Bicycle Accident Death in Cherokee County

A bicyclist was killed this week in an accident involving a sports utility vehicle in Woodstock, Cherokee County, Georgia.  According to news reports, the man was riding his bicycle on a sidewalk when he crashed into an SUV that was leaving a parking lot. The SUV ran over the bicyclist, killing him instantly.

The accident comes on the heels of a report that indicated that bicycle accident injuries have become more severe over the past decade. The study focused on bicycle injuries between 1996 and 2006, and researchers found that injuries had actually become more severe during this period. The numbers of serious chest injuries rose by 15 percent, while abdominal injuries increased 3 fold.

The researchers also found that while bicycling rates across the country, including in Georgia, had increased, the rate of helmet use remained static. As an Atlanta personal injury lawyer, I find this piece of information the most troubling. It means that more and more people are making the decision to bike around to work, for leisure and for exercise, without equipping themselves with the right safety gear.

Consequently, the study found that at least 1/3 of the patients in the study had sustained a serious head injury in an accident. The researchers called for more investment in bicycling infrastructure, like creation of more bike paths, as well as greater awareness in the motorist population, as measures to reduce these rates.

Atlanta has seen a sharp increase in the number of bicyclists on its streets, but city authorities have failed to take the growing needs of this population into consideration. The result has been frequent conflicts between bicyclists and motorists, and very often, an accident like the one here.