"While New York City's "Vision Zero" initiative has made cycling safer through expanded bike lanes, improved intersection designs, and enhanced traffic enforcement, accidents still occur. With over 762,000 regular cyclists navigating Brooklyn's streets, understanding your rights and knowing what to do after an accident is crucial. The Reality of Brooklyn's Bike Scene Brooklyn boasts some of NYC's busiest bike routes, with the Williamsburg Bridge area seeing over 7,000 daily cyclists. But with this volume comes risk-there were about eight accidents per mile of available cycling paths in 2025. Common Accident Scenarios Most-but not all-bicycle accidents stem from driver negligence: Intersection collisions due to drivers failing to spot cyclists "Dooring" incidents when parked cars open doors without checking Right hook and left cross collisions from failure to yield Side-swipe accidents from distracted driving Rear-end collisions Hazardous road conditions like potholes and debris"
"The two most common types of claims, according to Paul Koenigsberg, managing partner at Koenigsberg & Associates, are cars taking a turn and striking a bicycle; and "dooring" incidents. Dooring occurs when a driver opens their door without giving a cyclist enough time to either pass them, or stop safely as they travel along their route. It results in the cyclist, at best, receiving minor broken bones or a concussion, but can also be fatal."
Vision Zero improvements—expanded bike lanes, better intersection designs, and stronger enforcement—have reduced some cycling hazards but have not eliminated accidents. Brooklyn supports over 762,000 regular cyclists, and busy corridors like the Williamsburg Bridge see more than 7,000 daily riders, with roughly eight accidents per mile of cycling path in 2025. Common crash scenarios include intersection collisions, dooring, right‑hook and left‑cross impacts, side‑swipes, rear‑ends, and hazards from potholes or debris. The most frequent claim types are vehicle turns striking cyclists and dooring incidents, which can cause anything from broken bones and concussions to fatalities. Widened lanes can improve safety but may reduce vehicle visibility during turns; adding turn‑signal phasing at intersections can mitigate conflicts.
Read at Brooklyn Paper
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