Seattle Car-Bicycle Accidents Warrant Master Plan

With more people bicycling to school and work, officials in Kings County, Washington, have seen a rise in Seattle bicycle-car accidents, something many bicycle injury attorneyshave long predicted. Back in 2005, Seattle had 15 car-bicycle collisions involving as many motor vehicles.

"Almost 50 percent of all bicycle deaths involve those under 16 years of age and one cyclist dies every six hours in this country," noted accident attorney John Bisnar, founder of BISNAR | CHASE Personal Injury Attorneys.

Seattle's most dangerous intersection for bicyclists--Northeast Blakely Street and 25th Avenue Northeast--is well-lit, is signal controlled and has 30 mph traffic. Yet even though cyclists traverse Burke-Gilman Trail, which runs parallel to Blakely, the crosswalk where the bike trail crosses 25th Avenue has experienced eight serious bike-car crashes from 2003 to 2008. Seattle's Transportation Department reported that this accident rate exceeds any other location in the city, and that the Burke-Gilman street crossings rank among the city's most dangerous to riders.

Certain sections of Capitol Hill and downtown are also a danger zone to bicyclists. More than 900 bicyclists have been injured and have lost their lives in Seattle bicycle accidents since 2001. In 2008, a 58-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were killed in bicycle accidents.

In an effort to lower the number of car-bicycle accidents, Seattle created a bicycle master plan to promote cycling and reroute some bike traffic. The plan addresses a number of bicycles safety issues. Things like narrow streets that leave scant room for bike lanes; Seattle's growing traffic and construction activity; and the on-going battle between motorists and cyclists.

Also addressed was downtown's dangerous Second Avenue bike lane. Seattle officials hope that shared bike and car lanes will reduce the collisions and near-misses in this lane. According to Transportation department figures, the 17-block, southbound stretch ranks among the city's worst. Other improvement recommendations include better east-west bike lane connections through the Aurora corridor; the need for more signs or lights at problem intersections; and better connections between the city's bike trails.

"These improvements should make bicycle travel safer for both bicyclists and motorists," said John Bisnar. "With more people pedaling to work and school, it just makes sense to take a long hard look at these traffic enhancements."

BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.