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While a bicycle can offer many health, financial, and environmental benefits, it can also bring the dangers associated with any vehicle.

"Accidents between bicycles and other vehicles involve complex legal issues. If you have been injured in a crash while riding a bicycle, you will want to consult a personal injury attorney to determine your rights," said Naples Bicycle Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

According to the Fort Myers News Press shortly after 8 a.m. on July 12, 2015, a 46 year-old man was critically injured when an 84-year-old driver struck a group of bicyclists on Fort Myers Beach. The bicycle rider suffered six broken ribs; his scapula was split in two places; one of his lungs collapsed, and the other was punctured. He had a large gash in the back of his head. However, the worst thing was that he suffered a traumatic brain injury that changed his life forever.

When a crash happens between a cyclist and the driver of a motor vehicle, it is the cyclist, with less protection, who is likely to be injured or killed. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) reported in the May 2015 "Traffic Safety Facts" that there were 743 pedal-cyclists killed and an estimated 48,000 injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2013. The NHTSA defines a pedal-cyclist as bicyclists and other cyclists including riders of two-wheeled, non-motorized vehicles, tricycles and unicycles powered solely by pedals. Pedal-cyclist deaths accounted for 2 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities and injured pedal-cyclists made up 2 percent of the people injured in traffic crashes during the year.

With its beautiful weather, Florida, with 133 bicyclist fatalities, ranks second behind California (141), with Texas (48) ranking third. The Florida Highway Administration believes that the reasons there are so many bicyclist fatalities in Florida is that the roadways are wide and fast; there is a lack of safety education, bad drivers, under-equipped bicycles, year-long riding weather, and lagging infrastructure and laws.

In Florida, the bicycle is legally defined as a vehicle. Bicyclists have the same rights to the roadways and must obey the same traffic laws as the operators of other vehicles. These laws include stopping for stop signs and red lights, riding with the flow of traffic, using lights at night, and yielding the right-of-way when entering a roadway.

When encountering a bicycle rider, there may be conflicts and crashes which can be caused by impatient drivers. Florida law requires that motorists give cyclists at least 3 feet of space. Motorists need to take time to observe the situation, and when determining it is safe and necessary to pass, they are to give the bicyclist enough space before passing. Waiting to safely pass a cyclist will not necessarily affect the total trip time, but injuring another on the road because of impatience and frustration can cost a lot more.

The FDT (Florida Department of Transportation) suggests that motorists abide by the following rules for bicycle accident prevention:

• Bicycles are vehicles. They belong on the road.
• Cyclists need room to get around potholes, sewer grates and other obstructions.
• Leave at least three feet when passing bicycles, more room at higher speeds.
• Change lanes to pass any bicycle traveling in a narrow lane.
• Train yourself to scan for fast moving bicycles and motorcycles in the opposing lane to you when turning left, and scan sidewalks and crosswalks for pedestrians and bicyclists using the sidewalk and crosswalk.
• Always scan to your right side sidewalk before you leave a stop light or stop sign and to the left and right side sidewalks when on a one-way street. 

Naples Bicycle Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.