Who Causes Cyclists Deaths?

I saw an interesting blog piece by the Freakonomics guys in the New York Times relating to bicycle accidents. According to the statistics, 52,000 bicyclists have been killed in bicycle traffic accidents in the U.S. over the 80 years the federal government has been keeping records. While cyclists are often blamed for these accidents--reckless or aggressive riding is frequently cited--the statistics paint a very different picture.

An analysis of police reports on 2752 bike-car accidents in Toronto found that clumsy or inattentive driving by motorists was the cause of 90 percent of these crashes. Leading causes were running a stop sign or traffic light, turning into a cyclist's path or opening a door on a bike rider. Also notable is that motorists cause roughly 75 percent of motorcycle crashes as well.

These statistics bear out what I have said in the past--when bicycle riders get hit by cars, it is usually not their fault. Unfortunately for cyclists and motorcycle riders who have been injured in an accident, lawyers can be just as biased as the general public. Choose a Boston lawyer who is informed and educated about cycling issues. Injured riders should not need to apologize for being a cyclist.