Walnut Creek is a wonderful place to ride your bicycle. The city is dedicated to providing resources for bicyclists so you can find a safe and scenic trip every time you feel like going for a ride.
However, with the popularity of bicycling for recreation and commuting, accidents become inevitable. Drivers are not always aware of bicycles and may not always watch out for them. Also, bicycles being smaller and often quicker in slow traffic travel in a state of near invisibility. That often leaves you vulnerable and makes injury far too likely.
With the help of the Walnut Creek Police department we have a data compilation that includes bicycle crashes for a 12 year period from 2004 to 2016. Here is what we discovered after analyzing the data.
The Numbers
From 2004 to 2016, there were 242 bicyclists crashes reported to Walnut Creek Police Department. The severity of those crashes were categorized in a number of ways:
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI): Two
- Fatalities: Two
- Hit and Run: 11
- Injury Accidents: 199
- Non-injury Accidents: 27
The low fatality number is encouraging to all but those whose loved ones died in those accidents. Hit and run, where an offending driver left the scene, remains a problem and injury accidents make up the highest proportion of cases. DUI offenses involving bicycles are fortunately also very limited.
This creates a sobering picture if you enjoy riding your bicycle through Walnut Creek. You can make an effort to stay safe and install necessary visibility equipment, but there is always the chance that one careless individual can send you to the doctor’s office with injuries.
The Locations
It is not surprising that most accidents occurred in busy areas. Our new bicycle crash map shows the usual culprits including Ygnacio Valley Road, Oak Grove, and Main Street. North Broadway is also an unfortunate location for crashes and North Main Street especially shows another cluster of accidents.
Dangerous Intersections
When we analyzed all accident data (not just bicycles), we found that the intersection of Ygnacio Valley and Oak Grove was the most dangerous intersection. From January 2010 to October 2015, 65 crashes occurred there. This is due to its high traffic–not only cars but pedestrians and bicycles too. Sure enough, Ygnacio Valley and Oak Grove show up frequently in our bicycle crash data and includes hit and run, injury, and non-injury collisions.
Interesting enough, the two fatal accidents occurred in the Bancroft area which is far removed from the other injury clusters. One occurred on May 26, 2004 Bancroft Road and Dorsh Road. The other is also off Bancroft Road near McCann Court. That is the most recent bicycle fatality and it happened on August 16, 2012.
The hit and run accidents primarily occurred in the high-traffic areas. There is one plotted in Walnut Heights, but the others concentrate around Ygnacio Valley Road, Oak Grove, South and North Main Streets, and Broadway. Basically, areas that often arise when assessing dangerous roads and intersections.
Why Do I Need This Information?
This map and our roundup of dangerous roads and intersections can serve as a good heads-up for your bicycle routes. It shows that you are more vulnerable in some places than others and must remain on watch for your safety. Even then, it remains possible that you will be injured by the negligence of a driver, other bicyclist, or even a pedestrian who causes a sudden stop. Know who to turn to if this ever happens to you.
Injured in a Bicycle Crash?
While most bicyclists know to be careful in these high traffic areas, that does not guarantee good behavior from others. The gridlock is frustrating to drivers and many use their navigation devices to find ways around traffic. This often leads to crashes at intersections. Drivers are often preoccupied with navigation and their current emotional state and do not remember to look out for bicyclists.
Our firm has tracked these trends for some time when it comes to accidents involving bicycles and pedestrians. We recommend you take needed safety precautions. Installing rear-view mirrors and headlamps, being as visible as possible, and following the right-of-way rules go far in keeping you safe.
But it only takes one careless driver to cause you pain and suffering. Rather than attempt to manage your injury claim on your own, contact our office today to schedule an initial consultation.
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