Cyclists face many risks on the road, often created by the drivers around them. All it takes is one mistake for a serious accident to occur. A cyclist could suffer significant injuries that change the course of their life.
One growing type of risk is that coming from distracted drivers. There are those who argue that distracted drivers in California are just as dangerous as drunk or impaired drivers. They make the same types of mistakes and commit a similar type of negligence on the road.
For instance, an impaired driver may not see a cyclist in the bike lane and could turn in front of them, causing a serious crash. But the same thing could happen to a sober driver just because they are looking at their cellphone and not the road.
Isn’t texting and driving illegal?
Yes, under California law, it is illegal for drivers to text while operating a motor vehicle. They also should not do related tasks like browsing social media, reading an email, taking pictures or videos, or anything else that causes them to use their mobile phone while driving.
But this is still a difficult issue to solve. For many people, the temptation to text and drive is always there because they always have their cellphones on them. People who plan carefully to avoid impaired driving on a night out may still be tempted to check their text messages during their daily commute to work.
As such, cyclists face a constant level of danger and could suffer serious injuries. Those who have been struck by motor vehicles need to know what legal options they have to seek financial compensation.
