Avoiding bike crashes and lawsuits: cyclists strategies & suggestions

With the warmer spring weather now upon us, TriathonTrialLawyer Doug Landau is seeing more cyclists on the trails and roads. Landau hopes to soon be rolling down from the ABRAMS LANDAU building to join the Reston Bike Club evening rides that start a stone’s throw away in the Herndon Municipal parking lot at the 20 mile marker on the W&OD Trail. However, it is better to be a safe and smart cyclist than first out of the lot and in the peloton.

A safe, manageable group of cyclists turning around on the W&OD Trail in Prcellville, VirginiaOne strategy for safe cycling is to travel in manageable groups. There is “safety in numbers” and if you go down due to equipment failure or defective product, having your mates nearby can be invaluable, both physiologically, as well as psychologically. I have flatted more than once or had “bike frame issues” and been glad that my buddies were with me, had the right spare parts, and even came back to pick me up. Also, if the group is communicating well with hand signals and audible instructions, you have the benefit of multiple eyes and ears on the road. Having everyone scanning the roadways for speeding drivers, distracted motorists and inattentive pedestrians, can save you from a lot of pain, disability and lost training time. Also watch for opening doors, where the person leaving their car or truck is not looking out for cyclists. To the person exiting the car, van or truck, bicyclists are relatively silent, small and speedy. So this Spring, be smart, be safe, and be careful.

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