Massachusetts Injury Lawyer Blog

Good news for Massachusetts bicycle riders! Legislative changes have finally come which help protect bicyclists, and which place greater requirements on drivers of cars and trucks to prevent injuries to bicycle riders.

Bicycle riders are at risk when riding on the road for a number of reasons. First, motorists are often not looking for bicycles when driving; they are looking for larger vehicles, such as other cars or trucks, and they often simply fail to see bicycles (and the same is true, or course, for motorcycles). The risk is magnfied because cyclists are largely unprotected from serious injury if there is a crash.

The new law targets the most common types of accidents, and places new, explicit requirements on drivers to prevent these accidents. These are some of the most common accidents:

• Drivers try to pass a bicycle when there is not enough room
• Drivers cut back into the lane where the bicycle is operating, cutting off the cyclist
• Drivers overtake cyclists, then turn right, right in front of them, cutting them off
• Drivers fail to recognize that bicycles are traveling to the right of traffic--which is perfectly legal--and turn left in front of them, failing to yield the right of way
• Drivers fail to recognize the cyclists passing them on the right, and move to the right or turn to the right without checking blind spots or mirrors
• Drivers and passengers fail to recognize approaching bicycle riders, and open their doors directly in the path of the bicyclist

The new laws, which are part of Chapter 525 of the Acts of 2008 (click for full text of enacted statute), prohibit all of these acts, and create fines for drivers who fail to follow the law.

Hopefully the new legislation will help reduce the incidence of serious injury and wrongful death caused by collisions between bicycles and motor vehicles.

For more information on the legislative changes, please see our article, Good News for Bicyclists in Massachusetts: Important Changes in Massachusetts Statutes Favor Cyclists--Drivers Must Use Greater Care. 

More Information

What the New Bicycle Law Means for You:  A Practicle Guide.  MassBike 

Continue reading "Massachusetts Changes Laws to Increase Bicycle Safety, Reduce Bicycle Accidents" »

Rising gas prices have led to an increased in bicycle use around the country. Unfortunately, that trend has led to an increase in bicycle accidents as well.

Statistics are not available for the current year, but bicycle traffic is up dramatically in Massachusetts metropolitan areas. In other areas, there is an increase as well. For example, in one California city, bicycle traffic was up 14% but accidents increased by 40%. Fatal accidents in Chicago and New Jersey were also noted to be significantly increased this year.

The most recent crash statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Authority (NHSTA), through 2005, indicate that the highest rates of injury are in the 10-19 year old range, but the highest rate of fatalities is in males 35-54. Death rates were approaching historical highs in 2005. The most common causes of bicycle accidents are left-turning vehicles which fail to yield the right of way, and vehicles which overtake a cyclist, and then turn in front of the cyclist.

In a city like Boston, where bicycle transportation has historically received little attention from transportation officials, Mayor Menino has promised to make Boston more bicycle-friendly. This means the city will be adding more bike lanes to major streets. But Boston has a long ways to go, if the ratings from Bicycling Magazine are any indication. Boston has been rated the worst city for bicycling for three years. Mayor Menino's promise is to move Boston to the "Best" column for cyclists.

Continue reading "Bicycle Accidents on Rise Around Nation" »