In a land full of SUVs and trucks, let’s face it: riding a bicycle is dangerous. The narrow roads of New Orleans, coupled with newly installed bike lanes, the growing population and texting while driving, have created a perfect storm for bicyclists throughout the city.
All over Louisiana, bicyclists face problems with large vehicles colliding and leading to devastating injuries. Nationwide, this accident trend continues to spiral. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, there has been a 12% increase in bike accidents in 2015 – the highest one year increase since 1995.
Like motorcyclists, bicyclists who survive often have significant injuries to their entire body – not just the spine or back. They often don’t ride with adequate protection and often do not see the threat coming until it is too late.
Bike accidents in Orleans Parish more than doubled between 2010 and 2014, from 129 to 308. Although death is a rare result, injuries are frequent and crippling.
How to protect yourself if you ride a bike
For many years, homeowner’s and renter’s insurance covered some aspects of bike loss, but that related mainly to the property loss and very rarely did it cover accidents away from home. There are some new insurers in the marketplace that offer liability, loss, and medical payments similar to how a car insurance policy is structured.
Of course, your best defense against an accident is preparing yourself ahead of time by wearing the right equipment and observing defensive tactics while you ride.
But no matter what, the odds are even the best defense cannot protect against that one-time accident that can change your life forever.