Bike accidents

Bike accidents are especially hazardous for bike riders because of the scant protection afforded in the event of an impact. The bike rider is not restrained and protected by crumple zones, seatbelts and airbags.

A bike rider’s biggest enemy is anything solid. Bike riders in bike races that fall rarely sustain injuries because they slide to a standstill on their protective clothing. However, when a bike rider hits something solid like another vehicle, or becomes trapped between the bike and the road, the likelihood of injury increases dramatically. The golden rule is to get away from the bike the moment an accident becomes inevitable.

Your odds of being involved in a bike accident can be reduced by several preventative measures:

• Wear a full-face, DOT-approved helmet
  
• Wear brightly coloured riding gear
• Regularly practise swerving techniques
  
• Attend a riding school to learn skills and learn to think like a biker
• Do not ride in cars’ blind spots (just behind the driver’s field of vision on either side of the car)

Bike accidents seem to be attracted to certain circumstances that the bike rider must be aware of:

• Motorists often do not see bikes, even if they are approaching them from the front. A motorist may cut in front of a bike at any time.
• Many accidents could have been avoided if the bike rider were well trained in hard braking techniques.
• Intersections are dangerous; many accidents happen here.
• Most accidents happen within 10km from home for riders who do not ride their bikes every day; in fact, most bike accidents happen on short trips.

Motorcycle riders need to be acutely aware of their environment, surrounding traffic and their own ability to respond to unforeseen circumstances at any given moment. This would significantly reduce riders’ likelihood to be involved in bike accidents.

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