A recent accident and death bring to light an unfortunate truth about New Orleans; riding a bicycle in our city can be extremely risky.
The bicyclist was tragically pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. He was, according to the police report, riding his bicycle south along Delachaise Street. Sadly, the NOPD reports that a black SUV driving west on St. Charles street collided with the bicyclist, who was forcefully thrown from his bicycle and killed. No arrests have so far been made, nor charges filed against the driver of the black SUV.
While an investigation by the NOPD is ongoing, this accidental bicycle death shines a spotlight yet again on the fact that riding a bicycle in NOLA is very risky.
How risky? Statistically speaking, New Orleans is one of the Top 5 most dangerous cities in the United States to ride a bicycle. (That’s a ‘Top” list no city wants to be on, to be sure.)
Even more distressing is that, as recently as 2015, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) reported that Louisiana had the 3rd highest death rate among bicyclists in the nation. (Florida is #1 and Delaware #2.) During that year, 93 bicyclists were killed on Louisiana’s roads, including 11 in the NOLA metro area.
One of the most concerning problems is the ongoing hostility towards bike riders from automobile and truck drivers. According to Doug Moore, the local biking club president for Bike Baton Rouge, “There is an assumption that the roads belong only to cars and trucks.” Unfortunately, this is often a deadly assumption.
Another sign that New Orleans is unsafe for bicyclists is the fact that the Federal Highway Administration identifies NOLA as a city that sorely needs to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety measures. Regrettably, those changes will come too late to save Elisabeth Olsen. Olsen, an award-winning and beloved LSU English professor, was killed as she walked her bike back home on June 7, 2015.
If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident caused by a reckless driver, faulty equipment, or a NOLA road hazard, contact The Mahone Firm today for a free consultation. New Orleans bicycle accident lawyer, Mike Mahone, understands the complexity of bicycle accident injuries. He can make sure you get the compensation you need after a devastating bicycle accident.
