With more and more people switching to alternative mode of transportation, the issue of safety on the road becomes important to those looking for other ways to get around town besides automobile. Many turn to bicycling for not only transportation but also a way to stay in shape. However, when bicycling around town you need to take precautions in order to stay safe on the road. Proper safety equipment including properly working brakes, lighting for night riding, and especially wearing a bike helmet can ensure that you make it to your destination safely.

There are currently anywhere between 73 to 85 million bicyclist in the united states, and of these 698 of them are killed on US roads each year. Out of these 698, 90% are killed due to crashes with motor vehicles. Whereas many think sobriety, and night or tired driving/riding attributes to the majority of accidents, the truth is that most bicycle accidents are during the day, with sober riders, and most importantly not wearing a helmet. Looking past the fatalities involved in bicycle riding, almost 600,000 bicyclists each year are injured due to automobile or roadway accidents, of which around 67,000 report head injuries that must be hospitalized. Many of these who report hospitalized injuries were also not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

Many think that they do not need a helmet or are not riding far enough or fast enough to cause need for a helmet, however those without a helmet are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those wearing helmets, and head injuries account for over 60 percent of the bicycle related deaths in the nation.

These accidents not only cause physical injury, they also cause economic injury. Direct costs from bicycle rider accidents that involve non helmet collisions, it is estimated to cost 81 million each year. Indirectly, the cost totals over 2.3 billion. When you compare this to the amount a helmet costs at local bike shops (anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars) the expense of riding with a helmet seems negligible.

Alternative forms of transportation help break this nation of oil dependency and save not only our precious natural recourses but also our environment. If you are making your way around town on a bicycle, scooter, or motorcycle, please remember to stay safe, take all the appropriate precautions, and always wear a helmet.

Ah motorcycles. That form of transportation that your mother warned you about, the preferred vehicle of all tough Americans. Motorcycles are almost as much of a personality statement as they are a mode of transportation.

But there is a reason why your mother warned you against motorcyles: they can be very dangerous if not handled properly. It makes sense- motorcycle riders are not protected from the impact of another vehicle like car riders are, so the force of an impact has nowhere to go but to the person on the motorcycle. In fact, per mile, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to die in a car crash than car passengers. In 2006, there were almost 5,000 motorcycle fatalities reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 25% of these fatalities occured because the motorcycle driver crashed into a fixed object, like a light pole or wall. Contrary to popular belief, foul weather is not usually a contributing factor to motorcycle accidents.

What can car and motorcycle drivers do to prevent more needless deaths?

One way is for motorcycle drivers to wear helmets. This may seem cliche, but study after study supports the fact that helmets save thousands of lives. One study says that out of every 100 motorcyle deaths, 37 could have been prevented if the driver had been wearing a helmet. Speeding is also an important factor in motorcycle deaths, as a person is much more likely to survive an impact from a slower speed than a faster one. Also, it is important that motorcycle drivers learn basic "collision avoidance strategies", like how to swerve out of the path of a car without losing control of the vehicle.

But many studies support the idea that it is really the responsibility of the car drivers around a motorcycle to be careful and attentive. One important study on motorcycle safety concluded that "The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents". This means that car drivers need to always pay attention to their surroundings, to ensure that they don't accidentally collide with a small motorcycle.

Motorcycles can provide an enjoyable travel experience, but that pleasure comes with a price. No matter if you drive a motorcycle or car, it is so important to be a defensive and safe driver on the road.

A middle school student was walking to their bus stop in Charlotte, North Carolina (NC) when they were struck by a motorcycle.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department the motorcycle was traveling on the 11200 block of Amber Glen Drive when they hit the child. Both the motorcyclist and the child were taken to the Carolinas Medical Center. The motorist was checked for a mild concussion and the child sustained broken bones.

This comes after a rash of accidents involving school children this year in North Carolina (NC). In one instance a child was killed while exiting her bus in Raleigh. Police departments statewide have been cracking down on motorists through Operation Stop Arm. Officers have been following buses on their routes and issuing citations to drivers who fail to follow school bus safety laws. North Carolina has even increased the penalty for violating these laws and drivers could now face jail time.

However, as the accident on Amber Glen Drive proves, children are not only in danger while getting on and off the school bus but walking to and from bus stops as well. Children often walk more then a block to reach their school bus and they may wait at the bus stop for a long time before being picked up. This gives a large window for children to be involved in pedestrian accidents, especially in morning rush hour traffic when drivers are hurrying from their homes to work. Drivers should always remain cautious in residential areas where children are often found on the roadways.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling motorcycle accident cases. Check out this case result involving a motorcycle and a pick-up truck. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

AC

Three people were killed in New York City motorcycle accidents on Thursday.

A motorcyclist, 22, of the Bronx, was killed when his bike struck a vehicle at an intersection in Queens, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His unidentified passenger died upon arrival at the hopsital.

The investigation is ongoing.

In an unrelated accident the same night, an unidentified male motorcyclist, 32, was thrown from his bike after losing control and hitting two vehicles.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

If you or a loved one has suffered injury in a motorcycle accident, attorneys at Napoli Bern Ripka LLP, can help you to evaluate your case and find out the best course of action to take to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Call 888-529-4669 today.

On September 23, 2009, Bruce Mundy, riding a motorcycle was allegedly struck by Santos Vidal Rodriguez, age 26 who is reported to have been driving an SUV, according to the Des Moines Register. Santos Rodriguez and his brother Orlando David Rodriguez, age 23 left the Casey’s on Park Ave. allegedly without paying for $27 worth of gas. Both brothers are charged with second-degree robbery as well as vehicular homicide. Their Class C felony could result in up to 10 years in prison. If drugs or alcohol are found in the drug tests, which are still being run they could have up to 25 years in prison. It is being speculated whether Santos Rodriguez will be charged with an alleged role in the 1999 shootout in Des Moines (mentioned in the previous blog). Stay tuned for updates.

If this is true how does anyone make sense out of $27 worth of gas being worth the risk and all the damage it can cause? All I can say to those stealing gas, get a job. And don't tell me you can't find one. Make one by creating a business, mowing lawns, plowing snow, cleaning houses or offices; just work. The driver of the motorcycle has a HUGE civil lawsuit against the driver and probably the passenger who is alleged to be an accomplice in a criminal act that led to an accident and death of another person. I wonder if the driver was married and had dependent children.

Now all of that said there is a component to this case that will surely be explored in the criminal case: The driver's previous traumatic brain injury and whether it's caused a change in personality involving a lack of inhibition. That lack of inhibition is what can cause seemingly law abiding people to behave in ways contrary to the criminal laws. After a brain injury a person can have two types of changes: personality changes and a lower cognitive functioning. If someone you know suffers a head injury and then exhibits irrational behavior they may need evaluation and treatment.

Did this driver suffer a brain injury and a change in behavior? That's the question the defense team will have to explore.

How many people have TBI?

TBIs contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability annually.

Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States:

• 50,000 die;
• 235,000 are hospitalized; and
• 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.¹

Among children ages 0 to 14 years, TBI results in an estimated:

• 2,685 deaths;
• 37,000 hospitalizations; and
• 435,000 emergency department visits annually.¹

The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown.

For more information about TBI in the United States, including the groups at highest risk, CDC’s surveillance activities, and the numbers of TBI cases in each state, see Overview.