Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was recently involved in a bicycle accident and ended up with a broken elbow.

The mayor, who is an avid bicyclist, was riding his bike down to the beach when a cab cut him off in the Venice Boulevard bicycle lane. He fell from him bike to avoid hitting the cab and injured. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet when he crashed and avoided getting severe injuries since he hit his head first.

He was taken to UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center for treatment. His security officers let the cab driver go after taking his information.

According to the mayor’s office, no charges will be filed against the cab driver but claimed that the driver wasn’t careful and moved without using a signal.

Riding a bike isn’t just for leisure or exercise, these days, a lot of people use bicycles as their main mode of transportation to save up on gas expenses and avoid traffic. Bicycles are now one of the most popular means of transportation, so motorists have to get used to sharing the road with them.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that bicyclists can be easily found on the road, a lot of drivers are not mindful of their presence – some would even be resentful about sharing the road as cases of road rage directed towards bicyclists have also been reported.

Under the law, drivers are bound to exercise due diligence on the road to avoid causing any injury to others or damage to property. Among the duties this diligence entails would require a driver to:

•    Drive at a reasonable speed
•    Follow traffic rules and signals
•    Wear a seatbelt and use child safety restraints
•    Drive without impairment (drowsy driving, DUI, texting while driving)
•    Respect the right of way of others
•    Signal before making a turn

Failure to follow such may not just give rise to a traffic citation, it may also cause an accident as exemplified by what happened to Mayor Villaraigosa. If you are a bicyclist, while you have every right to be protected on the road, do not always expect drivers to be on their best behavior. Always wear a helmet, practice defensive bicycling, and always be aware of your surroundings. In the event that you do get involved in a bicycle accident because of a negligent or faulty driver, you may seek compensation for any injuries or damage you received because he violated his duty of diligence.