The California Highway Patrol has arrested a bicyclist for driving under the influence (DUI) after the man allegedly fell off his bike while riding along Highway 247 at Handley Road.

The accident occurred at 9:35 a.m. and the bicyclist, Donald Millard, suffered a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage after crashing. The authorities arrested him and released to the hospital for treatment.

According to Officer Eric Brewer, the 49-year old Yucca Valley man was so intoxicated that he fell off his bike and cracked his head.

While the fatality numbers for bicycle accidents aren’t that high – merely 2 percent of motor vehicle-related deaths are bicyclists, statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that as much as 24 percent of all bicyclists killed in 2006 were legally drunk or had a blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent.

Serious injuries are more common than death in bicycle accidents. As bicycles do not have airbags, seatbelts, or walls that can protect its riders from the impact of the crash, the injuries most commonly sustained by bicyclists include:

•    Head injury
•    Fractured Clavicle
•    Concussion
•    Broken bones
•    Skin abrasions and road rash

To avoid bicycle accidents and embarrassing arrests like DUI – it would be advisable for bicyclists to ride carefully and follow traffic laws and rules on the road. Further, as 91 percent of the total of bicycle accident fatalities were not wearing helmet and head injuries is the leading cause of death, don’t forget to wear a helmet.

Wearing a federally-approved bicycle helmet may improve a bicyclist’s chances for survival, but often, it does little to prevent an accident especially if it was caused by the negligence of another person or motorist.

Under such circumstances, the injured bicyclist may sue the latter for damages unless the accident was caused by the own fault or negligence of the bicyclist.