The dangers of cycling: Part 1

One of the most common forms of transportation here on the central coast involves two legs, two wheels, and good balance. We’re talking about bicycles, and as healthy and cost-efficient as they may be, they come with a lot of danger.

Much of the Central Coast near the Monterey Peninsula seems to have two seasons: rainy, and near-perfect. But rain or shine, people still want to get outside, and get on their bicycles.

“I ride almost every day. Try to do about 100 miles a week or so,” said Monterey resident, Carlos Pereyra.

“It’s my exercise. My main means of getting exercise though,” said West Virginia resident, Cris Morgan.

And it’s obviously really good for you.

“Biking is an absolutely excellent way to maintain your physical fitness and stay healthy. We have a lot of problems with diabetes and obesity. Getting on a bike is super important to prevent those diseases and long term health,” said Natividad Medical Center Sports Medicine Physician, Dr. Debi Siljander.

But with more people riding their bikes means more accidents and injuries, something doctors at Natividad Medical Center see almost daily.

“They could be anything from a minor scrape to significant, what we call road rash, big abrasions, to significant head injuries, broken bones, and some of them could be very serious,” said Natividad Medical Center Emergency Department Director, Dr. Christopher Burke.

in 2014, Monterey County saw 698 bicycle accidents, which accounts for over eight-percent of transportation accidents in the county(according to TAMC). Though it’s not unusual to see accidents occur on trails or bike paths, the majority happen on city streets.

“The biggest risk for bicyclists is getting hit by cars. Cars don’t often know to look for bicyclists. They often don’t see them. And of course the bicyclists don’t have as much protection as you would in a car,” said Dr. Burke.

And bike injuries certainly don’t discriminate based on age.

“We see them in the little kids when they’re just learning to ride. Even if you’re an accomplished cyclist in a race you can still suffer an injury, and if you’re older without having as good of balance you can suffer an injury so it really happens to anyone at any age,” said Dr. Burke.

So no matter your age or skill level, practicing safe riding techniques is key to avoiding injury.

“Remember that you don’t have much protection, especially against a car or the ground. So make sure you riding within your skill level and thinking safety first at all times,” said Dr. Burke.