The streets of Lewisburg, while beautiful and full of small-town charm, aren’t exactly the friendliest spaces for bicyclists. Being nestled in a rural area, biking isn’t the most efficient way to get from place to place since everything is more spread out than in a city. Most of the population in central PA, other than the Amish community, chooses to—rather, is required to—drive cars for this reason. This can make biking especially difficult and dangerous.
Additionally, it means drivers aren’t as well-versed about how to treat bicyclists on the road, whether in downtown Lewisburg or in the more rural roads of Union County. This leads to serious collisions between bicyclists and drivers of regular-sized vehicles. When that unfortunate scenario happens, you could benefit from having our Lewisburg bicycle accident lawyer on your side.
At Stapp Law, LLC, we understand biking through this area can be difficult. When another person’s negligence leads to an accident on your bike, you could use our help to get you justice. We’ll investigate what happened and collect evidence to prove the other party was at fault for your injuries and damages.
Pennsylvania Bicycle Crash Facts
As mentioned above, riding a bicycle can be extremely dangerous even though it’s a more active and economic way to navigate the world. As a bicyclist, you’re more exposed to the elements and any impacts than a person in a regular motor vehicle would be. They have metal, airbags, and seatbelts to protect them, while you have your clothing and a helmet at best.
With this information in mind, bicycle crash statistics released by PennDOT for 2020 make sense. According to this report, bicycle accidents accounted for less than 1 percent of all crashes in PA that year and 1.9 percent of all traffic fatalities that year. Further crash facts show:
- 822 bicycles involved in crashes
- 22 bicyclists killed in those crashes
- 799 bicyclists injured in those crashes
Even though bicyclists might think that biking in the dark is the most dangerous time, data from these crashes, also listed in that same report, showed that the majority of bicycle accidents and fatalities occurred in the daylight—not dawn, dusk, or in the dark. This is not to say that biking at night or dusk isn’t dangerous, but it’s important to remember that serious bike accidents can happen at any point of the day.
Another known danger for bicyclists is intersections. While these are the places that are hotspots for any kind of accident, whether car, truck, or motorcycle, it’s generally understood that they’re just as dangerous for bicyclists. However, PA’s crash data from that same year shows that bicycle accident injuries and fatalities happened almost equally at intersections and non-intersections.
When you’ve been in a collision in Lewisburg while riding your bike and another driver, rider, or other party was at fault for what happened to you, our bicycle accident lawyer is here to help. We’ll work to prove the other party’s negligence is what caused your wreck.
Bicycle Laws in Lewisburg, PA
When riding your bike, it’s important to know the state and local laws that you must follow. Additionally, it’s important to know what rights you have compared to drivers, so you know when they are acting negligently. Riding a bicycle, much like driving, requires your full attention, but even more so because you are more prone to serious or fatal injuries in the event of a crash.
When you break the rules for bicyclists, you’re likely to be found at fault for your bicycle accident claim. That’s why you need to know the rules. Here are the rights and duties of bicyclists when riding in the Borough of Lewisburg, as outlined by the Lewisburg Code:
- Riders must have a white headlamp on the front of their bikes between the time of sunset and sunrise, or any situation where it is too dark to clearly see 500 feet ahead
- Riders of bicycles have the same rights and duties as motorists in the state and Borough
- Bicyclists must obey all traffic signs and signals in the same way as a motorist, unless otherwise specified by a Buffalo Valley Regional police officer
- Only one rider can be on a bike intended for a single rider, unless a child is securely attached in equipment that secures them to the bike
- Bicyclists must stay to the far right of roads and signal before turning
- Any bicyclist approaching a sidewalk must yield to pedestrians
- When carrying something on a bike, one hand must be able to remain on the handlebars at all times
- Bicyclists cannot ride on sidewalks in the Borough, though there are a few exceptions to this rule listed in the code above
- Bicycles must be registered
Otherwise, Pennsylvania Code takes over for the rules surrounding bicyclists and how other motorists proceed. These laws are:
- Anyone under the age of 12 must wear a helmet when riding a bike, although it is recommended for riders of all ages
- Bicyclists may treat an intersection with a stop light as a stop sign when it is malfunctioning or when the weight of the bicycle cannot offset the sensor to change the light green
- Motorists must give bicyclists four feet of clearance when overtaking them, but only if oncoming traffic is clear and the motorist does not have to reach unreasonable speeds
- Motorists cannot open doors if a bicyclist is approaching, as it could kill them
- In addition to the headlamp mentioned earlier, bikes ridden at night are also required to have rear and side reflectors
- Motorists are not required to yield to bicyclists in crosswalks, but they are if you dismount and walk your bike across
- Bicycles are not permitted on the freeway
Another aspect of riding bicycles or sharing the road with bicycles is that the person riding may not be as familiar with cars as you are. In central Pennsylvania, we have a large Amish community which uses bicycles as one of their only methods of transportation. While they still follow the rules of the road, it’s important to always be cautious and give them ample room as a motorist.
Bicycle laws can be confusing, but they’re important to follow. When you were following the rules and another driver or party wasn’t, our Lewisburg bicycle accident attorney can represent you.
Stapp Law, LLC Will Fight for You
Riding a bicycle is an enjoyable activity that you can do for fun or transportation. When that fun gets ruined by an accident that leaves you injured and with other damages, you could be looking to take legal action against the at-fault party. Our Lewisburg bicycle accident lawyer is here to help you do just that.
At Stapp Law, LLC, we understand how devastating a bicycle wreck can be. That’s why our lawyers are dedicated to getting victims the compensation they deserve. With us handling the legal side of things, you can focus on what really matters—physical and emotional healing.
Contact our office today so we can schedule a free consultation and get started working on your potential bicycle accident claim.
