Early this year, the bicycle advocacy organization Bike Cleveland gathered on Cleveland Public Square to host the tenth annual Ride of Silence. The event commemorates local bicyclists who were injured or killed in bike-related crashes. Riders shared stories while calling for increased measures in roadway safety and enhancements to how the judicial system handles such cases.
The Cleveland bike community is thriving. Whether riding for recreation, commuting, or their main mode of transport, bicyclists deserve safe roads and someone looking out for them if they fall victim to negligent drivers. The Cleveland bicycle accident attorneys at Paulozzi LPA are here when you need someone to have your back.
In 2019, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) worked in a coalition with the Centers for Disease Control in compiling data regarding bicycle-related accidents. The report covers a 10-year period, from 2009 to 2018, and shows almost 597,000 bicycle-related accident victims were treated in hospital emergency rooms for traumatic brain injuries.
The CPSC’s data also shows an increase in bicycle-related deaths during the same period. This rise in fatalities can be attributed to the astronomical number of traumatic brain injuries.
In Ohio, fatal bike crashes rose, increasing by 88% compared to 2019. According to Bike Cleveland’s executive director Jacob Van Sickle, 55 riders were killed in 2020. The rise in fatalities and injuries is somewhat confounding because traffic decreased during the pandemic.
Bike Cleveland called upon the City of Cleveland and local motorists to take steps in improving the safety of Northeast Ohio’s bike-riding environment.
Efforts have been set in motion to move in the direction of better safeguards for every type of rider in the Cleveland bike community. This starts with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urging cyclists to:
Bike Cleveland has partnered with the City of Cleveland to increase bike lane safety and decrease fatal bike-related crashes on the roadways of northeast Ohio with their Vision Zero Initiative.
The Vision Zero Initiative is a multi-pronged strategy that works to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by first seeing that most of these tragedies are preventable. They also set goals to increase the safety of everyone while promoting equitable mobility for all.
The City of Cleveland has agreed to install safety panels on 10 garbage trucks during 2021. The plan is to protect cyclists from ending up under the trucks if they are cut off while riding.
The aftermath of a bicycle accident can be confusing. If another person is responsible for your injury or a loved one’s death, you should seek legal assistance immediately. Your life should not be on hold because of someone else’s negligence.
The Cleveland bicycle accident attorneys at Paulozzi LPA can step in and ensure you get the compensation for your crash-related expenses. Our team is experienced and skilled at taking on the insurance companies while you focus on healing.
Contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 888-710-0040.
