Hundreds of cyclists hurt every day in vehicle accidents
If you’ve been hurt through no fault of your own while riding a bicycle, then you could have a case for making a vehicle accident claim for compensation. Hundreds of cyclists are hurt on our roads every year, often due to thoughtless car driving. And the injuries sustained can often be very severe as cyclists are less well protected than people in cars.
Dangers to cyclists from roads
Most cyclists do go out of their way to try and protect themselves from being involved in a vehicle accident. But, unfortunately, this often isn’t enough. Some drivers can tend to be impatient with slower moving vehicles, and don’t consider the danger they could be putting vulnerable cyclists in. They don’t, for example, make allowances for the fact that a cyclist may become slightly unstable going over potholes and the like, or may be unsaddled by cross-winds caused by fast cars.
It’s not all bad news
Thankfully, as the local authorities become more environmentally aware they also become more bicycle aware in an effort to encourage more of us to use two wheels instead of four. This means that bicycle lanes are becoming more and more common along relatively busy roads which does cut the number of cyclists being hurt in a vehicle accident.
Minimise your risk
There are some precautions that cyclists can take to minimise their vulnerability to vehicle accident injuries. These include:
- Always wearing brightly coloured , fluorescent clothing
- Never riding, even short distances, without a safety helmet and other protective clothing
- Always using bicycle paths where available – this will go a long way to help prevent you being involved in a bicycle accident
- Not overloading the bicycle with unnecessary weight causing it to become unstable
- Making sure that the bell is working, and lights are attached to the front and the rear of the cycle. Cyclists not being seen by the driver is often the cause of a vehicle accident
- Being car aware by always trying to let the drivers of nearby vehicles know what you are about to do by indicating in good time
Call us if you are involved in a vehicle accident
If you are hurt in a vehicle accident for which someone else was to blame, then call us today for advice on how you can make a compensation claim. We’re available 24 hours a day with impartial, free legal advice of what your next step should be. Just call 0808 143 4342 or fill in the online claim assessment form above.
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