How To Safely Bike Around Atlanta Streets

By Grant Law Office on July 30, 2015

Atlanta is an incredibly modern city. As one of the fastest growing hubs of business, the population in the city has increased greatly in the last decade. More people means more commuters—and more people are choosing to ride bicycles as their way of getting around Atlanta. Of course, more bikes on the road leads to more bike accidents. Over the past few years, bicycle injuries in Atlanta have skyrocketed.

The numbers don’t lie. Bike accidents are becoming a problem nationwide. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2013, 743 bicyclists were killed in accidents with motor vehicles. That’s about 2 people per day in the U.S. About half a million people suffer some kind of bike accident injury each year. The NHTSA reports that 29% of those accidents were caused by getting hit by a car.
It takes two people to cause a collision. While you can’t control what drivers on the road are doing to stay safe, bike riders in Atlanta can take steps to be prepared for dangers. Here are some helpful tips to avoid accidents:

• ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HELMET
• OBEY ALL THE TRAFFIC RULES AND SIGNS
• Pay attention to everything around you
• Don’t listen to music or have your phone ear buds in your ear
• Ride in the same direction as the traffic
• Keep your hands ready to brake for an emergency
• Be ready to get off the road or react quickly to a car swerving
• Try not to ride at night, especially in places with bad lighting
• Avoid wearing dark colored clothes when riding at night
• Check your breaks and reflectors to make sure they’re working correctly
• Don’t ride on sidewalks
• Make sure your bike is the right size for you

Bike injuries happen every day in a big city like Atlanta. No matter how safe you are, it can happen to you or someone you care about. If you or a loved one has been in a bike accident, DO NOT hesitate to get legal help. Hold negligent drivers responsible for injuries they cause.

Contact the Grant Law Office today at (404) 995-3955.