Attorney
Recently, the blog RollCall.com had an interesting story about the bicycling safety challenges bicyclists face in D.C. 
According to the blog, bicycle accidents near Capitol Hill and across the District are becoming a significant problem. Bicycling interest in D.C. has reportedly exploded over the last decade, with local associations estimating that the number of cyclists on roadways has increased by about 450 percent.
Some experts say that because of the growth, more bicycle accidents are occurring, and this is a problem because some local law enforcement agencies are not trained to deal with these incidents. Keep in mind, D.C. is the home to 26 different law enforcement agencies.
“Bicycling has exploded in this city,” said Greg Billing of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, according to RollCall.com. “We need the agencies to be more educated on what the current law says.”
Billing told the website that his group has been attempting to set up meetings with law enforcement officials about monitoring roadways and enforcing laws to help alleviate bicycle accidents.
We appreciate this effort, as there were 560 bicycle-motor vehicle crashes in D.C. in 2012. If you are biking in D.C., we suggest you do the following:
- Wear a helmet
- Wear protective clothing like gloves and pads
- Wear reflective clothing
- Have front and back lights
- Have repair kits on hand for flats or other mechanical issues
- Occupy bike lanes when they are available
- Adhere to local laws
Injured in a Bicycle Accident? Our DC Attorneys Can Help With Bicycling Safety
As we have been reporting over the last couple of weeks, we support Street Smart, a public bicycling education, awareness and behavioral campaign in the D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia area. You can visit the campaign’s website by clicking here, where you can see more bicycling safety tips.
If you are involved in a bicycle accident or your loved one has been killed, you should contact our injury attorneys in DC We can investigate your case and determine if negligence played a role in the crash.
You can reach us by clicking on the live chat option on this page.
Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P.
Washington, D.C. Injury Attorneys