Personal Injury Law

Woman flees scene of accident after hitting Bicyclist in Port St. Lucie

By Brian F. LaBovick, Esq.

Motorists, please be aware that leaving the scene of an accident prior to the police coming is a crime.  Recently a Port St. Lucie woman, Matilda Nunez was arrested and charged with a felony for leaving the scene of an accident that she caused involving a teen Bicyclist.

It is Summer and school is out. This means that more kids and people are on the road riding bicycles.  As drivers we should be aware of this and pay careful attention to where we are going, this will help cut down  on avoidable bicycle accidents.  In the case involving Ms. Nunez, she was distracted by her cell phone, when she injured the teen bicyclist that was crossing the driveway, according to reports in the Palm Beach Post..

Car Accidents sometimes can't be avoided. But in most instances, when drivers are paying attention to driving and not talking on the cell phone or texting while driving, accidents can be cut down tremendously. In an effort to promote roadway safety for Bicyclists we are sharing important stats involving bicycle accidents.

According to the Bicycle Helmet Institute there is extensive data on Bicycle Accident Statistics and motor vehicles. Here are a few statistics parents and Cyclists should be aware of:

• There are 73 to 85 million bicycle riders in the US, including 45 million over age 6 who rode more than six times in 2008.
• 700 bicyclists died on US roads in 2007. Over 90 percent died in crashes with motor vehicles.
• The "typical" bicyclist killed on our roads is a sober male over 16 not wearing a helmet riding on a major road between intersections in an urban area on a summer evening when hit by a car.
• About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.
• 43,000 cyclists were reported injured in traffic crashes in 2007. 
• There were 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries had a brain injury.
• Two-thirds of the deaths here are from traumatic brain injury.
• A very high percentage of cyclists' brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 per cent..

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the following Bicycle Stats in
November, 2008

• There were 698 Bicyclist deaths in 2007:  (Down from 773 in 2006).
• There were 43,000 Bicyclist injuries in traffic in 2007: (Down from 44,000 in 2006).
• The average age of a bicyclist killed on the highways was Age 40.
• The average age of a bicyclist injured on the highways was age 30.
• The number of Bicyclists killed that were 15 years old and under was 107.
• The number of Bicyclists injured that were 15 years old and under was 12,000.
• The number of Bicyclists killed that were 16 to 34 years old was 163.
• The number of Bicyclists injured that were 16 to 34 years old was 16,000.
• The number of Bicyclists killed  that were 35 to 54 years old was 262.
• The number of Bicyclists injured that were 35 to 54 years old was 10,000.
• The number of Bicyclists killed  that were 55 years and older was 262.
• The number of Bicyclists killed  that were 55 years and older was 4,000. 

In a prior post on the LaBovick Injury Law Blog, we shared "Rules for The Road" and safety tips for  cyclists.  Here is look at  Seven tips ever cyclist should be aware of. It would not hurt drivers to take a look at these tips as well.  As a Personal Injury law firm, we want to help make the roadways safer for all, Pedestrians, Drivers and Bicyclists included.

7 Tips and Rules for the Road for Bicyclists

• Protect Your Head. Wear a Helmet.
• Assure Bicycle Readiness. Use proper size and function of bicycle.
• Ride Wisely. Learn and Follow the Rules of the Road.
• Be Predictable. Act Like a Driver of a Vehicle.
• Be Visible. See and Be Seen at All Times.
• 'Drive' with Care. Share the Road.
• Stay Focused. Stay Alert.

 

Full post as published by LaBovick Injury Law Blog on June 12, 2009 (boomark / email).