Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

Bike accidents, particularly collisions with a vehicle, are especially hazardous. Compared to cars and trucks, bicycles lack the same protections in the event of an accident. Additionally, the sheer force of a vehicle collision is often too great for a bicycle to withstand. As a result, cyclists who collide with a car often suffer devastating injuries. These harms are even more pronounced when the victim is a child.

For example, a 15-year-old girl on a bicycle suffered injuries after a car accident in Sanford, Maine. The girl was riding her bicycle when a car struck her. When emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the girl was trapped under the car. She was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

What Are the Top Causes of Maine Bicycle Accidents?

Maine e-bike accident levels have continued to rise as e-bike usage climbs throughout the nation and the state of Maine. Nationally, the sale of e-bikes has rapidly increased, with roughly 804,000 sold in 2021, up from only about 152,000 in 2016, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. E-bikes are a popular vehicle option for several reasons, including convenience, costs savings on gas, and reduced environmental impact relative to cars.

Unfortunately, e-bikes pose an elevated risk relative to conventional bicycles due to the greater velocity of e-bikes. The greater power and subsequent velocity that riders receive from e-bikes places riders at increased risk of accidents, and greater harm resulting from such accidents. In fact, a 2020 study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Injury Prevention, found that riders of e-bikes are more likely to require hospitalization following accidents than riders of manual bicycles.

Recently, a news article by the New York Times detailed the tragic death of a 12-year-old female rider of an e-bike who died after the e-bike got out of control, resulting in an accident. According to the article, the accident occurred after the rider and a friend rode an e-bike to the top of a hill. They rode the e-bike down the hill when it rapidly began to pick up speed. At that point, the rider tried to engage the brakes, but the front wheel began to wobble, and she lost control, throwing both of them from the e-bike. Paramedics took her to a hospital, where she underwent several brain surgeries. She never regained consciousness. Both passengers were wearing helmets while using the e-bike. The article states that the disc brakes used for the e-bike in conjunction with a quick-release mechanism for detaching the front wheel are well-known safety hazards in the bike industry.

Maine biking accidents can have disastrous effects on cyclists, pedestrians, and any road user in the vicinity. The cyclist experiences the most significant injuries and subsequent damages in many cases. As a result of the growing concern about bike accidents in Maine and throughout the country, the National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) lead a study to understand the prevalence and risk factors of bicycle crashes. The NTSB analyzed crash and injury data and interviewed national and local traffic safety stakeholders.

The agency identified three primary safety issue areas in the report: (1) improving roadway infrastructure for bicyclists, (2) enhancing conspicuity, and (3) mitigating head injury. According to the study, while more bike crashes involving motor vehicles occur at intersections, crash severity is higher when an accident occurs at a midblock location. The agency asserts that improving public road infrastructure with distinct bike lanes and road diets can reduce the likelihood of accidents at intersections and midblock crossings. Road diets refer to a roadway reconfiguration that eliminates travel from the road and utilizes space for other uses, such as bicycles.

Further, although there are different reasons why drivers and bikers may not detect each other in time to prevent an accident, enhancing conspicuity can reduce these occurrences. Cyclists wearing reflective clothing, bikes with lights, and in-vehicle crash warning systems could alert motorists to bicycle traffic. Finally, because head injury is the leading cause of bike-related deaths, bike helmets are an effective way to mitigate this concern.

Recently, a cyclist was seriously injured after being involved in a bike accident in Portland, Maine. According to a local news report, the collision occurred on the corner of Mellen St. and Park Ave. at around 2:30 in the afternoon. When emergency responders arrived on the scene, they found the cyclist in critical condition and transported him to the Maine Medical Center. The driver of the vehicle involved in the accident suffered minor injuries and was transported to a different hospital.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, and are asking anyone with knowledge of the collision to come forward.

Maine Bike Accidents

Bicycles are a great way to get around Maine in the warmer months. However, cycling is not without its risks. For example, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, in 2019, nearly 850 people were killed in bike accidents. The vast majority of these collisions were entirely preventable.

How to Stay Safe When Cycling in Maine

Cyclists should always follow some basic safety tips when riding on Maine roads.

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Under Maine law, motorists involved in an accident must stop at the incident scene or return to the scene. Those who leave the scene of an accident may face severe criminal and civil penalties. In addition, engaging in this negligent conduct can exacerbate a victim’s injuries and cause a fatality that could have otherwise been prevented. While a hit-and-run can occur in an accident, they tend to occur after a motorist hits a pedestrian or cyclist. These accidents often occur in the early morning or late evening hours on roads without a designated bike lane.

There are many reasons why a motorist may leave the scene of an accident; however, these explanations rarely excuse the driver’s conduct. Drivers frequently leave the scene of an accident because they were:

• Under the influence of drugs or alcohol,
• Operating their vehicle without a valid license or insurance,
• Avoiding liability or fearful of confrontation,or
• Experiencing a medical event.

In some situations, the driver may claim that they did not know they hit another person.

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