The number of New Yorkers commuting by bicycling jumped 35 percent in the last year, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

New York bicycle accident lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool continue to see an increase in the number of serious bicycle accidents throughout the city as more riders bike for economic reasons or to take advantage of the city's more than 200 miles of bike lanes.

Rising gas prices, a poor economy and the city's three-year effort to promote bicycling is adding thousands of bicycles to the streets of New York. To increase safety awareness, the city has rolled out a pilot project of high-visibility green bicycle lanes, installed more than 1,000 bike-lane signs, handed out 680,000 free bike maps and provided more than 23,000 NYC bike helmets free of charge.

Transportation officials estimate more than 30,000 bicyclists per day take to the streets of New York. Since 2006, the city has nearly doubled bike-lane miles in all five boroughs, added 20 sheltered bike-parking structures and installed 6,100 bike racks even as the number of commuters using bicycles grew by 45 percent during that time.

"With the completion of this initiative, we can now state firmly that New York City is the bicycling capital of the United States," said Commissioner Sadik-Khan "This two-hundred mile growth spurt has transformed our bike network into a robust transportation system, a true backbone that connects the City's neighborhoods and helps get cyclists to their destinations safely."

Still, a 10-year study found more than 200 people were killed and almost 3,500 seriously injured in New York City bicycle accidents.

And the dangers of bicycling are more prevalent here than anywhere in America -- 11 percent of New Yorkers ride their bikes to and from work, compared to less than three percent nationwide.

- Nine of 10 crashes occurred at intersections.

- Trucks and buses, which account for only about 10 percent of the city's traffic, were responsible for 1 in 3 bicycle fatalities.

- Almost all of the fatalities involved poor driving, including driver inattention and disregarding traffic signals and signs.

New York cyclists have a right to share the road responsibly. When they are seriously injured or killed by a negligent driver, they and their families have a right to be compensated for their injury or loss.

The learn more about what you can do as a bicyclist or motorist to promote safety and avoid serious of fatal accidents, visit the LOOK Campaign, provided by the New York City Bicycle Safety Coalition.