Bicycle crashes

2. Bicycle crashes How many? Who has them? What are their causes? How can they be prevented? What are prevention priorities?

3. What counts as a “crash.” • Criteria among different studies vary somewhat. • But generally, injury, or damage to the bicycle. • Minor injuries count (sprained ankle, road rash etc.). • Or damage requiring repair to the bicycle; again, including inexpensive repairs. • Most injuries except head injuries heal quickly. • Some studies have a separate category for serious crashes.

4. Collision and fall, or fall alone • Some crashes start with a collision. • Every bicycle crash ends with a fall. • Injury may result from collision, fall or both. • There are four types of falls. • Stopping • Skidding • Diversion • Insufficient speed

14. Common car-bike crash types are different at different ages. With increasing age and experience, the cyclist is less likely to be at fault. Source: Forester, Bicycle Transportation, 2nd Edition (1994); MIT Press, table 5-13; based on Cross-Fisher study of car-bike collisions.

18. Reducing nighttime crashes • Standardizing, publicizing and enforcing the requirement for headlamps • Better rear reflector standard. • Taillamps, greater use than before. • Reduction of drunk driving (many other benefits)

21. How can we be safe and confident here?

22. Why I ride anyway. • The crash risk is outweighed by the health benefit • As U.S. bicycle use has increased greatly, fatalities have decreased slightly • Lifetime fatality risk is about the same as for a lifetime as a motorist. • For Effective Cyclists and helmet users, risk is far lower than the average.

23. Effective Cycling - attitude is basic • Bicyclists belong on the road. • Ride with defensively but with confidence [and with pride]. • Bicyclists have rights and responsibilities. • Good bicycling is good citizenship. • Effective cycling is liberating: it provides independent mobility for all ages and economic levels.

24. What is there to learn? • Learn the craft. • Safe bicycling is skillful bicycling. • There can be only one system of traffic law • Understand risks to minimize them. • Practice for what you can’t predict.

25. Be part of the normal traffic pattern! If you ride on the left: • the driver in the side street is looking the other way. • traffic signals don’t work for you. • You are in head-on conflict with other bicyclists

26. Leave room to overtake in a wide lane But stay just to the right of where the cars go. Don’t follow the right edge.

28. In a narrow lane... The bicyclist should claim a nar-row lane if necessary to avoid road-edge hazards.

30. Multilane road On a multilane road with narrow lanes, the bicyclist should claim the right lane to avoid being “squeezed out” when being passed by two cars at once.

31. Going as fast as the cars A motorcyclist going as fast as the cars should ride in the middle of the lane. Should a bicyclist? What’s the difference? Is there a difference?

32. Merging Cross each lane in two steps. Merging is necessary to prepare for a turn, or if the lane becomes narrower.

33. Left turns People don’t have eyes in the back of their heads. You merge so you have to deal only with traffic ahead of you once you reach the intersection. It is sometimes useful to turn left by crossing as a pedestrian.

34. Going straight through Going straight through also may require moving away from the right side of the road, to avoid right-turning vehicles. When cars are waiting for a stop sign or traffic light, stay behind the first car.

35. Traffic circle You know how to manage a traffic circle if you analyze it as what it is: a one-way road with a number of T intersections to the right.

36. More “good advice” • Pedal hard to get good exercise. • Low gears are for wimps. • Toe clips are dangerous. • The seat is too high, I can’t stand over it. • I want high handlebars so I can sit up straight.

37. Accident avoidance Accident avoidance will be demonstrated in the hands-on session: Testing drivers’ intentions Quick stop Quick turn Rock dodge Rock hop