Bicycle Accidents and Injuries On The Rise

While cycling is gaining popularity, both as a recreation sport and as a means of transportation, accidents in MIami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties are on the rise. As an avid cyclist and lawyer who repents victims of bicycle accidents, this comes as no surprise.
As reported by The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles the increase in accidents and injuries is across the board.

First lets look at the increase of Bicycle accidents In Florida from 2010 to 2011. Bicycle accidents increased a modest 1.79% from 4,925 to 5,013. The more troubling increase was that of bicycle riders killed, which increased from 76 to 120. An alarming increase of 57.89%

Bicycle riders injured increase from 4600 to 4,632. However in Miami-Dade the number of riders injured increased from 530 to 637.

During the same time period fatalities in broward more than doubled, increasing from 5 to 13, while Palm Beach saw a rise in fatalities from 4 to 9.

The causes for the increase are a a combination of many factors. First, there are more cyclist on the road. In Florida, commuting by bike increased 59.3 percent between 2005 and 2012. The League of American Bicyclists ranked Pompano Beach, Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale among the top 20 cities with the highest percentage of bike commuters in the South. This, does not even account for the large increase in recreational cyclists.

When you combine the increased number of riders with the ever increasing number of distracted drivers(CELLPHONES) and lack of bike lanes, the results should come as no surprise.