July 21, 2010

Safety Tips to Prevent Bike Accidents

Bicycle riders need to make sure that they are aware of and follow all of the appropriate laws that are in place to protect both bike riders and other drivers on the road. Similarly, drivers need to be aware of the laws regarding bike riders to also help ensure the safety of all those that are on the road together. One important rule for bikers to always remember and always follow is that bicyclists must travel in the same direction as vehicle traffic and whenever it is safely possible should travel directly to the right of cars, and this is so that everyone is traveling in the same direction which hopefully makes it less likely that a bike and car will get into a collision.

Chicago accident attorneys remind drivers of vehicles to remember a few simple rules regarding bikers so they can do their part to keep the streets safe for everyone. First off, drivers need to make sure to always keep a safe distance and to allow about three feet of passing space between their car and a biker, and make sure to always give them this adequate room in order to keep them safe in the event of a sudden stop. Additionally, when making a turn make sure to check to make sure a bicyclist is not passing on the right or the left before you make your turn, and always use a turn signal to allow the biker to know of your plan to turn, in order to help prevent accidents. Lastly, make sure after parking your car to look out for bikers before possibly opening your door into their pathway. To read more about simple tips to help avoid a bike accident, please click on this link. These few simple safety measures taken by bikers and drivers could make all the difference in preventing biking accidents !

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Posted In: Chicago Bicycle Accident, Chicago Car Accident, Illinois Accident, Tips for Readers

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July 9, 2010

New Bicycle Safety Law Signed in Illinois

Legislation was signed in Illinois on July 5th in which Governor Quinn promised to offer more protection to bicyclists that ride their bikes in Illinois. The goal of the bill is keep both bicyclists and motorists safe on Chicago roads and lead to a decrease in the number of injuries and accidents that occur each year involving bicycles. One of the main steps that will be taken to increase safety is the creation of new penalties to punish motorists that are caught driving either recklessly or too close to bikers. According to Chicago Breaking News, the hope is that creating penalties will create a deterrence to drivers to engage in this type of risky and unsafe behavior, in turn resulting in less bike-related accidents. Another change that will be made under this new piece of legislation is the creation of special "Share the Road" license plates that show the driver's support of bike safety and of which the money generated from the purchase of these plates will be used to pay for biker and driver safety educational programs. To read more about this recently signed bill that is aimed at reducing bike accidents, please click on this link.

Illinois accident attorneys remind all drivers how important it is to watch out for bikers, anytime you are driving in the city. Given the often heavy congestion of the streets in the city of Chicago, as well as the prevalence of bikers in the city, bike accidents occur far too often. While legislation of this sort is definitely a step in a positive direction in helping to ensure that both drivers and bikers remain safe, one of the best steps both drivers and bikers can take is to be alert and aware of their surroundings and not let distractions take your focus off of the road.

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Posted In: Automobile Accident, Chicago Bicycle Accident, Chicago Car Accident, Illinois Accident

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May 23, 2010

Chicago Hosts Ride of Silence in Memory of Fallen Bikers

A group of about 100 bicyclists rode on what they refer to as the “Ride of Silence” which is a route that was created to commemorate those who have been killed in Chicago biking crashes. This is an annual Chicago event, and many that participate are people that have been directly or indirectly affected by one of these biking accidents. This event is not only to commemorate these fallen individuals and to honor their memory but also to try to raise awareness for bikers. According to Northwestern Medill, this is just one of the many similar biking events all over the country that have similar goals. To read more about this tribute to fallen bikers in Chicago bicycling accidents, please click on this link.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, between 2006 and 2008 15 cyclists were killed in Illinois. Many passenger car drivers and large truck drivers fall to beware of bikers, and while the number of fatal accidents is not very high, there are many smaller accidents involving bikers all the time. One bicyclist says that a common problem is pedestrians stepping into the street and not realizing they are stepping into a biker’s path, causing the cyclist to get knocked off their bike and oftentimes into traffic. Another common problem is people opening their car doors and not realizing they are opening it into a biker’s path. Bicyclists over the age of eleven in Illinois are required to ride on the street and not on the sidewalk, so these types of issues are often very prevalent in Chicago. Our Chicago accident attorneys encourage drivers and pedestrians to be alert and to try to help keep cyclists in Chicago safer!

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Posted In: Automobile Accident, Chicago Bicycle Accident, Illinois Accident, Illinois Victim

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March 31, 2010

Chicago Man Killed in West Side Bicycle Accident

A Chicago bicyclist was killed on March 30th when he was struck by a car on the West Side of Chicago. The biking accident occurred when the biker was riding on North Waller Avenue and a car failed to slow down and struck the biker. According to Chicago Breaking News, the biker’s injuries were so severe that he unfortunately was unable to recover and died shortly after the biking accident. The driver that struck the man was cited with negligent driving as well as failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. To read more about this tragic car accident, please click on this link.

While drivers must always be aware of bikers and be careful to avoid hitting them, there are also certain safety precautions that bikers can take to ensure their own safety. The Chicago accident attorneys at Levin and Perconti offer several tips for bikers to remain safe while on the road. First of all, bikers should always ride as close to the curb as possible and only veer more into the road to avoid other bikers or a dangerous situation in the road. Additionally, bikers should always have at least one hand on the handlebars and never being holding on to something that would make it impossible for them to use both hands when necessary to control the bike. Whenever there is a bike path adjacent to the street, the biker should always ride on the path instead of the street. Bike should never have more people riding that there are seats available. In addition to these safety tips, all bikes should be equipped with reflective lights to help insure cars can see them and should always have a working brake. Following these tips and making sure your bike is safe to be riding can help you have a safe and enjoyable ride!

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Posted In: Chicago Bicycle Accident, Chicago Car Accident, Illinois Accident, Illinois Victim, Tips for Readers

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December 16, 2009

Van Kills Bicyclist in Logan Square

Chicago Breaking News reports that a Chicago man who was biking in Logan Square was killed when he was hit by a van. According to the report, Chicago police believe that he was caught in the middle of an altercation between two other vehicles. A vehicle rammed the van and forced it into the path of the bicyclist. The van driver apparently fled the scene on foot after hitting the biker. The victim of the bike accident was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he later died from the severe personal injuries he sustained in the accident. Read more about this tragic bike accident in Chicago.

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Posted In: Agressive Driving, Chicago Bicycle Accident, SUV/Van Accident

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The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.

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