New York City has a very high rate of bicycle accidents, and the number of deaths due to bicycle accidents seems to be on the rise. This has prompted city leaders to take action, but many people feel that not enough is being done to protect bicyclists.
The city put in protected bike lanes, which is an excellent move because there is proof that bike lanes do save lives. But one problem is that some drivers fail to respect bike lanes. For example, drivers can be observed parking in the bike lanes and even using them as passing lanes, and there have been reports of police and parking enforcement officers failing to take action.
In fact, one of the most significant issues many bicyclists have is that, when an accident happens, the blame seems to always shift to the bicyclist. Drivers often get a slap on the wrist, even if the bicyclist dies. There is a feeling that drivers have no respect for bicyclists, and nobody is holding them accountable.
There is also an issue with the lack of protected bike lanes in individual communities. It is difficult for the city to get approval to add the lanes because doing so often requires a plan to remove parking or narrow the roadway for drivers. In many cases, the only way the city can get a protected bike lane in place is for there to be a death of a bicyclist in the community.
Overall, if everyone paid more attention, it would help reduce the number of accidents. Drivers need to respect the bike lanes and watch out for cyclists. Riders need to pay attention and wear safety gear. Everyone must to do their part to help bring down the number of accidents occurring in the city. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
