we were introduced to the new generation of smart phone that not everyone could afford. Fast forward to today and it seems everyone now has a smartphone.

We have turned into a society of multitasking. It is no longer about texting and driving. We now check and respond to emails, review and add to our schedules, look up our playlists, upload photos to Instagram, respond to our friends on Facebook, etc. It takes an average of 5 seconds with eyes off the road to read a simple text message. At 60 MPH a car will cover 450 ft. of distance. Let’s look at a best case scenario and say the driver is only traveling 30 miles an hour or even 10 MPH. The differences between a distracted driver rear-ending another car and rear-ending a cyclist are two very different things with two very different outcomes.

The State of Florida usually competes for the top spot of bicycle fatality per state and “wins” many years – even though California has twice the population. Many states now have either a no-cellphone or a no-text law for drivers. Florida is one of the few remaining states with no Distracted Driving laws whatsoever.

Car accidents caused by the negligence of a distracted driver will obviously affect any victim, but none more than a victim of a bicycle accident.

Despite a cyclist’s best efforts to avoid a collision, there will always be distracted drivers and the odds of a cyclist being struck by a car will only increase as smart phone use while driving becomes the norm.

If you or a loved one are involved in an accident with a distracted driver and are injured due to being struck by a car while riding your bicycle, then it is important to find a firm that understands the unique approach this type of case needs for a successful outcome. With our firm there are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation from your accident. The bicycle accident lawyers at Madalon Law will fight for you. Contact us today for your free consultation.

Madalon Law helps clients in Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pinellas, Hillsborough and other Counties in the State of Florida.