Bicycle Safety - What to do if you get in an Accident

Many Coloradans enjoy a ride along a scenic highway. Of course, with the adventure comes the risks of the road. In order to stay safe, it is important to understand a few traffic and safety laws that apply while riding your bicycle:

1. Every bicycle in use from sundown to sunrise, or in otherwise poor visibility, must be equipped with a lamp on the front of the bicycle that emits a white light visible from at least five hundred feet away.
2. Every bicycle must be equipped with a red reflector that is visible from six hundred feet from the rear of the bicycle. The reflector should be visible when it interacts with the headlights of a motor vehicle.
3. Every bicycle must be equipped with brakes that enable its rider to stop within twenty-five feet after proceeding at a speed of ten miles-per-hour on dry, level pavement.
4. Do not use whistles or sirens while riding a bicycle.
5. Do not carry more people on your bicycle than it is designed to carry.
6. Ride in the right-hand lane unless you are preparing for a left-hand turn or you are overtaking a slower vehicle or bicyclist.
7. If you are in a group, do not ride in more than rows of two unless you are riding on a path dedicated exclusively for bicycles.
8. You must keep one hand on the bicycle at all times.
9. Use hand signals to help others on the roadway know when you intend to turn or change lanes.

Awareness of applicable traffic laws will help you stay safe while riding your bicycle. If you are involved in a bike accident, the following considerations will help protect your legal interests:

1. Call the police and make sure the officer creates a traffic report. This report is valuable evidence regarding who is at fault in the accident.
2. Seek medical treatment for any injury sustained in the accident. Injuries can progress over time. For this reason, is important to have a medical professional make sure you are okay. Also, in the event of a lawsuit stemming from the accident, proper documentation will help ensure that you are compensated for your injuries and your medical bills.
3. Acquire the names and contact information of everyone involved in the accident.
4. Acquire the names and contact information of everyone who witnessed the accident.
5. Take as many photographs as possible: your injuries, bicycle, equipment, and the scene of the accident.
6. Do not throw away any of your damaged equipment or clothing – these items can be valuable evidence.
7. Other than checking on their wellbeing, do not make any statements to other people involved in the accident. It is appropriate to exchange contact information and insurance information. If you make any other statement, it can potentially be used to try to show that you were at fault in the accident.
8. Call Jorgensen, Brownell, & Pepin, P.C. Our Longmont car accident attorneys will help protect your right to compensation for injuries and other damages you may have sustained in the accident.