Riding your bicycle offers many health benefits, including increases raspatory function, heart strength, and endurance. In addition to health benefits, bicycles also significantly benefit the environment with reduced gas emissions. Despite all these benefits, bikers may want to reconsider the next time they want to go out for a ride.
With more than one million bike accidents each year, deaths from these accidents have now reached a 25-year high. What could be causing this spike in the death rate in bike accidents?
Causes of bike accidents
California is notorious for its busy roads, even in residential areas. With more people working, that means more people are choosing to commute via bicycle. Bike-share programs have also become a trend recently. With more bicyclists on the road, the odds of someone getting in an accident increases.
More cyclists are not the only factor in the increase in fatalities. Drivers continue to show a trend of distracting themselves with cell phones, food, and even adjusting their appearance. These distractions can result in a driver looking away from the road just long enough to strike a bicyclist with their vehicle.
With so much traffic on the roads, it rapidly reduces the integrity of the road’s condition. Worn-out or degraded roads can be a significant problem for cyclists. A small pothole may not be much of a problem for a car, but it can cause a person on a bike to flip over the handlebar of their bike and suffer a wrongful death.
Stay safe on your bike
If you choose to go out on the roads on your bike, be sure that you are looking out for your safety. Watch out for high-traffic areas, distracted drivers, and dangerous roadways that can jeopardize your health and future.
