Tag: bicycle

by James Adam

Law Firm News: This Will Make You Realize That Bicycle Accident Increased in Virginia


People

Public policies in Virginia promote cycling and bicycle commuting, especially nowadays when public transport is being discouraged. People who are commuting to work on their bicycles in the city increases as environmental awareness over the population also booms.

The number of workers and individuals riding a bicycle continue to increase, but as a downside, there is also a rise in bicycle accidents, which often lead to death. Virginia is now ranking 38th in the United States with the most bike fatalities with an average of 10 deaths annually per million population.

Quick facts about bicycle commuting in Virginia

  • Virginia is third in the number of bike commuters among all the major cities in the U.S. and second among the twelve largest cities.
  • The number of daily bike commuters raised from 5,956 in 2000 to 15,096 in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Virginia has more than 100 miles of bike parking and bicycle lanes
  • Virginia has more bicycle commuters per capita than Los Angeles or New York

Quick facts about bicycle accident in Virginia

When drivers are distracted or careless, accidents with bicyclists happen.

Here are some statistics for some bicycle accidents.

  • Alcohol was involved in more than 37% of bicycle accident deaths.
  • 66 bicyclists aged 15 and under died.
  • Nearly one out of ten bike riders dies in between ages of 5 and 15 years old.
  • 48,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic accidents.
  • 677 bicyclists died in accidents in the United States.
  • The majority of injured bicyclists were male.
  • Bike riders deaths represented 2.1% of all road accident deaths, and bike riders also represented 2% of all people who got injured in all road accidents.
  • The most critical time to ride a bicycle was between 4:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m.
  • The majority of bicycle fatalities occurred in urban settings which are 69%, and at non-intersections which are 59%.
  • There were 198 fatalities among the bicyclists who were aged from 55 and older.
  • There were 2358 fatalities among bicyclists who aged from 35 to 54.
  •  There were 174 deaths among bicyclists among 16 to 34 year old.

Quick tips on how to avoid bicycle accidents

Accidents can be very dangerous as it might lead to death. That’s why a personal injury Law firm in Richmond collated some helpful tips to further prevent bicycle accidents raising in Virginia:

  • Always wear a helmet.
  • Know that bikers have the same rights applicable to the driver of another vehicle.
  • Don’t be distracted by music or your phone while cycling.
  • Always ride with the traffic rather than against it.
  • Do a quick bike test, and make sure the brakes and wheels are working properly.
  • In a large group, single file riding is usually the safest option.
  • Ride close to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
  • Cyclists also need reflectors on all night rides.
  • Bicyclists should always use signals.

Takeaway

If cyclists and bike commuters continue to increase in numbers in a particular place like Richmond, Virginia, it is expected to have an increase in bicycle accidents. However, this can be reduced if the bicyclist takes proper responsibilities while riding. In any unfortunate event that you had a bicycle accident, do consult a personal injury law firm in your area.


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by Incredible Planet Staff

5 Benefits of Customizing Your Bike


Lifestyle

Customized bikes were very popular in the 1970s, but this trend is now coming back. The need to personalize the bike to look just the way that you want it to look, to meet your personal preferences or to be a means of self-expression is just too juicy to resist. Thanks to technology, bike customization of today is deeper, faster and more appealing as compared to the decades past. However, are there any particular benefits of customizing your bike? Apparently, there are as you will see below:

  1. Give Your Bike A Unique Visual Appearance

With modern technology and design, you can customize bike to have the most unique and appealing look for miles around. Considering that you are planning to use the bike almost every day, you want it to look as appealing as possible. Because a regular bike comes in a small selection of color and little to no appeal, a cycling enthusiast wants to feel happy everyday that he/she looks at the bike. Besides, racing alone will not enable you to stand out, but racing on a flashy looking bike will make you stand out. For any cycling enthusiast, the bike is an extension of their personality, so you want it to look as awesome as possible.

  1. You Can Add The Missing Features Or The Features That You Want

Every time a new bike comes into the market, it comes with new features that the older versions do not have. Thus, if you have a bike that is a few years old, you may want to bring it up to speed by adding extra features. Customization is a perfect option as it would save you the money that you would have used to buy a new bike yet at the same time allow you to get the features that you want. Male and female have different tastes when it comes to bike design. So, customizing allows you to ensure you have a perfect men’s bike or women’s bike.

  1. Add Value To Your Bike

Just like a car, a customized bike appreciates a lot in value. This means that if you were to sell it in future, it would fetch you a good price than if you were to sell an ordinary bike. Another way in which customizing your bike saves you money is that when a new edition comes out, you can add new features onto your bike rather than buying a new one. This is definitely cheaper than going for a new bike.

  1. To Suit Your Riding Style

Different bike enthusiasts ride differently. Some people ride slowly, some ride fast. To some people, riding their bike is therapeutic. And yet some people even love to take their hands off the handlebars to adjust their helmet, for fun and so on. Unless your bike is customized to suit your riding style, it will be hard to do some of these things safely.

  1. Enhance The Handling And The Performance Of Your Bike

When your bike has been customized with features that improve its performance, you will have a lot of confidence that when you brake, it will stop, when you pedal it will go and that you can take corners at speed without flipping over.

by Incredible Planet Staff

Electric Bikes: Are They Really Going to Catch On?


Lifestyle

Have you seen someone whizzing down the road on an electric bike? Been reading about electric bikes in the news and wondering what all the fuss is about?

For some, an electric bike means the daily commuter can get to work without finding themselves dripping with sweat once they arrive. For others, it means they can keep up with their all-too-energetic partner while they’re hitting the latest bike trail.

Like it or not, electric bikes look like they’re catching on – and we’ll explore why below:

You Can Still Get Fit

The world we live in is alarmingly sedentary, which is why we’re constantly being warned that we need to get up and get active.

Cycling is one of the ways we can do this, while completing a journey in the process.

But how do you get fit when you’re sat on a bike with a motor?

Well, many electric bikes still have pedals. So even though you’re getting a little extra help while you’re peddling around, just keeping your feet on the pedals will mean your legs are moving, your joints are mobilized and you’re burning more calories than if you were driving a car.

And if you do suffer from painful or stiff joints in your legs, you’ll no doubt find this gentle exercise gets things moving without working you too hard.

You’ll Save Money on Commuting

Public transport is becoming increasingly expensive, whereas cycling remains a cost-effective way of getting around. In the UK, a study found that it can cost up to £1.70 per mile to run a car, but just 4.2 pence per mile to run a push bike and as little as 5 pence to keep an electric bike going.

You Can Travel Further – Quickly

Even if someone’s a keen cyclist, an electric bike can help them make that extra-long journey. This means more people may hop on and off their bike to do various chores, which they maybe wouldn’t have done before.

For example, have you always wanted to bike to work when it’s nice and sunny but don’t want to arrive in a puddle of sweat? Well, an electric bike allows you to make the trip without putting as much effort in. And compared to buses or cars, this may be an even quicker way of getting there because you can take cycle routes and short cuts, eradicating all that wasted time you spend in traffic jams.

You Can Become “Green”

Finally, there’s the overwhelming benefit of doing your bit for the environment.

But these bikes use electricity, we hear you cry!

Well, yes, they do, but when you factor in how much electricity you’re using to charge the bike compared to what it would take to charge an electric car or motorbike – this is far less. Plus you’re not emitting any harmful fumes into the atmosphere, and there are sustainable companies you could try and get your electricity from.

And if you really want to go the extra mile, you could even generate electricity using your own wind turbine or solar panels.

Ultimately, electric bikes are transforming the way we get around and do our bit for the planet. And with technology continuing to advance at an exponential rate, who knows what’s next for the world of transport?