Bike Accidents: Collisions With Cars at Intersections

Who is at fault when a bicyclist and driver collide at an intersection, and how can everyone be safer?

Although intersections represent a relatively small portion of a bicyclist's travel route, they are where a cyclist is most at risk of being involved in a traffic accident. Only around 11 percent of bicycle accidents involve a collision with a car; but of these, 45 percent take place in intersections. (The majority of bicycle accidents involve only the cyclist, who loses control of the bike and crashes.)

In order to minimize the risk of intersection accidents (with cars, pedestrians, electric scooters, and other cyclists), it's a good idea for cyclists to:

  • maximize their visibility
  • understand the rules of the road
  • learn to recognize some of the most dangerous intersection hazards, and
  • take safety precautions when approaching and riding through an intersection.

It also pays to learn the basic legal rules of liability—that is, who is responsible for a traffic accident. Cyclists who don't follow road rules or don't keep a proper lookout might be deemed at fault. So to avoid liability for an accident, cyclists must understand—and follow—both the basic legal rules of liability and the rules of the road.

Avoiding Bike Accidents at Intersections

Intersections pose a special risk to cyclists for many reasons: drivers may underestimate the speed of a bike; drivers might not always be watching out for bikes; and even if a driver is on the lookout for bikes, they sometimes just don't see them because bikes are smaller and can blend into the background (due to the biker's clothing, the sun, and other factors).


  • being on constant lookout—a legal requirement for bicyclists and drivers alike
  • riding defensively, and
  • learning to execute emergency maneuvers to avoid collisions. The free pamphlet Bicycling Street Smarts (from provides information on such maneuvers. Also, the League of American Bicyclists provides information on classes that teach emergency maneuvers (see

Who Is at Fault—Bicyclist or Driver?





Learn what to do if you're in a bike accident, and get details on common kinds of bicycle-vehicle accidents.

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