In today’s society it is encouraged that we exercise more and avoid using our cars where possible to reduce our carbon foot print. Many people make good use of bicycles, using them as an alternative means of transport to and from work and also simply for recreational purposes. It’s a brilliant method of getting out and about in the open. Whilst there are many plus sides to using bikes, they come with their disadvantages especially; for pedestrians it seems.
The statistics for injuries to pedestrians is higher than you may think. In 2009 the government released figures showing the cases of people injured due to bicycles (source). Pedestrians are 263 times more likely to be injured by a motor vehicle than they are with a bike. Over the past ten years figures show that 29 people were killed by bicycles and 7,600 were killed by motor vehicles. 364,000 people were injured by motor vehicles, 76,000 of those people being seriously injured and just over 2,600 people were harmed by bicycles.
These are surprisingly high figures considering motor vehicles are much bigger and faster than bicycles. You can see that for every ten serious injuries caused by motor vehicles there is one death, whereas for every 19 serious bicycle injuries there is one death; this is a very high proportion and just shows that people need to take more care and abide by the law when using their bicycle.
It is illegal for cyclists to use the pavements but we still see plenty of cyclists on there. Pedestrians have the right of way! It’s important for cyclists to take care whilst still having fun especially in busy areas. It’s often worthwhile writing a letter of complaint to your local counsel if you are unhappy with any carless cyclists, or if you have seen someone who has been harmed or even if you have been injured yourself. Bicycle lanes are appearing more and more, so it can be advantageous to write a letter of concern to your local counsel as additional bike lanes may be created as a result.
If you have been injured by a cyclist you might be interested to know that you may have a claim for compensation. You have probably sustained some rather nasty injuries and are probably annoyed and upset that something like this has happened to you. You should make a log of the circumstances of the accident, and ask yourself – why did the cyclist hit you? Perhaps they should have taken more care, because if they did, the accident could probably have been avoided.
You should visit your GP or hospital, no matter how minor your injuries may seem, that way your medical records will support your claim for compensation. It’s also important to record any costs you might have incurred as a result of the accident. Perhaps you had to take time off work, or pay for prescription to aid your recovery. Whatever you have had to pay out as a result of your accident, it is all potentially reclaimable. The point being that you should financially be in the position you were prior to the accident. Any such claims and notices to local authorities can all be very helpful in helping to prevent future accidents from happening.
