Bicycling is a popular sport and past time for millions of people in the US. Many love getting on their bicycles and hitting the open road where they can get out into the fresh air, experience nature and get a healthy amount of exercise.

But when a bicycle rider get out on the road with motor vehicles the rider must realize that it is a dangerous endeavor. In fact there are perhaps and many as 500,000 bicycle and motor vehicle involved accidents each year in the US and many of those cause serious injury to the rider.

These injuries cause large hospital bills, loss of motion, loss of income, and often psychological problems that may take the rider years to overcome. When a bicycle ride is injured in a motor vehicle accident, the best course of action in addition to getting medical attention is to contact reputable and skilled bicycle accident lawyers like California based the Dolan Law Firm. They can help you to assess your case and gain compensation for your injuries and associated loss.

Bicycling is such a dangerous activity on roadways because of a variety of reasons that collectively make for a treacherous time for riders. They must be aware of these realities or they will find themselves on the wrong side of a vehicle accident. Here are two things bicyclists must be aware of on the road.

Blind Spots

One serious issue that bicycle riders face is due to the fact that motor vehicles have a blind spot where the driver cannot see a bicycle. This spot is located on the side of the vehicle and to the rear of it and can take up the entire size of the bicycle. In fact, the major cause of bicycle / motor vehicle accidents is the failure of drivers to detect or recognize bicycles in traffic When a driver is moving at the speed of traffic and needs to focus on all of the elements of driving there is a fair chance the driver will lose the bicyclist in the blind spot. For this reason, the bicyclist must pay close attention when passing or being passed by automobiles. If the driver appears to be making a sudden turn out of their lane the bicyclist must stop or slow immediately.

Distracted Driving

Driving while texting or engaging in any of several other distracting behaviors is illegal in every US state, but even with stiff laws against this dangerous behavior, too  many drivers are still doing it on a regular basis.

The reality is that most people do not believe that distracted driving can lead to an accident, but it is the fastest growing area of vehicle accidents today. For this reason bicycle riders need to be very focused on the behavior and actions of drivers when they are on the road. If someone is distracted there is a good chance that they will not see a bicycle on the side of or in front of their vehicle until it is too late. For this reason a rider must take the responsibility into his own hands by noticing any signs that a driver is not focused on the road and then taking appropriate actions to move away from that vehicle.