Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Personal Injury Attorney in Somerset County, New Jersey

Although riding a bicycle in New Jersey should be an enjoyable and relaxing experience, it can, in fact, be precisely the opposite when motor vehicle drivers do not respect the rights and safety of cyclists who share the road. Bicycles must obey the same traffic rules as other vehicles on the road, although often within a dedicated bicycle lane. When motorists fail to account for the presence of cyclists, serious injuries can result. Bicycle accidents frequently occur when

• a driver fails to adequately stop at a posted stop sign,
• a driver exceeds speed limits on a blind curve, or
• a driver is pulling in or out of a driveway or parking spot.

If a car follows a bicycle too closely, it may rear-end the cyclist, causing serious injuries, particularly if the rider becomes sandwiched between the cars that are in front of and behind the bicycle. Victims of these types of bicycle accidents often suffer broken bones or worse.

Bicyclists who are involved in even a minor bicycle accident will often suffer far greater injury than anyone who was in a car or other motor vehicle. Cyclists involved in collisions with motor vehicles, even when wearing a helmet, will most likely have some injuries. In low-speed collisions between cars and bicycles, there is usually only aesthetic damage to the car, while bicyclists are often thrown from the bicycle and suffer serious injuries, which may include broken bones, lacerations, brain damage, severe bleeding, or even death. We have a New Jersey bicycle accident lawyer who is experienced in seeking compensation for riders are involved in bicycle accidents.

Contact Mark | Lavigne, LLC — Bicycle Accident Lawyer in New Jersey

Receive a consultation from a personal injury lawyer regarding your accident. Once you have retained our law firm, we will diligently represent you in obtaining compensation for your bicycle accident injuries. Contact Mark | Lavigne, LLC today by calling 908-460-8996.

Other Important Information To Know About Bicycle Safety

Bicycling in New Jersey is regulated under Title 39 of the Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation laws.

39:4-14.5 Definition.

A bicycle is defined as any two-wheeled vehicle having a rear drive, which is solely human powered, and having a seat height of 25 inches or greater when the seat is in the lowest adjustable position.

39:4-10 Lights on Bicycles.

When in use at night, every bicycle shall be equipped with: 1) A front headlamp emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front; 2) A rear lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the rear; 3) In addition to the red lamp a red reflector may be mounted on the rear.

39:4-11 Audible Signal.

A bicycle must be equipped with a bell or other audible device that can be heard at least 100 feet away, but not a siren or whistle.

39:4-11.1 Brakes.

A bicycle must be equipped with a brake that can make wheels skid while stopping on dry, level, clean pavement.

39:4-12 Feet and Hands on Pedals and Handlebars; Carrying Another Person.

Bicyclists should not drive the bicycle with feet removed from the pedals, or with both hands removed from the handlebars, nor practice any trick or fancy driving in a street. Limit passengers to only the number the bicycle is designed and equipped to carry (the number of seats it has).

39:4-12 Feet and Hands on Pedals and Handlebars; Carrying Another Person.

Bicyclists should not drive the bicycle with feet removed from the pedals, or with both hands removed from the handlebars, nor practice any trick or fancy driving in a street. Limit passengers to only the number the bicycle is designed and equipped to carry (the number of seats it has).

39:4-14 Hitching on Vehicle Prohibited.

No person riding a bicycle shall attach themselves to any streetcar or vehicle.

39:4-14.1 Rights and Duties of Persons on Bicycles.

Every person riding a bicycle on a roadway is granted all the rights and subject to all of the duties of the motor vehicle driver.

39:4-14.2, 39:4-10.11 Operating Regulations.

Every person riding a bicycle on a roadway shall ride as near to the right roadside as practicable exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. A bicyclist may move left under any of the following conditions: 1) To make a left turn from a left turn lane or pocket; 2) To avoid debris, drains, or other hazardous conditions on the right; 3) To pass a slower moving vehicle; 4) To occupy any available lane when traveling at the same speed as other traffic; 5) To travel no more than two abreast when traffic is not impeded, but otherwise ride in single file. Every person riding a bicycle shall ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic.

In New Jersey, the law states a bicyclist must obey all state and local automobile driving laws. A parent may be held responsible for the child’s violation of any traffic law.

Helmet Law

Title 39:4-10.1

In New Jersey, anyone under 17 years of age who rides a bicycle, is a passenger on a bicycle, or is towed as a passenger by a bicycle must wear a safety helmet.

On August 1, 1998, this helmet law was extended to include roller skates and skateboards. Roller skates are defined as a pair of devices worn on the feet with a set of wheels attached, regardless of the number or placement of those wheels, and used to glide or propel the user over the ground.

The definition of bicycle with reference to the helmet legislation is a vehicle with two wheels propelled solely by human power and having pedals, handle bars, and a saddle-like seat. The term includes a bicycle for two or more persons having seats and corresponding pedals arranged in tandem.

All helmets must be properly fastened and fitted. Bicycle helmets must meet the federal standards developed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), effective March 10, 1999, that ensure the best head protection and strong chin straps to keep the helmet in place during a fall or collision. Also acceptable are helmets meeting the Snell Memorial Foundation’s 1990 Standard for Protection Headgear.

Exemptions from the helmet requirement are persons who operate or ride a bicycle (as a driver or a passenger) on a roadway closed to motor traffic or on a trail, route, course, boardwalk, path, or area set aside only for the use of bicycles. These exemptions do not apply if the areas of operation are adjacent to a roadway and not separated from motor vehicle traffic by a barrier that prevents the bicycle from entering the roadway. Bicyclists or passengers who are operating in an area where helmets are not required and need to cross a road or highway should walk with the bicycle.

Initial violators of the helmet law will receive warnings. For minors, the parent or legal guardian may be fined a maximum of $25 for the first offense and a maximum of $100 for subsequent offense(s) if lack of parental supervision contributed to the offense.

Bicycle salespersons and rental agents must display a sign at least 15 inches long and 8 inches wide at the point where the transaction is completed when they sell or rent a bicycle. This sign should read: “STATE LAW REQUIRES A BICYCLE RIDER UNDER 17 YEARS TO WEAR A HELMET.”

The laws surrounding bicycle operation is can be very complicated, and when you, a loved one, or a child has been hurt due to the negligence of another, you should contact an experienced Personal Injury lawyer to assist you in your options. Mark | Lavigne, LLC and its team is here to help you and your loved one in you time of need. Call us now at 908-460-8996.