One of America's favorite pastimes is bicycle riding. Over the years we have learned how to increase our enjoyment of this activity by making it safer for all involved. For instance, most cyclists now wear helmets - and even if an adult can be seen without one - when was the last time you saw a child without a bike helmet?
We are changing the mindsets of an entire generation to make bike riding less hazardous and more enjoyable. Statistics show that bicycle riding is still not without its perils.
However, data shows that while it is safer to be a bike rider than a pedestrian over the course of your lifetime - the odds are greater that you will die in a cycling accident than in a plane crash!
In fact, your chances of becoming a bike fatality are 1 in 4900. That means that for every 4900 instances that you take to the open road on your bike one of these excursions can result in death.
Two points about this data can be made.
First, if you are a regular bike rider - and are likely to ride your bike many days out of the year - then over the course of twenty years your odds don't look good! Secondly, it's probably easier to die from anything next to being killed in a plane crash.
The true point of this article is that bike riders are at increased risk of being maimed or killed in an accident. For those who use bikes as their primary mode of transportation they must redouble their efforts to adhere to the safety rules of the road.
My wife is a avid participant in the MS 150 and to all those riders- be safe and be careful.
The popularity of texting and mobile email have made bike riding increasingly dangerous.
Greg Baumgartner is a personal injury attorney and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping injury victims seek civil justice. For a free no obligation consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Houston call the Baumgartner firm.
