4 Common Bicycle/Car Crashes | Bellevue Accident Attorney

According to a brochure by the Bellevue Police Department and the City of Bellevue, here are the 4 most common bicycle/car crashes for young children along with what you can do to prevent them:

The Drive Ride-Out
This type of accident refers to when a child rides their bicycle out of the driveway and is hit by a car.  Drive ride-outs account for approximately 8% of bicycle/car accidents.  The average age of the bicyclist in these crashes is 10 years old.
-Make sure you don't have trees or bushes blocking the view of the street from your driveway.  If you do, make sure to keep them trimmed to improve visibility.
-Teach your children to STOP before entering the street.

Running a Stop Sign
Running a stop sign or red light can refer to either the motorist or the bicyclist.  The average age for these types of bicycle/car crashes is 11.
-As a driver or bicyclist, make sure you don't "roll" stop signs- your child may pick up on the bad habit.
-Teach your child to completely stop at ALL stop signs and red lights.
-Never assume vehicles will stop- watch and make sure you see the vehicle slowing before you cross in front of them.

The "No-Look" Left Turn
Crashes resulting from a bicyclist making a left turn without looking behind them for traffic accounts for 10% of crashes involving bicyclists and motorists.
-When you're traveling across a busy street, always walk.
-Be aware of traffic in front of and behind you at all times. If you get confused or worried, just walk your bicycle to the crosswalk and walk across the street.
-Yield to all traffic and always use signals.

The Sidewalk Crash
When a motorist is making a right turn out of a driveway, they usually look to the left to make sure no oncoming traffic is coming, then they make their right turn. Without looking to the right, they may miss a bicyclist or pedestrian, who may just assume the motorist has seen them and will continue across the driveway.
-Make eye contact with the driver or bicyclist to make sure you both know the other is there.
-Yield to driveway traffic

If you have been injured in a car, bicycle or as a pedestrian, an experienced bicycle accident attorney at the Andrew Kim Law Firm can help.  For your free consultation to discuss your accident and injuries, call (425) 289-1990 in Bellevue and surrounding areas, (253) 682-2000 in Tacoma or toll free at (800) 636-3676.