Bicycles are ubiquitous in Washington, D.C., but with this popularity comes a significant risk of blind spot DC bike accidents. On your morning commute, you will see dozens of bikers in the bike lane looking to exercise while on their way to work. The nice part of biking to work, besides that it might be faster if you already live in Downtown DC, is how healthy it is. It will improve your heart health if you can fit it into your routine. Moreover, biking is an excellent way of spending quality time with friends and family. You can travel throughout the city efficiently and enjoy all the sights DC offers. But for as many bikers as you will see throughout DC, you will see far more motor vehicles.
This is not unique to Washington, DC; cars are still the dominant mode of transportation for the entire country. Naturally, this creates traffic jams.
Particularly in Washington, DC, powerful politicians, businessmen, and women can be seen trying to get from one place to another as quickly as possible. Part of this rush includes reckless drivers merging in and out of lanes, trying to find the quickest route to their destination. When this happens, mistakes are made due to carelessness. Even if a driver does a quick mirror check before switching lanes, they may not account for bicyclists in their blind spot. When a negligent driver causes a blind spot DC bike accident, the results can be catastrophic. In our 70 years of handling bike accident cases in DC, we can attest that bicycle accidents involve some of the worst injuries, often due to blind spot incidents.
If you are in a blind spot DC bike accident, contacting a team of talented attorneys is critical.
The statistics on blind spot accidents in DC involving bikes are not specific enough to specify whether it is a bike or a pedestrian accident. However, the District Department of Transportation reports that 334 crashes involving bicyclists occur yearly. Of course, that statistic does not account for the cause of the crashes. However, our experience in handling these accidents indicates that blind spot accidents are among the most common types of bicycle accidents occurring in DC. Bicyclists traveling on roadways have all vehicle drivers’ general rights and duties. However, many drivers find bicyclists to be a nuisance. As they rush to work, bikers seem to get in their way. Bicyclists rarely can travel as fast as the car when there is light traffic. Thus, bicyclists slow drivers down.
DC laws permit bikers to ride on the road and sidewalk as much as in the bike lanes. This is when trouble brews. While bicyclists may be safe in the bike lanes, if a bicyclist keeps to himself in his lane shared with cars, a car may not see him while merging into that lane. Worse yet, navigating the streets in DC can be confusing, especially for someone now from the area. If a driver realizes they need to make a quick turn coming up, they may quickly try to get over to the right or left to make the turn. This may cause a rushed mirror check.
During that brisk mirror check, the driver may neglect a head check to the blind spot. While the driver may have been able to detect a car or truck beside them with this negligent mirror check, it is likely insufficient to check for a bicycle in their blind spot. This is how blind spot DC bike accidents occur.
A blind spot DC bike accident can cause severe injuries for a cyclist. Due to the sheer weight difference between a person on a bike versus any motor vehicle, the results are unimaginable. Thus, we have compiled a list of preventative strategies to avoid blind spot accidents in the future. Anticipation and defensive bicycling are vital.
Hand signals are a bare minimum approach to preventing blind spot accidents. If you are bicycling through the streets of DC, you should always use hand signals to indicate your intentions. As a car or truck uses blinkers to indicate whether they are turning and brake lights to signify to the driver behind them that they are slowing down, you should do the same. Use hand signals to indicate whether you turn right, left, or stopping. We also recommend using eye contact. While not as helpful for a blind spot bike accident if the driver cannot see you, seeking out eye contact can be hugely beneficial.
Do not seek out eye contact to the point that you are risking your well-being. However, putting yourself in a position that makes it easier for a driver to see you like if you know eye contact is possible is a significant first step.
The most significant preventative strategy to avoid blind spot accidents as a biker via communication is using your voice. Do not be afraid to yell out. Drivers have horns to alert other drivers, and motorcyclists have a roaring engine to get a driver’s attention. On a bicycle, you are lucky to have a bell. That may work with pedestrians, but it needs to be louder to alert a driver. Accordingly, we strongly advise that you yell out to get a driver’s attention. Doing so will have a similar effect to honking. Ideally, the driver will veer back to the lane he was coming from and realize you are in his blind spot. If he cannot see you, the next best thing is that he hears you are there, so he knows to avoid you.
Blind spots in a DC bike accident are dangerous for various reasons. Primarily, there is limited visibility. Drivers do not know how to avoid what they cannot see. Even with advanced safety technology like blind spot detection or simple side-view mirrors, these systems are imperfect. Moreover, many car manufacturers charge extra for this safety technology. While we believe you cannot put a price on safety, many car manufacturers still do.
High-risk situations regarding blind spots include lane changes, as we have discussed. Another big problem is when a car wants to turn. If a vehicle is already coasting in the right turn lane and is looking to turn right, most drivers know to check the crosswalk to ensure it is clear of pedestrians. A prudent driver will even look to see if there are runners who may quickly enter the crosswalk and pose a chance of an accident. However, seemingly fewer drivers are away enough to check their blind spots for a bicyclist who may also be approaching quickly from behind. A bicyclist may travel soon enough to catch the car by the time the vehicle turns and causes an accident.
Determining liability in this scenario is not easy. It will determine which party had the last clear chance to avoid the accident. Remember, if you are even 1% negligent in causing your injuries, you are barred from recovery. The exception is the last clear chance doctrine.
If you are in a blind spot DC bike accident, contact Gelb & Gelb, P.C. immediately for a free consultation.
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