As the recent spate of bicycle accidents demonstrates, the number of serious bicycle accidents is on the rise, leading to recent wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits. According to statistics, the number of bicyclists on San Francisco roads has increased by 71% since 2006, and crash data indicates that the number of accidents has increased each year. Unfortunately, although bicyclists have a serious disadvantage against cars and muni buses when accidents occur, many times jurors have preconceived biases against bicyclists. Further, recent pedestrian/bicyclist accidents have placed some riders in a bad light.
In order to help address bicycle safety and lessen the number of bicycle accidents, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has begun providing on-road bicycling classes.
The San Francisco bike classes teach cyclists how to ride safely considering "typical" city conditions such as traffic, car doors and busy intersections, but also how to deal with situations where drivers and pedestrians express their frustration with the growing number of bicycles on the road and on the sidewalk.
As explained by one of the instructors of the course "It's a sidewalk, not a sideride,"… adult cyclists should never ride on the sidewalk here, even when it seems like the best way to dodge motorists amid the city's gusty winds, slippery trolley rails and steep hills.
San Francisco ranks 3rd for the number of cyclists on the road, behind Portland and Seattle, and although with the number of bikes safety is increasing, last year there were 531 car and bike collisions. Further, a San Francisco grand jury report found that motorists and cyclists distrusted each other with motorists viewing cyclists as "arrogant" and "irresponsible." Cyclists described motorists as "selfish" and "an impediment."
Hopefully with the increase in awareness and the fact that bicycle riding is only becoming more popular, San Francisco motorists and cyclists will work together to reduce the number of accidents.
For more information or if you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury as the result of a bike accident, contact the dedicated San Francisco personal injury lawyers at Bostwick & Associates for an immediate consultation.