Welcome to the Danger Zone: Dangerous San Diego Roads for Cyclists

Veteran and casual cyclists alike are at risk 100 percent of the time, but there are some places that are more dangerous than others. Thanks to an article published in the San Diego Reader, we have a list of streets that San Diego cyclists deem more treacherous than others. These dangerous San Diego roads listed below are best to be avoided completely when possible.

• Friars Road from Morena Blvd. to Qualcomm Way – Cyclists that have taken this route have complained that the designated bike routes cross with merging on-ramp car lanes that have drivers coming through the bike lane. Also, the bike lanes do little to protect riders from cars whizzing by at 50 plus on both sides. There were 15 accidents on Friars Rd. between 2007 and 2012 according to the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS).
• Nimitz Boulevard–Sunset Cliff – Left of Interstate 8, Nimitz and Sunset Cliffs are two very popular thoroughfares, and like Friars Road, the cars are going very fast on both sides of riders. There are also a lot of people trying to get onto Interstate 8 who pose extra danger to riders.
• Pacific Highway at Barnett Avenue – This spot is well-known and hated among both veteran and casual riders. Miraculously, there were no reported accidents between 2007 and 2012, but one person on Facebook called it “A white-knuckled drift-over if I’ve ever seen one.”
• Pershing Drive between Redwood and I–5 on-ramps – Make sure your brakes are operating at 100 percent if you plan to take a trip on this route. Going downhill from Upas will have you going almost as fast as the speeding cars next to you, not to mention another interstate on-ramp that sees cars potentially flying through the cyclists’ paths.
• Broadway Downtown between Park Blvd. and Harbor Drive – There were 11 accidents involving cyclists here between 2007 and 2012. This area is very popular and sees a lot of vehicle, bicycle and foot traffic all at once, which makes for plenty of distractions.
• Genesee Avenue going south at Route 52 – More on-ramps and high speeds make Genesee another very dangerous choice for riders. The bike lanes are very narrow and riders are forced to go past three Route 52 on-ramps with no stop signs or lights to help them.
• University Avenue from Hillcrest to North Park – University Ave. is well-known for being dangerous for riders. Between 2007 and 2012 there were 67 accidents involving cyclists, which is why it takes the cake for most dangerous route. There is little room to maneuver as a cyclist between the parked and moving cars. Passengers in parallel parked vehicles are also notorious for opening doors at the most inopportune times.

Bonnici Law Group APC – San Diego bicycle accident attorney