[And What Drivers and Cyclists Alike Can Learn from Their Aftermath]
As summer heats up in Arizona, drivers need to be alert for dangers caused or exacerbated by high heat, including dust, drowsiness, dehydration, glare, car part breakdowns, and related challenges. Similarly, drivers should strive to avoid accidents that occur more commonly during warmer weather. Bicycle crashes, for instance, tend to happen more frequently as the mercury rises. To that end, let’s analyze several well-known crashes and draw lessons from them.
4 Infamous Bicycle Crashes: What They Can Teach Us about Safety
- Model Audrey Lindvall’s life ended too early. She died at 23 after being thrown from her bike under the wheels of a gas tanker truck when she ran into a curb. Her tragic death is a stark reminder of the uneven playing field that is the modern freeway. Drivers intuitively know they need to be aware of larger vehicles – trucks, vans, etc. – but they often do not spend nearly enough attention scanning for smaller vehicles, like motorcycles and bikes. Expand your area of area of alertness.
- U2 lead singer Bono underwent five hours of surgery to repair his arm after a cycling injury in New York. He broke his arm in six places, and one of his eye sockets was also broken. According to Rolling Stone, the injuries resulted from a “high-energy bicycle accident.” When you are on the road, either as a cyclist or as a driver, be mindful of your capabilities, particularly in hot and dusty weather. Take breaks, and look for signs that your energy levels are flagging.
- Fabio Casartelli, an Italian gold medalist for cycling, died in the 15th stage of the Tour de France in 1995. One of many in the crash, he fell and hit his head on concrete blocks. Unfortunately, he was not wearing a helmet, which his doctor suggested would have saved his life. As business author, Jim Collins, wrote in his bestselling book Great By Choice, “since it’s impossible to consistently predict specific disruptive events… build buffers and shock absorbers for dealing with unexpected events.” No matter your skill level as a driver or cyclist, always play it safe.
- A crash in the last 500 meters of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey meant victory for Andre Greipel. The crash affected most of the riders in the field. One rider clipped the wheel of another, causing a chain reaction. Bikes, trucks, cars, motorcycles, vans and other vehicles share the road and interact in complex and hard to predict ways. Recognize that bad decisions can propagate; and prepare and react accordingly.
Our experienced Arizona accident attorneys are here to assist you if you’ve been hurt or your vehicle has been damaged in a crash. We can get you fairly compensated and ensure that justice is done. Get in touch to schedule a free case evaluation at 602.283.4122.
