Lowell Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
More and more towns and cities are adapting their streets to be more “bicycle friendly.” Whether through the creation of curbed or painted bicycle lanes or bicycle-only roadways, local governments are encouraging citizens to use bicycles more. The hope is to help alleviate congested roads, reduce car emissions, and simply promote health.
Due to the increased amount of bicycle traffic, vehicles and bicycles are often vying for the same road space. Drivers often believe that they always have the right-of-way and that cyclists are the ones who need to move to the side. However, the fact is that drivers share the road with all vehicles, including cyclists. A cyclist is entitled to use an entire travel lane, even if there are other vehicles sharing the road. Due to differences in traveling speed, drivers often perform unsafe maneuvers in an effort to pass the slower-moving cyclist. It is not uncommon for a driver
to “clip” a cyclist when attempting to pass. Similar to pedestrian accidents, bicycle accident injuries can be very serious due to the size and weight difference between bicycles and vehicles. Further, like pedestrians, bicycles offer no protection from vehicles.