Gas prices, as you likely well know, have risen dramatically over the last year. Over the summer, they hit record levels. Even though prices always go up and down, it seems unlikely that they’re going to return all the way to the levels that used to be seen.
This has always happened, to some degree. Gas was once under a dollar a gallon, but that was decades ago. The difference now is just that it has happened very quickly, so people feel it a bit more keenly. This is pushing more and more of them to ride bikes as a way to save money.
What risks might this create?
It’s true that riding a bike can be a good way to save money, especially on small trips or a daily commute. Someone may need to use their car to go to the grocery store or take the children to school, but they can ride their bike to the office with a backpack. Not only do they save on gas, but they may save a lot of time that they would ordinarily spend sitting in traffic.
The problem is that many drivers are not used to riding around cyclists. They make all sorts of mistakes, such as passing when there isn’t enough space to do so safely or failing to look for bikes when they’re merging through a bike lane.
This is always dangerous, but it may become more dangerous as the number of cyclists increases. You also have to note that many of these cyclists may not have all that much experience. They may follow the rules of the road perfectly, so this isn’t to blame them, but it could mean that they just don’t have the defensive instincts that a more experienced cyclist would have.
Have you been injured?
As the roads become congested with a mix of cars and bicycles, it’s possible that drivers will make mistakes, and it is vastly more likely that cyclists will be injured when they do. Even cyclists who haven’t made a single mistake face significant risks of life-altering injuries. If you have been injured by a negligent driver, you need to know how to seek financial compensation.
