Summer Months Are Dangerous for Cyclists. Here’s Why.

If driving alongside a semi tractor-trailer in a passenger vehicle feels daunting, imagine how it must feel on a bicycle.

We have entered the most dangerous time of year for cyclists: summer. More than 450 bicyclists were killed in vehicle crashes between June and September in 2023, NHTSA reports.

Cycling is an activity enjoyed by kids and adults across the country. It should not result in serious injury or death. Let’s look at the data on bicycle wrecks, some safety tips, and your state’s cyclist laws.

Quick Facts About Bicyclist Wrecks and Fatalities

• Between 2019 and 2023, nearly 82% of fatal pedalcyclist crashes occurred in urban (as opposed to rural) areas.

Urban areas typically have heavier traffic than rural areas. There is also more aggressive driving in these areas, which endangers cyclists. Despite the prevalence of bike lanes and cyclist infrastructure in bigger cities, they still see significantly more pedalcyclist deaths than rural areas.

• 728 of the 1,166 bicyclists killed in crashes in 2023 were not wearing helmets.

None of the 50 states requires bicyclists to wear helmets while riding. Some cities, towns and counties throughout the country have ordinances mandating helmet use.

Fortunately, 22 states (and the District of Columbia) have laws requiring children to wear helmets while riding bicycles. Some of these states require helmet use for anyone under 18, while others define “children” as those under 12 years old.

Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky and Iowa are among the states without state-wide laws requiring children to wear helmets. Tennessee is one state that requires anyone under 16 years old to wear a helmet when biking.

Wearing a helmet — one that fits properly — is the best way to protect yourself as a pedalcyclist. Regardless of whether your state requires helmet use, you should always wear one when riding a bicycle. It could save your life.

• A tragic 22% of the pedalcyclists killed by vehicles in 2023 were victims of hit-and-run wrecks.

This means the driver that struck them did not stick around afterward. They drove away. Hit-and-run wrecks are too common, especially when cyclists or pedestrians are involved.

As recently as June 4, news stories reported hit-and-run collisions with cyclists. A man in Butler County, Pennsylvania, survived being struck by a sedan driving at least 50 mph. The sedan sped away after without stopping to make sure the victim was okay. He was injured but survived.

• In 2023, passenger cars struck and killed 356 cyclists; light trucks killed 587; large trucks killed 90; and buses killed 11.

While any motor vehicle can endanger a bicyclist, the size, speed, force, and driver of a vehicle influence its danger.

For example, a typical passenger vehicle weighs about one-seventeenth as much as a fully loaded semi tractor-trailer. A 4,500-pound sedan driving 50 mph strikes with significantly less force than a 40-ton tractor-trailer moving at the same speed.

Even pickup trucks, which, in 2023, killed more cyclists than cars, can be several thousand pounds heavier than the average passenger vehicle.

Why Are Heavy Trucks So Dangerous to Bicyclists?

There are a few factors other than weight that make commercial motor vehicles so dangerous to bicyclists.

Not only are these trucks heavy — their dimensions are unlike those of any other vehicle. They tower over pedestrians, cyclists and car drivers. When semis collide with smaller vehicles or bikes, they can cause underride, where the object gets jammed underneath the semi-trailer. Often, underride wrecks catastrophically injure or kill victims.

Underride can occur at the front, side or rear of a semi tractor-trailer. These wrecks occur in various situations: when a semi stops suddenly, runs traffic lights, drives too fast for conditions, turns across a lane of travel, or jackknifes.

One reason underride is so common is because of commercial motor vehicles’ blind spots.

Semi-Truck Blind Spots Endanger Cyclists

Because of their dimensions, semi tractor-trailers and other commercial motor vehicles have huge blind spots, also known as “no zones.” These stretch from the front of the truck to the back of the trailer and between one and three lanes beside the tractor-trailer.

If a person is riding a bicycle anywhere in a heavy truck’s blind spots, they will be invisible and are thus in danger. Truckers should be aware of their blind spots and act carefully, but you can protect yourself by staying away from blind spots. Stay far away from the front, back and sides of a big rig.

Can Bicyclists Recover Damages for Injuries if They Are Hit by a Vehicle?

In most states, the bicyclist must prove that the other party was negligent in order to collect financial compensation from them. The bicyclist has the burden of proof. This may mean that the bicyclist’s accident attorney will use evidence like witness testimonies and/or video recordings to establish fault.

Each state is a little different, and an injured bicyclist should contact a lawyer licensed in the state in which they were injured.

Semi-Truck and Bicycle Wreck Attorney

Large trucks and other commercial motor vehicles can be disastrous when they cause wrecks. Because semi-trucks have large blind spots, their drivers might not see cyclists beside or behind them.

This is why it is important for bicyclists to wear reflective clothing, use hand signals when turning or changing lanes, and know where they can and cannot ride their bikes. It is equally important for truckers to drive while alert, focused and sober.

Blind spots do not excuse the trucker who strikes a bicyclist. With modern technology, it can be argued that large trucks shouldn’t have blind spots. Even if a truck does have blind spots, this is a known danger, and the trucker must use reasonable care to be sure no one is in it.

When truck drivers break the rules, the consequences may range from property damage to severe personal injury or death.

At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, we serve victims suffering from serious injury or wrongful death from large-truck accidents in Indianapolis, St. Louis, and throughout the United Staes. If you find yourself in this situation, we encourage you to reach out to an experienced attorney who can help you recover financially from your bicycle wreck.

Reach out to us today at (800) 746-0226 or through our online form.

 

David W. Craig is a nationally recognized truck accident lawyer who sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. He is board certified in Truck Accident Law. He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. He was the recipient of the National Thurgood Marshall “Fighting for Justice” Award for his work helping victims of truck wrecks. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.