Safe Cycling
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, every year hundreds of thousands persons suffer bicycle-related injuries serious enough to require hospital emergency room treatment. Here are some typical cases of bicycle accidents:
"A bicycle rider applied her hand brakes and lost control of her bicycle. She went down an embankment and fractured her shoulder."
"As a cyclist was riding his bicycle downhill, the front wheel of his bike suddenly became loose and twisted. The bicycle rider lost control, fracturing his knee."
"A cyclist was riding a bike without a chain guard when his foot caught between the pedal and chain. He fell, suffering a concussion and skull fracture."
"A bicyclist was riding her bike alongside a friend's. As her friend moved his bicycle to the right, the two front wheels collided, causing the first cyclist to fall. She suffered a concussion and fractured a wrist."
Cycling accidents – major patterns
The below examples illustrate some major accident patterns associated with bicycles. They are:
- Collision with a car or another bicycle.
- Loss of Control -- This occurs because of a number of factors, including: difficulty in braking; riding too large a bike; riding too fast; riding double; stunting; striking a rut, bump, or obstacle; and riding on slippery surfaces.
- Mechanical and Structural Problems -- These include brake failure; wobbling or disengagement of the wheel or steering mechanism; difficulty in shifting gears; chain slippage; pedals falling off; or spoke breakage.
- Entanglement of a person's feet, hands, or clothing in the bicycle.
- Foot slippage from pedal.