For some people, riding a bicycle is a great way to get some exercise or get to work in an environmentally friendly manner. Others may take biking very seriously, whether they compete in events or are very committed to improving their times and spending a certain amount of time on their bike every day. Unfortunately, some bicyclists can become aggressive, which may lead to a motor vehicle collision. We do not want to imply that all bicyclists are aggressive on the roadways, but it is important for drivers to watch out for the minority who may increase the likelihood of a traffic collision.
There are a lot of ways in which an aggressive, inexperienced, drunk or careless bicyclist may cause an accident. For example, they may ride their bicycle on the wrong side of the road because they do not know better, which could prompt a driver to become startled and veer into oncoming traffic or off of the road. Or, an aggressive bicyclist may purposely ride too close to another vehicle, which could cause the driver to make an error while behind the wheel. These accidents may involve one vehicle and a bicyclist, or they may involve two or more vehicles and the bicyclist may be unharmed.
Sometimes, people cross over the center line in order to avoid a bicyclist, especially if they are riding in the middle of the road. Sadly, this can lead to a devastating accident, especially around turns or during periods when visibility is poor. We believe that bicyclists who cause traffic crashes should be held answerable.
