San Diego, California Residents Biking More During COVID-19: How to Stay Safe

With many cities having to lock down a second time as COVID-19 cases have surged in many communities following early re-openings, many people are looking for ways to exercise, recreate, and commute in healthy ways that can help them avoid contracting the virus. According to Outside Magazine, bike vendors are reporting increases in bike sales. Some cities have even shut down streets to open them to cyclists. And essential workers, looking to avoid having to travel using public transportation or the bus have been turning to riding the bike for their commutes. Outside also reports that families with children, looking for social distanced ways to get outside and exercise have also been turning to bike riding. While all these changes may have a benefit in reducing climate change and in encouraging the community to find healthy ways to exercise, there have been concerns that the increased bike ridership could have the unintended consequence of more bike accidents on the road.

With case numbers starting to decrease in San Diego, officials have been looking to re-open business and schools. This will mean more drivers on the road and with it the potential increased risk to those using bikes. What can bicyclists do to stay safe in the coming weeks if traffic increases? And what can you do if you’ve been hurt in a bike accident in San Diego, California? The Law Offices of Bruce S. Meth is a San Diego, California personal injury law firm that may be able to help you.

How can you stay safe if you plan to bike for recreation or to commute? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has some helpful tips for bikers that are great starting points for bikers to keep in mind. First and foremost, if you plan to ride on roads, it is important to understand that bikers are required to follow all the rules of the road. Reviewing local laws and following them is one key step you can take when it comes to staying safe if you plan to ride on the road. What are some other things to keep in mind?

• Wear a helmet. It reduces the risk of serious injury if you are hit by a car.
• Use a working bike and use a bike that properly fits you. If your bike doesn’t have brakes or doesn’t have tires properly inflated, this can create a dangerous situation.
• If riding at night, use a light and wear reflective clothing so you can be better seen.
• Plan your route before you leave home and try to find routes that have bike lanes.

When riding on the highway, remember to ride with the flow of traffic, and drive defensively. Drivers may not always see riders and some drivers may even be distracted behind the wheel. Unfortunately, when drivers make mistakes, the person most likely to be injured is the bike rider. If you’ve been hurt in a bike crash, you may have the right to seek damages for your losses and medical bills. The Law Offices of Bruce S. Meth is a San Diego, California personal injury law firm that may be able to assist you if you have been hurt in a bike accident.

When individuals are hurt in bike accidents, the aftermath can be incredibly stressful. While many police officers who take down accident reports work hard to get their reports right, sometimes biases can shine through. Journalists reporting on serious crashes, can sometimes show bias in their reporting on these crashes. Outside Magazine recently wrote about some of the ways that journalists covering bike accidents might subtlety or not-so-subtlety write about crashes in a manner that can put the blame on the biker. For example, Outside Magazine noted that sometimes when a biker wasn’t wearing a helmet, this was noted in the article. While helmet wearing can sometimes reduce the risk of injuries, this isn’t always the case. For example, sometimes bike riders suffer back injuries or other types of injuries that wouldn’t have been protected had the rider been wearing a helmet.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a bike accident in San Diego, California the Law Offices of Bruce S. Meth is a San Diego, California personal injury law firm that may be able to help you seek damages for your losses. Our personal injury lawyers may be able to help you seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses. Reach out to the San Diego, California attorney at the Law Offices of Bruce S. Meth today or connect with USAttorneys.com to get matched with a lawyer at the Law Offices of Bruce S. Meth.