Santa Fe, NM bicycle accident lawyer explains what cyclists need to know
Protected bicycle lanes encourage more people to commute by bicycle and reduce the number of bicycle accidents, according to a recent nationwide study on the cycling habits of people in several large cities.
“The researchers said that although a greater number of bike commuters ‘is not necessarily an end in itself, it could help cities to lower fuel consumption, emissions and transportation costs while providing more mobility options to a greater percentage of the population, along with better health outcomes and better safety for bicyclists and nonbicyclist road users alike’,” according to Safety + Health Magazine, which reported on the recent study.
What are the benefits of protected bicycle lanes?
Researchers at the University of New Mexico conducted a recent study on the benefits of protected bicycle lanes. Published in the journal Nature, the study focused on six years (2014-2019) of bicycle commuting data for 28 cities (14 with high levels of bicycle commuting and 14 additional cities), encompassing 14,000 city blocks. Researchers found:
- Eight times as many cyclists commute to work in cities with protected bicycle lanes compared to cities with standard bike lanes.
- Nearly four times as many commuting cyclists used protected bicycle lanes as in cities without bicycle lanes.
“The results suggest that lower-stress bicycle facilities—such as protected bicycle lanes—are significantly associated with larger increases in ridership at the block-group level compared with higher-stress facilities such as standard bicycle lanes and shared-lane markings,” researchers from the University of New Mexico wrote.
How common are protected bicycle lanes?
While the safety benefits of protected bicycle lanes are clear, the actual number of miles of protected bicycle lanes nationwide is still relatively small. In particular, there are only an estimated 614 locations nationwide with protected bicycle lanes, according to a 2023 study by PeopleForBikes.
And in many cities with bicycle lanes, those lanes are standard bicycle lanes instead of protected versions, which have solid barriers (often made of concrete) placed between the bicycle lanes and traffic lanes.
For example, Santa Fe has 100 miles of protected bicycle lanes. Previously, Santa Fe had 25 miles of protected bicycle lanes. The increase from 25 to 100 miles of protected bicycle lanes resulted in a 53 percent decrease in the number of serious and fatal bicycle accidents in Santa Fe, according to a report by the Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Are bicycle accidents still a problem?
Unfortunately, yes. Bicycle accidents remain a major problem – and it’s only getting worse. In 2023, there were 49,989 bicycle accident injuries and 1,166 bicycle accident fatalities nationwide, according to accident data collected by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Compared to the year before, cycling injuries increased by 8 percent, and fatalities were up 4 percent compared to 2022, according to the DOT and NHTSA. To put these numbers in perspective, the total number of bicycle accident deaths nationwide in 2010 was 623. That represents an 87 percent increase in bicycle crash fatalities between 2010 and 2023.
How common are bicycle accidents in New Mexico?
Like the rest of the country, bicycle accidents have become steadily more common and severe in New Mexico in recent years. In the past decade, bicycle accident fatalities in New Mexico increased by 140 percent between 2014 (when there were 5 bicycle deaths statewide) and 2023 (when there were 12 deaths), according to the most recent NHTSA bicycle accident data for New Mexico.
Why do bicycle accidents happen?
Worst of all, many bicycle accidents could have easily been prevented. That’s because many occur due to mistakes made by drivers who don’t share the road with cyclists. Common reasons why reckless drivers cause bicycle accidents include:
- Distracted driving, especially texting while driving.
- Drivers not looking when turning at intersections and hitting a cyclist.
- Not sharing the road with cyclists.
- Speeding drivers who don’t have enough time to slow down to avoid collisions with cyclists
- Drunk drivers who hit cyclists.
These are just a few of the reasons why bicycle accidents occur in New Mexico and many other places. If you or someone you love has been injured in a New Mexico bicycle crash involving a negligent driver, make sure you fully understand your legal rights. Make sure you have an experienced bicycle accident lawyer on your side.
How can a bicycle accident attorney help?
Don’t simply assume you will be fairly compensated for your bicycle accident just because the driver who caused your collision was clearly at fault. Sometimes, the driver will deny doing anything wrong. Other times, it’s the at-fault driver’s insurance company that’s the problem.
Whatever the circumstances of your accident, Santa Fe bicycle accident lawyer Andras Szantho can help you every step of the way. That’s because our legal team at the Szantho Law Firm, P.C. has been fighting for the rights of injured cyclists in New Mexico for years.
Don’t take chances with your future. Take action. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a New Mexico bicycle accident attorney focused on winning your case. Our office is conveniently located on Don Gaspar Avenue in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We also have an office located in Albuquerque. Best of all, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we win your case.
“Absolutely amazing customer service, they took action immediately to help me in one of the most egregious accidents I’ve ever been in.” – Nicole R., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐