When a motor vehicle collides with a bicycle, the bike rider often suffers severe or even fatal injuries. Because of this drastic outcome, the best protection for a bicyclist is to avoid getting involved in an accident with a car or truck.
If you or a loved one got injured in a collision with a motor vehicle, a Chicago personal injury attorney could help you pursue monetary damages for your injuries and losses. Here are 3 rules of the road to help avoid a bicycle accident.
Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road
The Illinois Secretary of State published a 21-page publication, Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road, to provide tips and strategies for bicyclists and drivers of motor vehicles to avoid collisions. The pamphlet provides numerous suggestions, and we will provide an overview of their information in this article.
The Right Equipment Makes a Difference
People often think that bicycle safety equipment merely protects them in the event of an accident, but in reality, the right equipment could help you avoid a collision in the first place. For example, proper reflectors and lights could make you more visible to drivers. The Rules of the Road pamphlet suggests reflectors on these locations:
- A clear front reflector.
- A red rear reflector that others can see from 100 to 600 feet away.
- Wheel-mounted side reflectors.
- Reflector pedals.
Also, you should have a horn or bell that people can hear from 100 feet away. If you ride at night, you will need a front light that is visible from at least 500 feet away. The other night riding equipment includes:
- A reflective safety vest.
- Reflective sidewall tires.
- A rear light and rear reflectors.
- Reflective tape on your helmet.
- A clip-on strobe light.
If you carry anything while riding your bike, you should use appropriate carrying equipment like baskets, saddlebags, or plastic crates, to keep both of your hands-free. For large loads, you could use a trailer designed for use with a bicycle.
Where Bicyclists Should Ride
When you ride a bicycle on the street, you should stay as close as possible and safely to the right-hand edge of the road or curb. You must ride in the same direction as the rest of the traffic. Although riding in the opposite direction will let you see oncoming vehicles, riding in the opposite direction is dangerous and illegal.
Two bicycles can ride side-by-side only if doing so does not impede the normal flow of traffic. You can only ride with more than two bikes side-by-side on bike paths or other sections of the roadway designated for use only by bicycles.
Who Has the Right of Way?
The question of who has the right of way, a motor vehicle, a bicycle, or a pedestrian, causes great confusion for many people. When you ride a bike, you must follow all the rules of the road the same as if you were driving a car. You do not automatically have the right of way because you are on a bike. Some people mistakenly think that bicyclists do not have to stop at stop signs or red lights, but that is not true.
These three categories of rules of the road could help prevent many unnecessary bicycle accidents. For additional information, you can consult the referenced pamphlet.
Contact Our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys Today
If you got injured or a close relative died from a bicycle accident, you will want to talk with a Chicago personal injury attorney at Hale & Monico right away. Illinois has a short deadline for taking legal action to seek monetary damages from the at-fault party. For a free consultation, get in touch with our office today.