Riding a bike in and around Chicago has become increasingly popular, especially with sky high gasoline prices. Not all motorists respect a bicyclist’s right to be on the road though, so riding a bike can also get dangerous very quickly. Many divers are distracted, under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both, in a rush or otherwise careless and negligent. That’s the type of driving behavior that causes bicycle accidents that result in severe injuries. The right hook is one of the most common bicycle accidents that injures riders in Chicago.
How a Right Hook Bicycle Accident Might Happen
A right hook accident can occur when the driver of a motor vehicle who is making a right turn hits a bicyclist who is on the right-hand side of the driver. That driver typically passes the bicycle and makes the right turn. That’s when he or she impacts with the bike. As both the motor vehicle and the bicycle are traveling in the same direction, the driver might misjudge the speed of the bicyclist. Sometimes, like in the cases of distracted drivers or intoxicated drivers, they don’t even recall the fact that they even passed a bicycle. These types of crashes might also occur when both the motor vehicle driver and the bicyclist are waiting for a red light to turn green. When the light turns green, the motor vehicle and the bicycle both take off, but the motor vehicle turns and hits the bicycle.
Liability in Right Hook Bicycle Accidents
In Illinois, the law considers a bicycle to be a vehicle. On that basis, bicyclists and drivers of motor vehicles are subject to the same rules of the road, including yielding the right-of-way. A right hook bike crash can be determined to be a failure to yield the bicyclist’s right-of-way. After all, they only occur when the driver of a motor vehicle cuts off the bicyclist. So long as the bicyclist was following the rules of the road, the driver of a motor vehicle is likely to be held liable for a right hook accident, pursuant to the Chicago Municipal Code section 9-16-020(f) which states as follows: “When a motor vehicle and a bicycle are traveling in the same direction on any highway, street or road, the operator of the motor vehicle overtaking such bicycle on the right side of the roadway shall not turn to the right side in front of the bicycle at that intersection or at any alley or driveway until such vehicle has overtaken and is safely clear of the bicycle.” Under the circumstances, the bicyclist clearly has the right-of-way.
Both Drivers and Bicyclists Can Prevent Right Hook Crashes
Anybody on a roadway needs to be acutely aware of what’s going on around them. If a driver intends on making a right turn, he or she must signal accordingly and wait for any bicycles on the right to safely pass. Bicyclists can also help in preventing these types of accidents by staying out of a driver’s right-side blind spot and anticipating vehicles that might be turning right. Riders should also make sure that they maintain a sufficient distance from a motor vehicle in case a motorist decides to turn right ahead of them.