Bicycling in Shadows or Darkness
A bicyclist was killed after a vehicle crashed into him in a Baltimore intersection one Friday evening. After impact, his body flipped from his bicycle and smashed into another vehicle, then bounced onto yet another vehicle. The man was just 44 years old.
Staying Safe on Your Bike
Plenty of people enjoy bicycling in Florida, whether as transportation to work or school, as a pleasant form of exercise, as a recreational activity, or simply to relish the delightful Florida climate. There are occasions when those rides occur at dusk, dawn, or even when the sun has set. For those who choose to ride—more power to you—but please, play it safe and make smart choices!
- Make sure your bike is equipped with both front and rear lights. Not only will that help you to see where you’re going and avoid obstacles, it will make you more visible to others on the road.
- Always ride where drivers are most likely to see you, and be sure to clearly signal your intentions with hand signals so you don’t surprise motorists.
- Be sure to have reflectors on your pedals, tires, and elsewhere, and don’t leave home at night without reflective clothing. Research indicates that the movement of pedals is noticeable to drivers when reflectors catch a vehicle’s lights. And it’s undeniable that having reflectors on the sides of your bike will make you visible to drivers who are perpendicular to you.
- Carry a set of back-up lights in case you have a primary lighting system failure.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Even if you’ve ridden the route multiple times before, hazards like potholes, gravel, or wet leaves could come up out of nowhere, and if you swerve it could take a motorist by surprise.
- Be aware that any road looks different at night, so take it a little slower.
- When riding with others, be sure to leave plenty of space between bicyclists. Since the possibility of hazards is very real, you need to do what you can to ensure you don’t pile on to another bicyclist if they run into a problem.
- Let others know your intended route and your expected arrival time, and instruct them to alert authorities if you don’t show up as expected.
- Do a safety check of your bike before heading out. Underinflated tires, poorly working breaks, or other problems with the bike’s performance could spell disaster at night!
- Wear clear glasses or goggles at night. They will protect your eyes from drying out from the breeze, as well as from debris that might fly up as cars zip by.
- Travel with traffic and stay off to the right, but don’t hug the side of the road too tightly—as you do want to be visible to traffic!
Personal Injury
Despite the best planning, if a reckless or negligent motorist causes serious harm or death, you may be entitled to damages to address medical bills and more. To discuss the possibilities, schedule a confidential consultation with the aggressive La Plata & Waldorf personal injury attorneys at The Law Office of Hammad S. Matin, P.A. today.
Source:
wmar2news.com/local/bicyclist-struck-killed-in-fells-point-neighborhood
