Fortunately, only a small minority of bicycle accidents in Chicago involve fatalities. A spokesman for the American League of Bicyclists recently stated that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration indicated that Chicago averages about six bicycle fatalities per year since 2016. In 2020 though, eight bicyclists were killed in accidents. Now, in 2022, two fatal bicycle accidents happened across the street from each other on Milwaukee Avenue. One victim was a 22-year-old male who was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The other was a 37-year-old woman who was hit by a dump truck that was turning right.
Common Causes of Fatal Bicycle Accidents in Chicago
Bicycles offer no protection whatsoever for riders. If a person who is riding a bicycle is struck by a car, he or she is exposed and highly vulnerable to severe injuries or death. Bicyclists are often thrown from their bikes onto the pavement below. Sometimes, they’re even hit by a second vehicle. Some common causes of bicycle accident fatalities follow:
- Motor vehicles turning left or right into a bicyclist.
- Motorist blind spot accidents with bicyclists.
- Drivers or passengers in stopped vehicles suddenly opening doors immediately in front of cyclists.
- Drivers emerging from private drives or alleys who fail to see bicyclists.
- Drivers who are drunk, on drugs or both who fail to see bicyclists.
- Motorists who otherwise fail to yield the right-of-way to bicyclists.
The Relationship Between Helmets and Fatalities
The National Safety Council reports that bicyclists who wear properly fitting helmets reduce their chance of suffering a head injury by 60%. The organization also reports that wearing a helmet also reduces the risk of a brain injury by 58%. As per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in 2020, about 57% of all bicyclists who died in accidents weren’t wearing a helmet.
The Illinois Wrongful Death Act controls bicycle accident fatalities when a rider is killed by the carelessness and negligence of somebody else in the City of Chicago. Depending on the circumstances surrounding a fatal accident, helmet use may or may not figure into the damage equation.