Can Bike Share Programs Cause More Accidents?

As cities become more and more sprawling, a wide variety of transportation methods have seen a spike in recent years. Ride sharing apps are extremely common. But another service that’s become more common is bike sharing. Bike sharing can be a quick and affordable way of getting around in a city. With many locations and bike park stations, returning the bike is made simple. But with bike sharing on the rise, can could more accidents be on the way?

It should be noted that recent studies suggest that the bikes used in sharing services themselves are much safer than the average bike. Bike share bicycles are often built with a much sturdier, heavier material that’s been carefully constructed for a cyclist to maintain balance and proper equilibrium. The risk, if any, that a cyclist could encounter is an abused bike that is overdue for maintenance.

On the other hand, there is bicycles have a long and varied track record of being involved in accidents. According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the number of cyclists killed annually reaches about 800 to 900 people. This number can, and often does, vary from year to year. Even so, it does not take into the account the thousands of injured cyclists. Most of these bike accidents occur due to a lack of a helmet or inconsiderate drivers.

While the bikes themselves may not cause accidents directly, the culture of bike share programs means more cyclists on the road. This could mean a higher chance for accidents, especially for inexperienced riders without a helmet, which often is not provided with a bike share bicycle.

Bike accidents can be catastrophic and in some cases, fatal. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact a personal injury attorney who could help. Contact the top-rated lawyers at Salter Ferguson today to schedule your case consultation.