How Dangerous Is It To Ride A Bicycle In Southwest Florida?
With the hiking price of oil, you might be looking for a more affordable and efficient way to get around Southwest Florida. Perhaps you’re thinking about switching over to biking, not just to save money, but also to stay fit. While this may sound like a great idea at first, some dangers come with riding a bike that you may want to consider.
Reckless Drivers
This won’t be such a problem if you decide to stay on the sidewalk, but some parts may be too narrow for you to ride on. As such, you may not have a choice but to use the designated bike lanes or to join the other vehicles on the street. Unfortunately, you will need to practice extra care and vigilance while you ride your bike on the highway to keep safe from:
- Cars making abrupt turns
- Cars that fail to yield the right of way
- Cars that suddenly stop
- Drivers who are drunk or under the influence of substances
Harsh Weather
Bad weather can affect both you and your bike where you will be exposed to the elements the same way your bike is. You won’t be able to rely on a roof, doors, or windows to provide protection. This also applies to all kinds of weather, from heavy rains that can minimize your visibility to slippery roads that may cause you to lose balance.
On the other end, too much heath can be bad for your health and could lead to overheating and dehydration. In the end, any kind of bad weather can harm your health, where you can lose control and get into an accident.
Bikes are Harder to See
Many drivers aren’t aware that they share the road and also find it hard to see riders, especially at night. This is the reason why sudden stops and swerving are some of the most common reasons why accidents occur between cars and bicycles. Even with reflectors on your bike, you will still have a much lower visibility rate compared to vehicles.
Other Pedestrians
Unfortunately, drivers aren’t the only ones who fail to watch out for bike riders. Even if everyone knows that bike riders should yield the right of way for pedestrians, there will still be times when the following happens:
- Someone suddenly appears in front of you
- Someone tries to speed past you on purpose
- Someone collides with you by accident
Such accidents can result in bad falls as well as damage to pedestrians and street property. Because of this, you need to be extra mindful of where you ride and who you share the sidewalk with.
Consult Our Personal Injury Lawyers
Riding a bike in Southwest Florida isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially if it’s something you do daily. If you find yourself injured as a result of a bicycle accident, be sure to seek medical help immediately and contact us at Avard Law. With offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and the surrounding areas, we can provide you with a free consultation to help you get the compensation you deserve.