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 Miami and Fort Lauderdale

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

According to the Florida Bicycle Association, the bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle and the bicyclist is a driver. Bicyclists have the same rights to the roadways, and must obey the same traffic laws as the drivers of other vehicles. These laws include stopping for stop signs and red lights, riding with the flow of traffic, using lights at night, yielding the right-of-way when entering a roadway and yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks. 

Get information on bicycle crashes from the region's police departments

The Miami Police Department offers information on accidents. You can request copies of their collision reports at this link. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department can also be contacted, and can provide collision reports as well.

The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles provides information on traffic and safety laws.

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

Miami and Fort Lauderdale 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 Miami or Fort Lauderdale 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:

• Memorial Regional Hospital South
• Jackson Memorial Hospital
• Mercy Hospital
• University of Miami 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.

What to do after a serious injury accident in Miami or Fort Lauderdale

When someone has been injured or killed in an accident, the accident victim and their family members are left with medical bills, lost income, and other costs. It is important to get legal assistance to help the accident victim recover, or when the accident is fatal, to help the family members get fully compensated for their losses. Learn more about how a Miami personal injury attorney will help injured victims and families.