Bicycle Accident in Santa Clarita Valley Puts Focus on Safety Issues
A bicycle accident in Santa Clarita last week that severely injured a 26-year-old man, has spurred a discussion about the need for motorists to share the roads with bicyclists.
On Friday, 26-year-old Kevin Mather was cycling with a group of men on Sierra Highway when he was hit by a truck. Mather was thrown from the bicycle, and sustained serious spinal injuries. He remains in the hospital, unable to move his legs.
The accident has set off a strong discussion on bicycle safety. Cycling enthusiasts say they have as much right to the roads as motorists do, and that motorists must respect these rights. According to bicyclists, there tends to be non-acceptance of the rights of bicyclists to use the highway. While most motorists are aware of cyclist rights, a small minority believes that bicyclists have no place on a highway, and should stick to the sidewalk. These motorists may display signs of road rage when they share the roads with bicyclists. Accidents frequently result. In fact, road rage accidents tend to involve bicyclists more often than other cars. Coming too close to a bicycle and sounding the horn, throwing objects at a bicyclist, taunting or otherwise harassing them -these are all the actions that can cause a bicyclist to lose focus and fall off a bike with disastrous consequences.
Santa Clarita has approximately 30 miles of on-road bike lanes. However, the accident that injured Mather occurred on a rural road in Los Angeles County. At the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Santa Clarita, emergency room staff is very familiar with bicyclist accident injuries. Safety experts insist that both motorists and bicyclists have their duties to prevent bicycle accidents. Bicyclists must be aware of their surroundings at all times when they share the asphalt with motorists. They must keep to designated bike lanes. Expert bicyclists insist that the only way bicyclists can survive on the congested streets is by assuming that other cars are out to hit them. It may seem like strange advice, but according to these experts, defensive bicycling can help prevent bicycle accidents.
Motorists must also play their part in preventing bicycle accidents, and making roads safe for bicyclists. It goes without saying that motorists must understand their responsibilities, as well as the rights of bicyclists, to be on the roads. They must avoid harassing bicyclists, or driving too close to them. Motorists must give bicyclists as much space as they can. State authorities can also play their part by creating laws that protect bicyclist rights. Violations of such rights must come with heavier fines and penalties.
Bicycling is probably the easiest thing you can do to save the planet. As the most eco-friendly means of transport, bicycling has found thousands of fans over past year, as gas prices increased. Bicycles can also reduce the severe traffic congestion in many of California’s cities, including Los Angeles.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bicycle accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.
