Bike Lane Accidents Results in Additional Changes

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on October 13, 2014

Now that the new Second Avenue bike lane is being used, Seattle officials are reviewing incidents that occur there to make it safer. One of the adjustments made to the newly designed roadway was the removal of some on-street parking to improve sight lines. Now that a couple of accidents have occurred at the same portion of the road, more changes are on the way.

Two bike accidents occurred in the first week of October 2014 on Second Avenue near Union Street. According to a news report in The Seattle Times, one accident occurred when a car turned left in front of a cyclist and the other involved a driver who had difficultly seeing cyclists because of parked cars. Officials are reviewing these accidents to determine if it is safe to have parked cars in the area that obscure the bike path from motorists.

Since the bike lanes opened on September 8, 2014, there have been a number of improvements made in an effort to improve safety. Previously there was approximately one bicycle accident a month on Second Avenue. Now with the recent traffic signal changes and reduced street-parking, officials hope that number drops significantly.

No matter how many improvements are made to this busy roadway, accidents will continue to happen as long as motorists fail to check for cyclists before turning. If you are injured in a Seattle bicycle accident, make sure you call the authorities, collect the contact information from all parties involved, take photos of your injuries and seek out medical attention right away. Careless drivers can be held accountable for the damages they cause. An experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer can help injured bicyclists better understand their legal rights and options.