December 09, 2010 (Press-News.org) Safe Cycling in Denver and the Laws to Guide You
The proliferation of bicycles on Colorado's roads may be rooted in many things; the economy and high gas prices, the "green" movement, or more people enjoying the sport. However, with the increased amount of pedal traffic, serious injuries have also been on the rise.
Injuries on the Increase
A 2009 report by the Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons reported that the previous five years had seen a 15 percent increase in chest injuries and a tripling in the number of abdominal injuries resulting from bicycle accidents. A Reuters study shows a dramatic increase in the number of hospitalizations following bicycle accidents between 1996 and 2006.
According to Dr. Jeffry Kashuk, professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and senior attending surgeon at the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center at Denver Health Medical Center, doctors are seeing "injured spleens and livers, internal bleeding, rib fractures, and hemothorax [blood in the chest]" resulting from bike crashes.
Denver has put an emphasis on accommodating bikers, and has increased the number of bike lanes and sharrows (a marking to indicate a lane shared by both bikes and traffic). The number of bike lanes has nearly doubled in the last two years, from 20 miles to 38 miles. The number of sharrows has also nearly doubled during the same period, from 12 miles to 21 miles.
Even with an effort to increase the number of bike lanes and sharrows, bikers still face a big danger from cars and trucks.
Bicycle Laws
According to City and County of Denver laws, bicyclists are required to follow all the traffic rules and regulations of the road, including the same yield and right-of-way procedures as cars. Bicyclists are also obligated to obey all traffic signals and signs -- running red lights and stop signs puts cyclists at increased risk of accidents and injury.
Other laws that bicyclists must obey:
- Must have a permanent seat attached to the bike
- Cannot carry more passengers than what the bike is designed to carry
- Cannot carry "any package, bundle or article which prevents" the biker from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars
- Cannot ride two abreast, unless road is designated for bicyclists
- Must ride as near the right-hand side of the road is as safe
- Cannot ride at a speed that is faster than what is reasonable and prudent for the conditions, factoring in weather and the number of other cars, bikers and pedestrians that are on the road
- Cannot ride on sidewalks, with limited exception
- Must yield right-of-way to pedestrians
While there are numerous rules governing bicycles, there are also rules that apply to vehicles and their responsibilities as they pertain to bicyclists, including:
- Allowing for a minimum of three feet between the vehicle (including the mirror) and the bicyclist, sometimes referred to as the "safety bubble"
- Cannot pass a bicycle when there is oncoming traffic, with limited exception
- Allow bicyclists the same yield and right-of-way rights as another vehicle
All of the rules, for both bicyclists and vehicles, are intended to keep bicyclists safe. But they cannot prevent all injuries and accidents, and are only effective when they are obeyed.
Stay Safe on the Road
- To be safe on the road, bikers should:
- Obey the traffic laws
- Obey traffic lights and signs
- Ride in designated bike lanes when possible
- Assume that a vehicle does not see you and ride defensively
- Wear a helmet -- an increase in the number of accidents includes an increase in the number of injuries to the head
- Ride with the flow of traffic
- Yield to pedestrians
- Wear bright-colored clothing
- Use appropriate lights after dark
- Use hand signals when making turns and stops
Riding a bicycle provides a mode of transportation and exercise, but it should always be remembered that there is a risk of injury associated with riding. If you are injured or involved in an accident seek the counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney can help you seek money damages for medical bills, lost wages and bike repair.
Article provided by Coppola & Marlin PC
Visit us at www.coppolamarlin.com
Safe Cycling in Denver and the Laws to Guide You
Denver has put an emphasis on accommodating bikers, and has increased the number of bike lanes and sharrows (a marking to indicate a lane shared by both bikes and traffic).
2010-12-09
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Is Lasik Surgery Safe?
2010-12-09
Every year millions of people pay good money for perfect vision through laser and Lasik eye surgery . Promising to eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses, doctors nationwide market Lasik corrective eye procedures like retailers market mobile phones - the newest technology at the lowest price. Unfortunately, many Lasik patients are discovering they got just what they paid for.
What is Lasik?
Lasik is an outpatient medical procedure intended to correct imperfect vision by removing tissue from the cornea with a laser. The top portion of the eye is cut to create ...
Two Is Enough? Complex Family Structures, New Parenting Designations
2010-12-09
The concept of two parents per child is deeply embedded in our legal system. But with relatively recent social developments such as domestic partnerships and scientific breakthroughs like assisted reproduction, children more frequently enjoy a parental relationship with people who have no legal recognition of their role.
One increasingly common scenario is a same-sex couple who enlists a surrogate mother or sperm donor to help them become parents. If that couple chooses a trusted friend to help them create a child, they may also invite and encourage that person's ongoing ...
Same Sex Divorce in Texas: Appellate Court Says No
2010-12-09
The issue of extending marriage to lesbians and gays has ignited recurring controversy across the U.S. over the past decade. As some state legislatures enact civil union laws and courts extend rights based on same-sex couples' rights to equal protection, activist groups promote constitutional amendments opposing any redefinition of marriage and mount campaigns to defeat individual so-called "activist" judges.
A recent Texas case weighs in on an important and interesting issue: can Texas couples who obtained legal recognition of their relationship in other states pursue ...
What To Do After a Motorcycle Accident
2010-12-09
What you do after a motorcycle accident can have a significant impact on your ability to maximize the compensation you receive for your injuries. Motorcycle accident attorneys understand how specific actions can help or hurt, jury verdicts and insurance claim settlements.
What You Should do to Protect your Interests after a Motorcycle Accident
The two most important to do when you sustain a motorcycle accident injury are seek medical attention and do not talk to the representative of any insurance company. Once you have received medical treatment, contact an attorney ...
Redspottedhanky.com Urges People to Book in Advance to Avoid Fare Rises
2010-12-09
Redspottedhanky.com is encouraging customers to book train tickets ahead of time in order to prevent them paying more than they need now that many fares have been increased. Train travellers across the UK booking tickets for the New Year will be faced with higher fares, with an average increase of 5.8 per cent for journeys made from January 2011.
Analysis by redspottedhanky.com shows that despite an average increase, train companies have not raised their cheapest fares, giving train travellers the opportunity to save money by booking train tickets in advance.
"Train ...
Rezidor Launches New Calendar of Events at Sama Terrazza, Muscat
2010-12-09
Rezidor's Sama Terrazza in Muscat, Oman has announced an exciting schedule of themed evenings adding more allure to the city's only rooftop lounge. The hotel at the Park Inn Muscat was launched last November and has since been the place to be for the city's in-crowd.
More emphasis has been placed on special offers and promotions at the Muscat hotel in order to draw in people over the weekdays as well.
Sandeep Kamal, Executive Chef in charge of food and beverage at the hotel, said: "Sama Terrazza fared very well last year since its opening; in fact we were overwhelmed ...
Artivist = Artist + Activist -- 7th Annual Artivist Film Festival To Show At Tribeca Cinemas, NYC -- Free Screenings December 9 through December 12, 2010
2010-12-09
The 7th Annual Artivist Film Festival will take place in New York City beginning Thursday December 9th with a showing of the highly charged, already sold out film "Madonna of the Mills" and will conclude on Sunday December 12th with the film, "Deep Green" which focuses on how we can realistically stop global warming.
All screenings will take place at the Tribeca Cinemas in lower Manhattan and features FREE tickets to all films, informational panels with filmmakers and subject matter experts after many of the films, and in the spirit of Artivist, a special reception ...
Grandmother to Live Dream in Lamborghini
2010-12-09
An unusual grandmother recently received an appropriately out-of-the-ordinary gift from her daughters. Pat Capps, 70, will be driving a Lamborghini through the Texas countryside, courtesy of DFW Drive Your Dream Tour.
Capps was watching Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman race Mustangs in the movie "The Bucket List" when she mentioned to one of her daughters that driving a Lamborghini was on her personal bucket list.
Capps is not your stereotypical granny, driving 45 mph down the freeway in her family sedan with her blinker on. She currently drives a Ford Mustang and ...
Notification of Rescheduling of 1st Hong Kong International Software Contest Awards Ceremony
2010-12-09
The Software Association of Hong Kong and 1st Hong Kong International Software Contest Committee have made the decision to reschedule the Awards Ceremony of 1st Hong Kong International Software Contest, which was to be held on January 11th, 2011 in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, to March 11th, 2011.
More than 50,000 softwares have been submitted from home and abroad since the software contest started 3 months ago, which demonstrates the influence of this contest on the international software industry.
The committee has increased the daily work to examine carefully the ...
CSA 2010 Task Force Member Announces a Solution to CSA 2010
2010-12-09
David Saunders, an active member of the CSA 2010 Task Force and CEO of Compliance Safety Systems, announces to the transportation industry his solution regarding the new CSA 2010 mandates.
In a recent interview, David shares, "Driver fitness and accountability will correct itself over the next 18 to 24 months with Electronic On Board Recorders, driver health and wellness programs and more stringent physical qualification processes, but an engine will always leak oil, a tire wear down, and a light burn out, so no technology will ever correct that."
He continues with, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Combining non-invasive brain stimulation and robotic rehabilitation improves motor recovery in mouse stroke model
Chickening out – why some birds fear novelty
Gene Brown, MD, RPh, announced as President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and its Foundation
Study links wind-blown dust from receding Salton Sea to reduced lung function in area children
Multidisciplinary study finds estrogen could aid in therapies for progressive multiple sclerosis
Final day of scientific sessions reveals critical insights for clinical practice at AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting and OTO EXPO
Social adversity and triple-negative breast cancer incidence among black women
Rapid vs standard induction to injectable extended-release buprenorphine
Galvanizing blood vessel cells to expand for organ transplantation
Common hospice medications linked to higher risk of death in people with dementia
SNU researchers develop innovative heating and cooling technology using ‘a single material’ to stay cool in summer and warm in winter without electricity
SNU researchers outline a roadmap for next-generation 2D semiconductor 'gate stack' technology
The fundamental traditional Chinese medicine constitution theory serves as a crucial basis for the development and application of food and medicine homology products
Outfoxed: New research reveals Australia’s rapid red fox invasion
SwRI’s Dr. Chris Thomas named AIAA Associate Fellow
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) funding for research on academic advising experiences of Division I Black/African American student-athletes at minority serving institutions
Johri developing artificial intelligence literacy among undergraduate engineering and technology students
Boston Children’s receives a $35 million donation to accelerate development of therapeutic options for children with brain disorders through the Rosamund Stone Zander and Hansjoerg Wyss Translational
Quantum crystals offer a blueprint for the future of computing and chemistry
Looking beyond speech recognition to evaluate cochlear implants
Tracking infectious disease spread via commuting pattern data
Underweight children cost the NHS as much per child as children with obesity, Oxford study finds.
Wetland plant-fungus combo cleans up ‘forever chemicals’ in a pilot study
Traditional Chinese medicine combined with peginterferon α-2b in chronic hepatitis B
APS and SPR honor Dr. Wendy K. Chung with the 2026 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award
The Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center (Kids First DRC) has launched the Variant Workbench
Yeast survives Martian conditions
Calcium could be key to solving stability issues in sodium-ion batteries
Can smoother surfaces prevent hydrogen embrittlement?
Heart rate changes predict depression treatment success with magnetic brain stimulation
[Press-News.org] Safe Cycling in Denver and the Laws to Guide YouDenver has put an emphasis on accommodating bikers, and has increased the number of bike lanes and sharrows (a marking to indicate a lane shared by both bikes and traffic).