Aside from motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, peddling a bicycle allows the rider to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors in Tampa, Florida, while at the same time being cost efficient and more environmentally friendly than other vehicles. However, bicyclists are no different from motorcycles when it comes to risk of injury on the road. Cyclists are more vulnerable to serious injury even in a slight collision with a motor vehicle.
The Florida Highway Patrol is actively looking in Tampa for the driver of a burgundy sports utility vehicle that was involved in a bicycle-car accident. According to sources, a 56-year cyclist was hospitalized after an SUV allegedly struck him on a local road, where both the car and cyclist were traveling in the same direction.
The impact sent the cyclist onto the road’s shoulder, where he was discovered critically injured and was then rushed to Tampa General Hospital. The car driver involved in the incident did not stop after the crash. Police said that the driver may have failed to notice the cyclist prior to the crash, and officers are involved in a continuing investigation of the incident with the hope that any witnesses to the collision will report the information to the police.
Bike lanes in Florida are created for cyclists to ensure a safer riding experience on roads shared with cars. However, this purpose of bike lanes can be useless if drivers fail to observe cyclists while driving. In the event of a bike-car accident, failure to observe the cyclist may constitute negligence on the part of the driver. If that is the case, the driver may be held accountable for the damages and losses that a bicycle accident victim incurs.
Source: The Tampa Tribune, “Troopers looking for driver who hit cyclist in Pasco County and left the scene” Sept. 21, 2014
