According to Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, in 2012, 726 lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes nationally, just under two people every day of the year in the U.S. The death rate from bicycle crashes is high due to the relative lack of protection bicyclists have in an impact with a motor vehicle.

Despite safety improvements, bicycle accidents are common in Madison

Madison's traffic-safety laws are designed to allow bicyclists to share the road safely with motor vehicles in an increasingly crowded space.

According to the State of Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles:

Bicyclists should:

• Ride at least three feet from the curb or parked vehicles or debris in curb area and in a straight line. Don't swerve in and out around parked vehicles.
• Always ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Sidewalk riding for bicyclists past the learning stage and being closely supervised by adults can be more dangerous than on the road, obeying traffic laws. It is also illegal unless the community has passed an ordinance specifically permitting sidewalk riding. This can be age-restricted, location-restricted or based on the type of property abutting the sidewalk.
• Obey all traffic laws.
• Be predictable! Let other users know where you intend to go and maintain an understood course.

Get information on bicycle crashes from the Madison Police Department

The Madison Police Department offers information on accidents. Here you can request a copy of a collision report. The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles provides information on traffic and safety laws.

These departments are a good resource to get information after a bicycle accident.

Madison bicycle crashes have common causes and deadly outcomes

While helmets and proper reflective gear make bicycling safer, riding a bicycle is riskier than driving a car. Maintaining control is more difficult on two wheels, and when collisions happen, bicyclists are at greater risk of serious injury or death because they don't have an enclosed vehicle for protection.

Common causes of bicycle crashes include:

• Motorist turning across path of cyclist;
• Cyclist riding into the path of a motor vehicle;
• Cyclist turning right from a major road and from a minor road;
• Child cyclist playing or riding too fast.

When someone is injured in a Madison bicycle accident, what needs to happen next?

In an injury bike crash, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost. The major hospitals in the area include:

American Family Children's Hospital;

Meriter Hospital;

St. Mary's Hospital;

University Hospital.

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy. Since insurance policies often have unique provisions to deal with bicycle-accident injuries, it is important to review the policy and speak with the insurance adjuster to get clarification on coverage.

When a bicycle collision is serious or fatal, it is important to find a Madison bike accident attorney

When a bicycle accident, caused by the negligence of a motorist, results in serious injury or death, the next step is to find an experienced Madison bicycle accident attorney to start the financial recovery process by launching an insurance claim. Major injury or wrongful death claims are complicated and can be hard to manage without legal help. Having a personal injury lawyer on board is a great relief to injured bicyclists, or to the family left behind when an accident proves fatal.

Since personal injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency basis, meaning that there are no up-front costs and all fees are paid when the claim is settled, there is no downside to speaking with a Madison injury lawyer right away, to get help for an injured bicyclist.