More bike accident fatalities in New York in 2016

When fall weather hits New York, cycling is perhaps one of the best ways to explore the city. There are countless things to see and do around the city in fall, and, as many cyclists know, getting around by bike is one of the best ways to take it all in. Many cyclists will bike safely this fall, but those who are unfortunately involved in a bicycle accident are advised not to face the aftermath of an accident alone.

Mayor de Blasio’s began “Vision Zero” in 2014. This movement sought to revamp both streets and the city’s driving culture so that no New Yorkers die from traffic accidents. However, many of the city’s cyclists say they still feel like the chance of suffering a serious injury or death is still too great.

Motorists have injured and killed 17 cyclists thus far this year. This is already greater than 2015, when 15 cyclists died due to motorists. Although there has been an increase in cyclists’ deaths, the risk of bicycling has never been lower, according to the Department of Transportation. They calculated a risk indicator of cycling by taking the total number of fatalities and critically-injured riders per year while factoring in the total estimated number of bike trips per day. So, even as more cyclists are dying this year, the city claims that there is actually a lower risk of either injury or death due to the fact that there are more and more New Yorkers bicycling every day.

A New York cyclist who is involved in a bicycle accident knows that a thorough understanding of his or her rights is essential if the cyclist chooses to file a personal injury suit against the motorist. An experienced personal injury attorney is often consulted to help the accident victim through legal issues specific to bicycle accident law. This attorney will be a tireless advocate for the cyclist’s rights throughout the legal proceedings in a New York civil court.

Source: nydailynews.com, “More NYC cyclists killed by cars in 2016 than previous year“, Dan Rivoli, Sept. 16, 2016