Spring Weather Increases Risks for Cyclists

The snow is finally melted, the grass is green and the birds are chirping. It’s definitely time to dig out the bike and take advantage of the warm weather.

So you clean up your old two-wheeler, put on your best bicycle shorts, strap on your new helmet and off you go to experience the beauty that spring in Maryland has to offer. However, more often than not, the “beauty” you were so apt to chase, is hindered by the forgotten dangers spring can cause for bicycle riders.

Spring Dangers

Every season has its own special hazards for cyclists: summer’s heat and pedestrian traffic, fall’s storms, winds and debris, and winter’s treacherous ice and snow are only some of the problems dedicated cyclers have to deal with. However, spring poses unusual risks not just from the weather but from our own psyches, which can cause serious and catastrophic injuries if not handled correctly.

• Unpredictable weather. One moment you’re riding carefree in the sunshine, the next you’re slipping and sliding, trying to find shelter from the torrential downpour that has flooded your bike lane.
• A plague of potholes. Although you’re not in danger of sliding on snow and ice, the warm weather has unearthed winter’s roadway gifts of gigantic cracks, gravel upheavals, and tire-eating potholes that are extremely hard to avoid without sporadically and dangerously merging into traffic lanes or off-roading.
• Traffic and crowds. Have you ever noticed that when the weather gets nicer, the population suddenly triples? Where you may have only seen a hundred people during the entirety of November through March, suddenly the entire East Coast is taking the same route to work as you. No matter how the phenomenon occurs, your risk of an accident multiplies with every additional car, crowd, and pedestrian that crosses your path.
• Cabin fever carelessness. Being cooped up in your house all winter can certainly take its toll on the best of dispositions, so when the weather is warm and you can finally break out of your winter confinement, you may find yourself a little drunk or loopy on freedom. Although it may feel wonderful, it can unfortunately put you in a lot of danger. The freedom of riding a bike coupled with a release of cabin fever can make you pay less attention to your surroundings and easily cause you to ignore or disregard possible dangers, traffic laws, and hazards.

Spring is an absolutely wonderful time to get out of the house and ride your bike in Maryland, as long as you take necessary precautions against the physical dangers and risks that the season inherently brings with it.

Have you or a loved one recently been injured in a bike-related accident? Contact us today for information pertaining to your rights and deserved coverage. Don’t allow an accident to ruin your summer. Call or email today for a free consultation.