Bike Lanes Crashes & Accidents

Cities like Chicago have spent millions creating “bike lanes.” Bike lanes are areas of a paved road, usually to the right of car traffic, designated as an area for bicyclists to ride. These bike lanes are often marked with white lines and drawings of bicycles on the road surface.

Bike lanes serve many good purposes. They encourage people to ride their bikes. Bike lanes help make drivers more aware of bicycles by showing drivers the plainly-marked lanes and the bikes in them. They also create a special place to ride, obvious and clear for all to see.

There are, however, some drawbacks and dangers of bike lanes. Most important of these is the placement of the lanes. Usually, bike lanes are in an area BETWEEN parked cars and the moving cars. This forces bicyclists to ride in some of the most dangerous places on the road. In bike lanes, bicyclists have a very real risk of being “doored” (see “Doored and Dead”). Other drawbacks to bicycle lanes include the cost of installing and maintaining the lanes, limitations in the size of the lanes, and the lack of roads able to accommodate them. Special legislation is often needed just to put one in.

Any effort to make bicycling safer is a good thing. However, simply placing lanes on the road does not eliminate dangers and, in some cases, makes them worse. Bicyclists need to be aware that a door may open as they are riding. Drivers must still watch out for riders and give them the space they deserve. Only then will bike lanes be a good thing for all.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a bicycling crash, call Dixon Law Office at (888) 354-9880. We are here to help. Call Today!!