Young Cyclist Hit by a Car in Norwalk Prompts Safety Reminder

A vehicle struck a male juvenile while he was riding his bicycle near the Norwalk Indoor Swamp Meet in Norwalk on Friday afternoon, prompting a portion of Alondra Boulevard to be cordoned by the sheriff's department to accomodate their investigation. 

The accident occurred on Alondra Boulevard between Pioneer Boulevard and Maidstone Avenue -- less than a mile from Cerritos College -- about 3:10 pm on June 3, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The victim was undergoing surgery as of 6 p.m. Friday, sheriff's Sgt. Marc Burruss said.

“Our officers are conducting an accident investigation now ... so we can recreate it later,” Burruss said. 

Though the details of the accident remained under investigation, it appears that the victim had just exited the Norwalk Indoor Swap Meet parking lot when he was struck while riding in the street. 

With the school year coming to an end for most kids and summertime close at hand, children will likely be spending more time outdoors and on their bicycles. So it's important to practice proper biking procedures to help prevent accidents like this from happening. 

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, which engages in a wide variety of policy, advocacy, education, and community work to make the streets of Los Angeles County more bike friendly for everyone, offers the following bicycle guidelines for safer riding conditions for cyclists and motorists.

Cyclists should follow these riding habits:

• Always wear a helmet.
• Always ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Be predictable and ride in a straight line. Do not weave in and out of parked cars
• If the lane is wide enough to safely share with cars, ride to the right side. Do not try to share the lane if it is too narrow. Do not ride in broken pavement or debris at the side of the street. Take the center of the lane if necessary.
• Ride far enough in the lane around parked cars so that you will not collide with opening car doors.
• When proceeding straight through an intersection with right-turn lanes, move to the lane going straight and allow vehicles to turn right on your right side.
• When making a left turn, move to the left before completing the turn, just like a motor vehicle. If you do not feel safe doing this, ride straight and cross the street you want to turn onto. At the other side of the street, dismount and turn your bike in your desired direction, then proceed when it is safe and legal to do so.
• When riding at night, always wear light colored or reflective clothes, and use both front and taillights, as well as reflectors.

Motorists need to understand some bicycle safety as well:

• Be aware that bicyclists use city streets and watch for them.
• Understand that it is perfectly legal to ride a bicycle on city streets.
• Give cyclists enough room for their safety.
• If the lane is too narrow to safely share, cyclists are entitled to the whole travel lane.
• Cyclists must leave space between themselves and parked cars, and must go around broken pavement or debris.
• When these guidelines are observed, bicycling can be a safe, enjoyable way to get around.