Understanding The Common of Bicycle Crashes in Oceanside California

Oceanside, California is a nice place with its fair weather all year round. From walking in the parks and biking, the outdoors is very inviting. Oceanside’s beauty and tranquility, invites more bikers compared to other states in the Country. The population is massive, and this adds to the issue of being prone to biking accidents. Thus, Oceanside cycling is something normal to millions of its residents. 

Crashes that involve pedestrians are very common, but even more common are bicycle accidents. Bicycles are legal vehicles that can be operated on the street, but the driver’s negligence usually puts the cyclist’s safety at risk, no matter what the bicycle law demands. We can all agree that bicycle accidents occur due to one or more drivers are behaving recklessly and negligently. Possibilities that the driver did not see the biker because of a blindspot or might be confused about the right of way is a fatal mistake that might risk the life of the cyclist. 

Below are the most common type of bike accidents not only in Oceanside but in the United States. 

Side-Swiping: This is when the driver accidentally drifted outside of their right or way while moving next to a bicyclist. The side of the car can hit the cyclist, causing a crash.

Rear-End Crash: This type of bicycle crash can happen when the driver is not focusing on the road. The driver might not give the road their full attention and can hit a cyclist from behind. This is also common in car crashes. For more information about this, read here what to do when your car gets rear-ended and hits the car in front of it

Dooring: This accident occurs if the driver fails to look at the surroundings before opening the car door and hitting a bicyclist in the bike lane or maneuvering the road. This goes the same for the passengers potentially hitting a cyclist if they are negligent of checking the road. 

Left-Hand Turn: This type of crash can happen when the driver is making a left hand turn and did not notice the approaching bicyclist. This is either because they intentionally did not look in the side mirror or the cyclist located in a blind spot for the driver.

Below are Some Common Cause of Bicycle Accidents

Many typical negligent behaviors on the road that leads to a bike accident include the following:

Buzzing

Driving around cyclists is an easy thing to do, but sometimes vehicles get too close. This is referred to as “buzzing”. When you’re on a small two-lane road with no sidewalk, buzzing can be tough to avoid. However, many drivers crowd bicyclists because they feel as though they do not “belong” on the road. Getting too close to a bicycle can create one of two scenarios. One, you can get close and make a cyclist veer off the road and contact something else. That will result in a fall that could cause severe injury. Second, you can get too close and rub a cyclist. This will create injuries far worse than any other type of accident. Bikers have little to no protection, purposely buzzing them with a 2-ton vehicle will cause terrible damage.

Speeding

Speeding is another extremely dangerous activity motorists frequently engage in. When drivers travel at high speeds, they reduce their ability to react quickly to avoid a bicyclist on the road or in the bike path. Speeding also increases the likelihood of severe injuries.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is an extremely dangerous type of driving behavior that includes activities like using a navigational system, talking to other passengers, or using a mobile device. Texting while driving is particularly dangerous because it involves three types of distraction: visual, where you take your eyes off the road, physical, where you remove your hands from the wheel, and cognitive, where your focus is off your driving.

According to the Best Online Traffic School, if a driver spends just five seconds sending a text while traveling 55 miles per hour, they have covered the length of a football field.

Alcohol

Drinking and driving impacts a driver’s ability to focus on the road and process information clearly. The CDC reports that with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%, less than the legal limit, drivers find it more difficult to steer and track moving objects like bicyclists.

Aggressive Driving

Aggressive driving is also another common cause of bicycle accidents. Motorists sometimes do not give cyclists the right-of-way or are not always willing to share the road. Some types of aggressive behaviors that drivers sometimes exhibit includes:

  • Following a bicyclist too closely.
  • Honking at the cyclist or flashing lights.
  • Yelling at or threatening the cyclist.
  • Dangerous overtaking
  • Accelerating to pass the cyclist only to turn directly in front of them.

Sleepy Driver

Drowsy driving is a major problem across the country, as it makes it difficult for drivers to focus on the road and decreases their reaction time if they need to slow or stop to avoid a cyclist. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 25 adult drivers reports having fallen asleep behind the wheel within the last 30 days.

About the Author Lem Garcia
Lem Garcia founded Lem Garcia Law in 2014. It has become one of the fastest-growing and most well-respected personal injury law offices in Southern California, having recovered millions of dollars for clients. He received a journalism degree from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona and loves to share personal injury law with the world via social media platform TikTok at over 20,000 subscribers.


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