Given today’s unhealthy living conditions, pollution, unhealthy eating, obesity, and tons of sickness, biking seems a very good hobby to adopt. Bicycle riding lets you go from one place to another the healthy and frugal way. For one, you don’t need to pay for fuel just to roam around. It’s friendly with the environment too as you don’t burn fossil fuels that cause pollution. Most importantly, it is a great form of exercise that promotes healthy living among its users. It fights obesity and makes you healthier person.

Problems that Bikers Face

However, even if there are tons of benefits that biking brings, safety concerns have been stopping people from fully adopting to the biking lifestyle. According to the compiled reports in 2010, 618 people have died as a result of bicycle and motor vehicle crashes. While 618 deaths are definitely lower than the 732 recorded in 2001, the number of fatalities is still very much alarming. There were also a great number of accidents in California involving bicycles should be a cause of worry for biking advocacy groups.

Every year, bicycle accident victims account for two percent of the total number of people that were killed or injured because of traffic crashes. With the fluctuating number of bicycle deaths in injuries every year, bicycle safety indeed is a very serious issue for every bike-riding American.

Bicycle Safety Quick Facts

The various programs of the government and the advocacy of biking-groups have caused a drop in both the number of deaths and injuries for bicyclists. In 2010, 618 people died because of bicycle accidents. This means a 14 percent decrease from 721 deaths back in 2001. The same trend is observed when it comes to bicyclist injuries. In 1998, about 53,000 people got hurt because of bicycle-related mishaps. In 2010 however, the number of injuries dropped by 1,000 at 52,000 which yields a 2 percent drop from 1998 figures. Annually, bicyclist safety and death have cost $4 billion every year, according to the National Safety Council.

Who Falls for Bicycle Accidents?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), here are interesting facts about bicycle accidents:

• The average age of fatalities involved in bicycle-motor vehicle mishaps was 42 years old. This was up from 32 in 1998 and 24 back in 1988.
• 86 percent of bicycle-accident fatalities were male.
• 41 percent of the fatalities were between the ages of 45 and 64
• In 2010, 11 percent of the bicycle fatalities were under age 16, which was 30 percent lower from those killed in 1998.
• The average age of bicyclists that figured and got injured in crashes with motor vehicles was at 31 years old. Up from the average age of 24 years back in 1998.
• Among those injured. 74 percent were male.
• Older people got injured in bicycle accidents, particularly, 46 percent from the ages of 25 and 54. On the other hand, 19 percent of those who got injured were under the age of 16.

The Dangers of Bicycling

The numbers don’ lie. With thousands getting injured and hundreds getting killed annually, biking can really be dangerous. However, there are things that the government and biking advocacy groups has been working hand-in-hand in helping improve bicycle safety in the country. With both the numbers of injured and bicycle fatalities, it is a welcome sign that these programs and campaigns for safer biking are working.

What to Do When a Biking Accident Happens?

A person should be well aware of the dangers that come with biking if he or she plans to take on this hobby. Moreover, one should be made aware of the things that they should do if these accidents happen. For the damages to property, injuries, and the loss of lives caused by biking, the victims can demand for compensation from the ones responsible for the accident to happen. In filing a claim, one should get an attorney for bicycle Accident in California. They will help you prepare the pieces of evidence needed and the cases to be filed. They will also join you in filing such claims and represent you in the trial of the claim you’ve filed. That is why you should not just entrust your claims to anybody. Hiring the services of the best attorney for bicycle accident claims will help boost your chances of winning your claims, letting you or your loved ones recover from the injuries you got or the loss of lives that such biking accidents can cause.