Bicycle Accidents on the Rise in Palm Beach County

As a personal injury attorney helping injured victims of bicycle accidents in Palm Beach County, including an ongoing case against Palm Beach County and its contractors, attorney Joseph Lipsky is certainly encouraged that public servants are finally taking a further look at making our roadways safer for cycling enthusiasts.

We know too well that bike accidents in Palm Beach County rose by about twenty percent over the past couple of years. Those increasing number of bicycle accident statistics become too real as our office has seen an increase in the number of injured bicycle accident victims across Palm Beach County over the past 2 years. In hopes of stemming the rising tide of bicycle accident injuries, in addition to common sense solutions such as mandating helmet use and requiring lights on bikes, the county is contemplating increased marking of bike lanes and greater police enforcement of those laws already on the books.

While Florida’s laws demand bikes to have a head light type lamp and wheel reflectors, front lamp and reflectors, many cyclists choose not to follow the laws which are there to protect them. Other laws which many bike riders need to know of, which may too prevent personal injuries, include riders under 16 having to wear a helmet and the prohibition against using headphones. And contrary to many people’s beliefs, riders may use the sidewalk, but must yield to pedestrians.

Incredibly, Florida did away with many of its bike rider safety rules, which used to mandate that all riders, regardless of age, had to use a helmet. One of the suggestions the county is considering include narrowing car lanes to allow wider designated bicycle lanes. As a personal injury attorney who has helped injured accident victims in Palm Beach County, and across the State of Florida, for almost 25 years, Joseph Lipsky hopes the commission gives the proper consideration to bike riders’ safety.