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Davis is one of the premier biking cities in the U.S. with 20 percent of the population commuting to work or school every day on bicycles. Part of this is because of the UC Davis Campus that shares some of the southwestern border with the city. Each day a fair amount of faculty and students take the trip from Davis to campus and then back home.

The campus itself is bike-friendly as well with a significant number of students using their bikes around campus and out into the community. With all this comes the risk of bike v Pedestrian accidents.

In October of 2013, a student was riding with a friend at the edge of the campus and struck another student walking along the same path. He admittedly was using his phone and didn’t see the pedestrian. He sustained a lump on the head and a gash on his face. The pedestrian was knocked down and sustained scrapes and bruises.

The accident is typical and could have been worse given the vulnerability of both rider and pedestrian.

Pedestrian-Bike Safety Concerns

In the city of Davis, riding bikes on the sidewalks is allowed except in the downtown business core. This puts pedestrians and cyclists in the same space, and even in the downtown region, pedestrians and cyclists share crosswalks and shared-use paths that wind through the city.

A bike is much faster than a pedestrian which means that it’s difficult to share a path or a sidewalk as typically the bike will need to pass the pedestrian. The informal rules are to pass the slower traveler on their left. When this is followed, it helps prevent contact between the two groups. However, accidents happen anyway for any of the following reasons:

  • Going too fast
  • Cellphone use
  • Not following passing protocols
  • Pedestrian steps in front of the rider
  • Aggressive cycling

Bike-Pedestrian Injuries

Injuries can range from minor scrapes and bruises to serious fractures or brain injuries, and some even end in a fatality. In these crashes, the pedestrian is completely unprotected and the cyclist has little protection and almost always hits the pavement. Some of the common injuries in these accidents are:

  • Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Severe concussions
  • facial injuries
  • Shattered wrists/elbows
  • Broken arms/legs
  • Road rash
  • Deep contusions

Contact a Davis Bicycle Accident Lawyer.

Bay Area Bicycle Law is the only personal injury law firm in Northern California to specialize exclusively in representing injured cyclists. Years of advocacy for bicycle victims have seasoned our attorneys with the necessary skills, knowledge base and familiarity to handle bicycle accident cases with the utmost level of professional expertise.

Contact us today for a free consultation. California cyclists who are injured by negligent drivers are entitled to a wide array of compensation. We will always offer you legal advice which is in your best interest.