Missouri bicycle accidents are on the rise. There are any number of reasons: Driver inattention due to cell phone usage or texting, more young people are riding bikes instead of having a car.
There is a lot of misconception about bicycles on the streets in Missouri. Under Missouri law, bicyclists are to be treated as other vehicles. This means as a bicycle rider you should follow the rules of the road. I cringe when I see cyclists headed the wrong way up a street as if they were a pedestrian. Cyclists are not required to be on the sidewalk as some motorists will argue, if fact they are often excluded from being there.
300.347. Riding bicycle on sidewalks, limitations – motorized bicycles prohibited.
(1) No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within a business district;
(2) Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian;
(3) No person shall ride a motorized bicycle upon a sidewalk
Under Missouri law, a driver overtaking a bicycle must maintain a safe distance. Missouri State Statute § 304.678 reads as follows
(1)The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on the roadway, as defined in section 300.010, RSMo, shall leave a safe distance when passing the bicycle, and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.
Also there is no requirement that you ride on the shoulder .
307.191. Shoulder riding, allowed but not required for bicyclist operators
(1) A person operating a bicycle at less than the posted speed or slower than the flow of traffic upon a street or highway may operate as described in section 307.190, or may operate on the shoulder adjacent to the roadway.
(2) A bicycle operated on a roadway, or the shoulder adjacent to a roadway, shall be operated in the same direction as vehicles are required to be driven upon the roadway.
(3) For purposes of this section and section 307.190, “roadway”, means that portion of a street or highway ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder.
My office has recently settled a bicycle accident case involving a broken wrist for in excess of $100,000. Driver inattention was the cause of this accident. I have also had cases which involved a hit and run motorists and bicyclists.
If you or or a family member was injured while riding your bike and being struck by a motor vehicle or the victim of a hit and run driver in Missouri, The Krebs Law Firm LLC offers a free case evaluation if you have questions about your bike accident. Many people may be worried that they do not have the money to pay for a personal injury attorney when they were injured by a distracted driver but we only handle accident cases on a contingent fee basis. In other words, there is no fee unless we are successful in getting you the benefits that you deserve. If you would like to speak to Jason Krebs and his staff simply call (417) 883-5886 for your free case evaluation today.