While motor vehicles are the primary reason for most injuries to cyclists, other factors on our roads are also very hazardous to riders, particularly:
Potholes. You might not know it from looking at them, but even small potholes pose a serious safety threat to bicycle riders. In addition, deeper potholes can be very dangerous. Many potholes are deep enough to obstruct bicycle tires and cause an accident. In these situations, the rider may vault or flip over the handlebars. This sort of accident can leave a cyclist with a serious injury such as a broken bone or head injury. A municipality could be responsible if they were aware of the pothole and failed to fix it or post warnings to motorists and cyclists right away.
Trolley/railroad tracks. Trolley tracks and railroad tracks are variables a cyclist must be aware of when riding. Specifically, railroad tracks running in the same direction as traffic are hazardous. That’s because your bicycle tires can fall into the space between the track and the road. It’s an unstable situation that causes many bicycle crashes and can end up with the bike and the cyclist in the way of oncoming traffic.
Determining liability for such bicycle crashes depends on different factors, including:
- Do the tracks run in the direction of traffic, or are they curved? If so, they present a hazard for cyclists. Conversely, perpendicular tracks are relatively safe.
- Has the local municipality tried to eliminate or reduce the hazard? Have they placed warning signs at the site to warn riders? Could they have covered or removed tracks that are no longer in use? A skilled bicycle accident attorney can help you determine the answers to these questions, and if taking certain reasonable actions would have prevented your accident.
Sewer grates. Sewer grates are usually found on the edge of the road and sometimes on the curb, close to where cyclists usually ride. Unfortunately, the size and width of most bicycle tires are small enough to fit between the bars on sewer grates. You can see the potential danger these grates present to cyclists, especially when the grates are parallel to the direction traffic is traveling.
When a cyclist’s tires fall between the grates, the resulting jolt and loss of momentum can cause the cyclist to lose balance and fall into oncoming traffic or the ground. In either case, the rider could end up with severe injuries.
Fortunately, many municipalities around the country are becoming aware of the danger sewer grates pose to cyclists, and they are installing grates with a safe design to protect riders. Those cities and counties that do not update dangerous sewer grates may be held responsible for the accidents they cause.
