Why is the Stop Bar Important in Bike Accidents

Author: Attorney Dennis Schaefer

There are many liability factors in bicycle accidents involving automobiles. One of the most commonly overlooked liability issues is the painted stop bar on the roadway. Frequently bike/auto accidents happen at the intersection of a roadway, driveway of stores or a shopping mall, or apartment complexes. Automobiles are attempting to exit as bicyclists are riding on the sidewalk. Obviously almost any contact between a bike and a car is potentially very serious to the bike rider.

In almost all of the situations mentioned above there exists a traffic light or a stop sign and stop bar as traffic control devices for the automobile. The intersecting sidewalk most commonly has a ramp, cut into the curb that allows the bicyclist to continue across the street. The stop bar, which is the white painted line on the road way designates where the automobiles must stop before proceeding with caution. The stop bars almost always requires the vehicle to stop prior to the path of the bike crossing the street or roadway in front of the car.

Dell & Schaefer accident attorneys have found that more often than not, the vehicle, in this type accident makes contact with the bike once the vehicle has passed the stop bar.

This fact is crucial to the determination of liability. This fact shows that the car did not stop or obey the traffic control device. This fact shows that the bike did not run into the car.

Many of these cases have very serious injuries to the bike rider.

Crucial to success is understanding the significance of the stop bar.