A new report from the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) has revealed that a new bike lane, whether it’s protected or simply painted — decreases the risk of a bicyclist injury by 32–34%. Such data, no doubt, make a strong case for every street to be improved with some type of bicycle safety infrastructure.
What the Study Shows
The new study specifically revealed that the risk of injury from bicycle accidents
fell by more than 60% after bike lanes were installed on some of the highest-risk streets. Volumes of bicyclists also increased by more than 50% after the installation of new and conventional protected lanes, the study showed. However, a bicycling boom occurred throughout New York City during the year of the pandemic leading to a 33% increase in trips over the East River bridges compared to 2019, Streetsblog has reported.
The DOT study also showed that protected bike lanes on one-way streets that are wider than 60 feet provide the greatest risk reduction at 35%. Conventional bike lanes installed on narrow one-way streets that are 40 feet wide or less also provide a 35% reduction in injury risk. Shared lanes provide only an 18% reduction to bicyclist risk, the study says.
DOT said it calculated bicyclist risk by dividing bicyclist injuries per mile by the estimated bicyclist volume, which it obtained by comparing bike counters on city-owned bridges such as Pulaski, Williamsburg and Queensboro and on major protected bike lanes like Kent Avenue, and Citi Bike daily usage. Sample sizes drawn from boroughs with large enough protected bike lanes saw the biggest reductions in bicyclist risk (40%), the study showed. Manhattan saw a 26% risk reduction, while the Bronx and Brooklyn have 34% risk reductions respectively.
What Are Your Rights?
Motorists have a duty of care and responsibility to share the roadway with other vehicles, including bicycles. Bicyclists have the same rights as drivers of other vehicles. Bicycle accidents have the potential to result in serious and disabling injuries. Some victims are so badly injured that their lives are permanently changed.
In some cases, victims are unable to return to work for an extended period because they need to recover from their injuries. In other cases, a victim may be unable to make a future livelihood because of his or her injuries. Such a loss of income can prove financially devastating for victims and their families. If you are a bicycle accident victim in New York City who has been injured by a reckless or negligent (careless) driver, you can seek compensation for your injuries, damages and losses.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of bicycle accidents can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in pedestrian accidents can seek compensation for damages such as lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole.
We also obtained $295,000 in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens onto a bicyclist). Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2021/10/29/dot-study-shows-that-bike-lanes-cut-risk-of-cyclist-injury-by-one-third-yes-and/