Bicycling + safety

• NACTO released an analysis demonstrating that increases in the number of bicyclists and bike lanes are associated with a reduced risk of injury across seven U.S. cities. NACTO  - Equitable bike share means building better places for people to ride, 2016
• Hybrid electric vehicles are 57% more likely than regular internal combustion engine vehicles to be in a bicycle crash. Wu, J., et al., 2011  - Incidence rates of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes by hybrid electric passenger vehicles: An update, Report number DOT HS 811 526
• Cycling fatalities fell by 21% in the U.S. from 1998 to 2008. Pucher, J., et al., 2011  - Bicycling renaissance in North America? An update and re-appraisal of cycling trends and policies, Transportation Research A, 45, in press
• Major streets without bike facilities are where the most bike crashes happen, followed by minor streets without facilities, bike paths, and then bike lanes. Moritz, W., 1997  - Survey of North American bicycle commuters: Design and aggregate results, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1578, 91-101
• Bicycle safety improvements attract proportionately more people to bicycling than automobile safety improvements (i.e. a 10% increase in safety results in a greater than 10% increase in the share of people bicycle commuting). Noland, R., 1995,  - Perceived risk and modal choice: Risk compensation in transportation systems, Accident Analysis & Prevention, 27, 503-521
• After two streets in Minneapolis were converted to be more bicycle friendly, bike traffic increased 43%, total vehicle crashes decreased, traffic efficiency was maintained, and parking revenues remained consistent. City of Minneapolis, 2010  - Hennepin and 1st avenues two-way conversion leads to fewer crashes, better access
• A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest. Reynolds, C., et al., 2009  - The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature, Environmental Health, 8:47
• When protected bike lanes are installed in New York City, injury crashes for all road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) typically drop by 40% and by more than 50% in some locations. Wolfson, H., 2011  - Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
• Cities with high bicycling rates tend to have lower crash rates for all road users. Marshall, W., and N. Garrick, 2011  - Evidence on why bike-friendly cities are safer for all road users, Environmental Practice, 13, 1
• In Salt Lake City, bicycling increased 27 percent from 2010 to 2011, thanks in part to a 50-mile bikeway expansion. Office of the Mayor, Salt Lake City, 2011  - Second Annual Bike Count Shows Big Jump in Cyclists, Office of the Mayor, 1 November 2011
• The safest bicycle routes in Vancouver, BC, and Toronto were found to be cycletracks on major streets, local streets with traffic diversion, and off-street bike paths. Teschke, K. et al., 2012  - Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists, American Journal of Public Health, Volume 102
• Red light compliance on a protected bike lane in Chicago was observed to be 81% in 2013, compared to 31% before the protected lane was installed. Chicago Tribune, June 10, 2013  - City says Dearborn bike signals keeping cyclists in line
• Between 36% and 77% of cars are speeding on non-freeway streets, according to federal research. Transportation Research Board, Texas Transportation Institute, 2003  - Design Speed, Operating Speed and Posted Speed Practices, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, 2003
• Cities around the U.S. have found that protected bike lanes increase bicycle ridership, reduce motor vehicle speeding, reduce crashes and improve people's feelings of safety on those streets. Chicago Department of Transportation, July 2012  - Protected Bike Lanes Fact Sheet
• The majority of bicycle trips are less than 30 minutes in length, although the average distance varies by purpose: Entertainment, recreation, and fitness trips are generally longer, up to 30 or 40 km (18.6-24.9 mi) Work trips tend to be around 20 km (12.4 mi) Trips for shopping and trail access are shorter, under 10 km (6.2 mi). Iacono, M., et al., 2008  - Access to destinations: How close is close enough?: Estimating accurate distances decay functions for multiple modes and different purposes, Report #4 in the Access to Destination Study, Minnesota Dep
• Between 2007 and 2008, overall bicycle use in Portland, Oregon increased 28%. City of Portland Office of Transportation, 2008  - Portland Bicycle Counts 2008
• In Portland, OR, 2008 total traffic fatalities were the lowest in recorded history, with only 20 total fatalities, none of them cyclists. 2008 car, pedestrian, and cyclist fatalities were all at all-time lows. City of Portland, 2009  - 2008 Fatality Summary
• A survey of Australian adults found that three in five have access to a bike, but many don't ride at all or as much as they want to due to road and safety issues. Respondents said that separated bike paths would encourage them to start riding at all or more often. Cycling Promotion Fund, 2011,  - Riding a Bike for Transport: 2011 Survey Findings
• Bicycling in New York City increased 8% between 2010 and 2011, 102% since 2007, and 289% compared to 2001. During the same time, safety increased for all road users. New York City Department of Transportation, 2011  - NYC DOT Announces Commuter Biking has Doubled in the Last Four Years.
• A study of bicyclists in Baltimore, Maryland found that motorists routinely disobeyed a state three feet to pass law. Love, D., et al., 2012  - Is the three-foot bicycle passing law working in Baltimore, Maryland, Accident Analysis and Prevention, article in press
• A study of 690 bicycling injuries in Canada showed that cycle tracks had the lowest risks. Teschke, K., et. al., 2012  - Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study, American Journal of Public Health
• The safest bicycle routes in Vancouver, BC, and Toronto were found to be cycletracks on major streets, local streets with traffic diversion, and off-street bike paths. Teschke, K. et al., 2012  - Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists, American Journal of Public Health, Volume 102
• Men and women's perceptions of safety and of the feasibility of bicycling differ; women are more sensitive to the absence of bike lanes and trails. Akar, G., Fischer, N., and Namgung, M. 2013  - Bicycling Choice and Gender Case Study: The Ohio State University, Int. J. of Sust. Trans., Volume 7, Issue 5
• One year after the installation of a protected bike lane in downtown Long Beach, a city survey found an increase in walking and bicycling traffic and a decrease in the number of bicycle and car crashes. City of Long Beach 2013  - Broadway and Third Street Protected Bikeway Study
• People wait for red lights 94% of the time when bicycling in Portland, according to a study of more than 2,000 intersection videos. Thompson, S. R., 2013  - 94% of bike riders wait a red lights, study finds; BikePortland.org, June 25, 2013
• Red light compliance on a protected bike lane in Chicago was observed to be 81% in 2013, compared to 31% before the protected lane was installed. Chicago Tribune, June 10, 2013  - City says Dearborn bike signals keeping cyclists in line
• Between 36% and 77% of cars are speeding on non-freeway streets, according to federal research. Transportation Research Board, Texas Transportation Institute, 2003  - Design Speed, Operating Speed and Posted Speed Practices, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, 2003
• Bicycling is safer in the parts of the D.C. area with more bicycling than in the parts with less bicycling. Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center, 2009  - Trends and Determinants of Cycling in the Washington, D.C., Region
• In multiple studies of rail-to-trail conversions, crime and other nuisances decreased or remained the same after the trail was built. Rails to Trails Conservancy, 1998  - Rail-Trails and Safe Communities: The Experience on 372 Trails
• In a series of focus groups exploring barriers to bicycling in Portland, 100% of the African American participants expressed a fear that drivers would be hostile to them while they were cycling; no Hispanic and African participants expressed that fear. Community Cycling Center, 2012  - Understanding Barriers to Bicycling Project Final Report, July 2012
• The costs of purchasing a bicycle was cited as a major obstacle to cycling by 60% of participants in focus groups of African, African American and Hispanic Portland residents. Community Cycling Center, 2012  - Understanding Barriers to Bicycling Project Final Report, July 2012
• In New York City, four pedestrians were killed in bike-pedestrian accidents from 2001-2005. From 2006-2010, while cycling in the city doubled, three pedestrians were killed in such accidents. Wolfson, H., 2011  - Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
• From 2000 to 2009, bike crashes in Minneapolis, MN dropped 20%, while the number of city bicyclists increased 174% between 2003 and 2008. City of Minneapolis, 2010, in Flusche, D., 2011  - Ridership up crashes down: 'Safety in Numbers' in Minneapolis BikeLeague.org blog, 9 February 2011
• About one-third of U.S. bicycle fatalities in 2014 occurred in an intersection. 2014 Traffic Safety Facts,  - 2014 Traffic Safety Facts
• The more cyclists there are, the safer cycling is. Jacobsen, P., 2003  - Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling, Injury Prevention, 9, 205-209
• Hybrid electric vehicles are more likely to be involved with bicycle crashes than are normal vehicles. Hanna, R., 2009  - Incidence of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes by hybrid electric passenger vehicles, Office of Traffic Records and Analysis, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Whether or not they ride bikes themselves, 79 to 97 percent of drivers say they feel moderately or very comfortable driving near bikes with a protected bike lane. Only half of drivers are comfortable on roads without bike infrastructure. R. Sanders, 2013  - Car Users Would Prefer Separated Bike Lanes Too, Study Finds
• In New York City:A driver could speed every day and get ticketed only once every 35 years.Only 1 out of every 438 red light runners is caught. A driver could fail to yield every day and get ticketed only once every 1,589 years. Singer, J., 2009,  - Executive Order: A Mayoral Strategy for Traffic Safety, Transportation Alternatives
• Both adult and child cyclists tend to adopt the helmet-wearing behaviors of their cycling companions. Dannenberg, A., et al., 1993  - Bicycle helmet use by adults: The impact of companionship, Public Health Reports, 108, 212-7
• 98.2% of North American bike commuters own a helmet, and 86.5% say they wear a helmet every time they ride. Moritz, W., 1997  - Survey of North American bicycle commuters: Design and aggregate results, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1578, 91-101
• 72% of Texas bicycle commuters travel on unsigned roadways during their commute, and only 14% have bicycle lockers or safe storage rooms at their workplace. University of Texas at Austin News, 2008  - State Bicycle Survey Reveals Danger Concerns, Cycling Perceptions
• A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest. Reynolds, C., et al., 2009  - The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature, Environmental Health, 8:47
• When protected bike lanes are installed in New York City, injury crashes for all road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) typically drop by 40 percent and by more than 50 percent in some locations. Wolfson, H., 2011  - Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
• The installation of many miles of new bike lanes in New York City did not lead to an increase in bike crashes, despite the increase in the number of cyclists. Chen, L., et al., 2011  - Evaluating the safety effects of bicycle lanes in New York City, American Journal of Public Health, November 17, 2011
• Streets with protected bike lanes saw 28 percent fewer injuries per mile than comparable streets with no bike infrastructure. People were also 2.5 times more likely to bike on the protected lanes than in general travel lanes. Lusk, A., et al., 2010  - Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street, Injury Prevention, December 1, 2010
• Streets with protected bike lanes saw 90 percent fewer injuries per mile than those with no bike infrastructure. Teschke, K., et al., 2012  - Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study
• New York City's protected bike lane on 9th Avenue led to a 56 percent reduction in injuries to all street users, including a 57 percent reduction in injuries to people on bikes and a 29 percent reduction in injuries to people walking, as well as an 84 percent reduction in sidewalk riding. NYC DOT, 2012  - Measuring the Street
• Ninety percent of users say they feel safer bicycling on Pennsylvania Ave because of the new protected lanes. District Department of Transportation, 2012  - District Department of Transportation Bicycle Facility Evaluation
• A study of bike sharing users in Knoxville, Tennessee found that e-bike riders exhibit nearly identical safety behavior as regular bike riders. Langford, B., et al., 2015  - Risky riding: Naturalistic methods comparing safety behavior from conventional bicycle riders and electric bike riders, Accident; analysis and prevention
• One study of two years' worth of bicycle crashes in Indiana found that human error was the most common factor in crashes, right angle collisions were the most common crash type, and most crashes occurred in daylight. Klobucar, M., and D. Fricker, 2007  - Feasibility study for bicycle safety: Data assessment and network evolution, Civil Engineering: Joint Transportation Research Program
• From 1995 to 2003, the number of bicycle trips in Copenhagen made by adults 40 and older rose from 25% to 38%, yet there was a 60% decline in serious injuries. Pucher, et. al. 2010  - Infrastructure, programs and policies to increase bicycling: An international review, prepared for the Active Living Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and tentatively scheduled
• There were 726 cyclist fatalities in the US in 2014, down from 786 in 2005. NHTSA, 2010 in Flusche, D., 2010  - National Highway Traffic Safety Association Traffic Safety Facts
• One-quarter of characters in recent (2003-2007) children's movies wore helmets while bicycling, up from 15% in 1998-2002 and 6% in 1995-1997. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010  - in More characters buckle up, wear helmets in kids' movies, study finds, L. Tanner, The Canadian Press, 11 January, 2010
• Even though 85% of Amsterdam residents ride a bike at least once a week, only 6 or 7 cyclists are killed in traffic accidents every year. City of Amsterdam, 2003,  - in Cycling to sustainability in Amsterdam, Buehler, R., and J. Pucher, Sustain, 21, Fall/Winter 2010
• More than one-quarter (28%) of all traffic accidents occur when people talk on cellphones or send text messages while driving. National Safety Council, 2010  - in 28 percent of accidents involve talking, texting on cellphones, A. Halsey III, The Washington Post, 13 January 2010
• In New York City, 92% of all bicyclist fatalities occurred as a results of crashes with motor vehicles, and 91% of bicyclists who died were male. New York City, 2010  - Bicyclist Fatalities and Serious Injuries in New York City
• Higher actual crash risk increases perceived crash risk, while higher perceived crash risk is negatively associated with actual crash rates. Cho et al., 2009,  - The role of the built environment in explaining relationships between perceived and actual pedestrian and bicyclist safety, Accident Analysis & Prevention, 41, 692-702
• From 1994 to 2008, the number of bicyclists killed in the U.S. decreased by 12%. U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, 2009  - National Household Travel Survey
• A survey of 1,600 cyclists from Texas revealed that 70% of riders felt bicycling is dangerous in terms of traffic accidents, but only 21% thought it is dangerous in the context of crime. University of Texas at Austin News, 2008  - A survey of 1,600 cyclists from Texas revealed that 70% of riders felt bicycling is dangerous in terms of traffic accidents, but only 21% thought it is dangerous in the context of crime.
• The majority of bicycle-vehicle crashes are not a result of environmental factors, eg. darkness, fog, or rain. Schramm, A., et al., 2008  - How much does disregard of road rules contribute to bicycle-vehicle collisions? in Proceedings of high rish road users- motivating behaviour change: what works and what doesn't work?
• According to a field study by the city of Portland, while bicyclists come to a complete stop at stop signs only 7 percent of the time, motorists stop completely only 22 percent of the time. Rose, J., 2009  - Hey Oregon, is that an Idaho stop or a California stop?", The Oregonian
• Competitive road cyclists report safer driving behavior than drivers who have no cycling experience. Martha, C., and P. Delhomme, 2008  - Risk comparative judgment while driving a car among competitive road cyclists and non-cyclists, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour