Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
With the new school year beginning to get under way, it is important that motorists remember to watch out for child bicyclists as well as young pedestrians. Injuries sustained by a person during any motor vehicle crash can be serious. They can be especially detrimental to a young boy or girl who is completely unprotected, except for his or her protective gear, from the impact of colliding with a car, a truck, a van, an SUV, or a bus. Unfortunately, Portland, Oregon bicycle accidents resulting in injuries children do happen—especially during the school year.
Per a study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, bicycle-related injuries involving children and adolescents in the United States are greater public health concern than previously thought:
Per the study’s findings:
• Over 50% of the 85 million US bicycle riders are minors.
• Some $200 million in hospital inpatient charges a year are a result of bicycle injuries involving people younger than age 20.
• Bicycle riding is also the child recreational sport that results in the largest number of emergency room visits.
• Some 10,700 kids are hospitalized each year for an average of three days because of their bicycle-related injuries.
• Motor vehicles are a factor in about 30% of bicycle-related hospital stays.
• 1/3 of kids with a bicycle injury serious enough to require hospitalization had sustained a traumatic brain injury.
The study was published in Injury Prevention’s October 2007 issue.
If your child is going to ride a bicycle, it is important that you teach him or her the proper safety precautions to avoid getting involved in an Oregon bicycle accident. Safety measures include:
• Using a helmet.
• Wearing clothing that is close fitting and allows for easy visibility.
• Knowing the traffic laws.
• Staying on the right side of the road even as you flow with traffic.
• Watching the vehicles around you.
• Paying attention.
• Signaling when making turns.
• Making sure that the bike is properly maintained.
In many cases, a bicyclist will get involved in a collision with a motor vehicle because a motorist or another party was negligent. This can cause catastrophic injuries to the minor or adult bicyclist.
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Contact our Portland, Oregon bicycle accident law firm to discuss your case.
