Posted By Ron Kramer on April 27, 2009

Springtime means warmer weather and more outdoor activities for Utah residents, including Utah bicyclists. The increase in  bicyclists is accompanied by an increase in accidents. Did you know that there were 700 bicycle fatalities in 2007 alone? Utah rider Carrie Schaars know she is one of the fortunate ones. She was only injured after a pickup truck hit her as she was on a ride with her friends April 10 near Wasatch Boulevard and 6500 South. She was hospitalized for four days with a fractured tail-bone and sacrum, and she continues her recovery on crutches reports the Salt Lake Tribune.

The driver who hit Schaars stayed at the scene to help until paramedics arrived. He was issued a ticket for running a red light, not carrying a driver’s license and for not having proof of insurance. Schaars says she hopes the recent string of accident will act as a catalyst for more awareness on the road. “I was in a situation that was 100 percent preventable. I do not understand why this happened.” Fellow bicyclist, Steve Zinik, who was riding with Schaars just before she was hit, urged motorists to be aware of their surroundings. “Public awareness is critical in order to change this course of events in the future.”

In the past two days, one bicyclist has been killed and at least three pedestrians injured by motorists. To combat these unfortunate accidents, The Utah Department of Health, the UHP, and West Valley City have scheduled a Thursday news conference to kick off a crosswalk-enforcement campaign.

Cycling is becoming an increasingly popular sport, according to helmets.org there are 73 to 85 million bicycle riders in the US. 540,000 bicyclists visit the ER with injuries every year and many of those are head injuries that can be prevented by wearing a helmet.

We wish Carol Schaars a speedy recovery and echo her sentiments by encouraging motorists to be alert of bicyclists around them so we can reverse the trend of bicycle accidents.

Categories: Bicycle Accident, Personal Injury
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