Calif. leads nation in cycling traffic deaths
By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times
If you are going to be killed by a car while riding a bicycle, there’s a good chance you are male, older than 20 and living in California or Florida.
That’s the finding of a report issued Monday by the Governors Highway Safety Association that also noted that between 2010 and 2012, U.S. bicyclist deaths increased by 16 percent.
California, with 338 cyclists killed in collisions with motor vehicles, and Florida, with 329, had the highest totals during that period, the report said.
They also had the largest increases in annual cyclist traffic fatalities from 2010 to 2012. Florida’s deaths rose by 37 to 120 in 2012 while cyclist traffic fatalities in California rose by 23 to 123. California had the most bicyclists killed of any state in 2012.
Nationally, cyclist traffic deaths jumped from 621 in 2010 to 680 in 2011 and 722 in 2012. The 16 percent increase was far greater than other motor vehicle fatalities, which rose by just 1 percent during this same time period.
I agree that more and better bike lanes would surely help to lower these numbers. Also bikers following the rules of the road would be a good idea. I have seen, many times, bikers hogging the road, riding 2 or 3 wide, and then getting mad when a car passes them or (God forbid) honking at them. I have been given the one-finger salute when I have made a safe pass of bicycles on my street.
The bike path in Meyers has more walkers on it than bikers. Most of the bikes are out on the highway.
Just sayin’
Of course, in California none of those safety recommendations need to be implemented since the legislature has made every collision between an automobile and a bicycle automatically the fault of the automobile driver because he (she) allowed themselves to get within three feet of the bicycle.
Good plan; automatically assign blame to the party most likely to have accident insurance.
The bike path in Meyers has more walkers on it than bikers. Most of the bikes are out on the highway.
Just sayin’
Well you are not just saying, you are trying to make a point – but you commented on your own observation – a lot of pedestrians on a bike path makes it a hazardous biking environment as well.
I think there are discourteous users whether on foot (think dog leashes let out 20 feet; skateboarders, those with baby strollers, bikers or drivers. We obviously can’t have dedicated travelways for each type of user, there is going to be allowable multiple use on many of them, and bicycles are entitled to the street whether there is a bike lane or not. Long distance bikers especially are not going to use bike trails, it is impractical to bike 40-100 miles in a day on a bike path. I think what people that drive everywhere they go do not keep in mind is the biker is way more at risk than the auto in a auto-bike collision, and that throws a lot more moral responsibility on the driver by default.
Plus what is interesting is under CA law a biker on the road is subject to the liabilities and protections of tort law associated with highways and motorized vehicles. On a bike path you have no protection, including from negligent bikeway construction or maintenance. Basically it’s like hiking through the woods – all your own peril,but way more dangerous – so any prudent biker might decide to use the street to both have clear cut rules of use, more easily determined fault should an accident occur, quicker safe speed, and to reduce the number of things coming at you from the opposite or perpendicular direction.
I am a cyclist. I use bike paths when practical and safe but I also reserve my right to ride safely on the road. In both situations I ride according to the applicable safety rules. Our local bike paths, especially in the summer season, can be treacherous. It seems that most people either don’t know the right of way rules or choose to ignore them completely. I see far too many people (often in groups) riding or walking on the wrong side of the path, stopping to chat and blocking the pathway, and ignoring politely spoken requests to yield the right of way. I have seen families with children who are clearly too young to safely ride a bike on a busy bike path; who don’t comprehend the rules of the path and/or ride wrecklessly due to lack of experience or awareness. To avoid injury (to myself and others) I often choose to ride on the road. Again, I follow all traffic codes and use common sense. I stay in the bike lane, and, where there is no bike lane, I ride as far to the right as is safe. Most drivers are attentive and courteous. I have, however had my share of people in cars yell at me or come up on my tail and lean on their horn. Drivers need to remember that I have as much right to be there as they do and, as long as I am following the rules of the road, they need to engage in safe behavior that does not distract or threaten me. I am also a driver and I totally agree that there are a lot of cyclists out there who break the rules and put us all in potentially dangerous situations. These cyclists are culpable as well. It seems we all (cyclists and drivers) need to remember to slow down, be safe, and respect each other. Nobody “owns the road” and it is our responsibilty (cyclist and driver) to peacefully co-exist in our use of it.
The general right of way rule is that where there are no sidewalks (and a bike path is never considered a “sidewalk,”) pedestrians walk on the left side facing traffic and bicycles, being “vehicles,” stay to the right flowing with traffic.
As a bicyclist, former runner, and now septuagenarian walker, I’ve walked bike trails in Southern California (well away from folks who should know how to behave on trails) that are posted with the “rules of the road.”
Tahoe bike trails need those postings as well. And it wouldn’t hurt to also post that when a voice behind you says “to your right,” that’s where the bicyclist is going – not the direction you should jump, and the correct response is “thank you.” If the voice says “to your left,” then you’re walking on the wrong side of the trail. I’m certain that a better writer than I can reduce that caution to something more sign-worthy.