Bicycle accidents often have tragic consequences for the cyclist.
Cyclist Hit and Killed While Crossing the Street on the South Side
According to a KSAT news report, a cyclist was hit and killed while trying to cross a South Side street last week.
Police reported the incident occurred at around 4:50 p.m. at the intersection of South Presa Street and Graf Road on February 14th. Police say the bicyclist was unresponsive and lying on the ground when they arrived. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. The report says that the cyclist appeared to be leaving the nearby trailhead and had attempted to cross the street when he was hit. No charges were filed at the time of the report. The cyclist was a 65-year-old male identified as William Mize.
Did You Know?
Bike accident deaths increased by 37% between 2012 and 2021.
The Top 3 Most Common Bike Accident in San Antonio
San Antonio is famously not a very “bike-friendly” city. Bike accidents like this happen often, even though there are specific rules regarding how vehicles and bicycles should share the road.
Many of these accidents happen for the same reasons. Let’s take a look at the three most common causes of bike accidents, so you know how to keep yourself safe from a bicycle accident.
Drunk Drivers/Cyclists
Drunk drivers or cyclists are involved in 1/3 of all bicycle accidents resulting in the death of the cyclist. However, data from the NHTSA in 2019 found that it was more often the cyclist who was drunk, not the driver.
It is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher in every state. While it is not technically illegal to ride a bike drunk, a cyclist can be charged with public intoxication if their reckless actions cause an accident, and it could impact their ability to claim damages in a civil lawsuit.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving caused 31% of accidents at non-intersections and 16% of intersection accidents. Distracted cycling accounts for around 5% of bicycle accidents.
Texting while driving has been illegal since 2017, but many drivers still do it. Texting is not the only form of distracted driving. A driver can be distracted by:
- The Radio,
- Food and Drink,
- Children,
- Passengers,
- Pets,
- Applying Makeup,
- Watching Videos,
- Changing Clothes,
- Social Media,
- and Watching Videos.
When you drive distracted, you reduce your reaction time and miss critical events. Many bike accidents happen on roads with speed limits greater than 25 mph, where it can take a vehicle anywhere between 2.5 seconds to 5 seconds to come to a complete stop.
Right and Left Turns
Did you check your blind spot?
Bikes are very often hit by the fronts of vehicles, more than they are backed into or sideswiped. Bikes are difficult to see, and if you aren’t watching for them, you are more likely to miss them.
When you make a turn, especially downtown, you are often going to enter a cyclist’s path. Be vigilant to watch for bikes and double-check before making a turn. Cyclists should make themselves as visible as possible and check that a driver has seen them rather than assuming the right of way.
Injured in a Bicycle Accident? Call Carabin Shaw.
Even if you’re careful and do everything right, you can still be hit by a careless driver.
Carabin Shaw has represented those injured in bicycle accidents in San Antonio for more than 30 years, and we put our clients first. Contact the team that cares at 800-862-1260 or use the live chat to have your case evaluated for free today. We look forward to serving you.
Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not obligate you to work with the firm.