Bicycle fatalities are rising and the average age for fatalities continues to rise, according to a report released today by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.
As the Washington Post notes, “Forty years ago, riding a bike was child’s play, and the overwhelming majority of those killed in bike crashes were children. the average age of cyclists killed in collisions in 2015 was 45.” Also, men are far and away more likely to die in biking crashes than women.
The 75-page report, A right to the road: Understanding and addressing bike safety, analyzes the data and has a number of recommendations, grouped into three areas: engineering, enforcement, and education.
While the report notes that all three areas are important, it adds that:
Providing infrastructure that separates riders from motorists is the most effective countermeasure. Cycle tracks – on-street bicycle lanes that are physically separated from motor vehicles by barriers such as curbs or bollards – are 89 percent safer than streets with parked cars and no cycling facilities. When physical separation is not possible, reducing the distance or time that bicyclists are exposed to risk is essential.
In addition to these actions, the report recommends:
- Bike boulevards, described by the National Association of City Transportation Officials, as streets with low motorized traffic volumes and speeds, designated and designed to give bicycle travel priority
- Marked and protected bike lanes
- Bike boxes, which are areas marked for bicyclists to stop at an intersection, and
- Bike traffic lights and better intersection design.
The GHSA will host a webinar on August 29 at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss its findings and recommendations.
Also of note, earlier this month, the GHSA issued recommendations on how states can improve pedestrian safety, another key component to promoting livable communities of all sizes.
Photo and infographic from the report.