Bicycle Safety
With more than 100 million bicycle owners, the popularity of bicycling has reached an all-time high and that has resulted in nearly 580,000 visits to Emergency Departments due to injuries resulting from common abrasions, cuts, and bruises to broken bones, internal injuries, head trauma, and even death. In 1998 bicycling accounted for the largest number of sport-related injuries in Emergency Departments among middle-aged people. Almost 800 bicyclists die annually, and 20,000 are admitted to hospitals. From a statistical standpoint, bicycle riding has a higher death rate per trip or per mile of travel than being a passenger in an automobile. The most common cause of bicycle crashes is due to falls or collisions with stationary objects.
RIDE SAFELY - It's the Law
Although most bicycle injuries occur to boys aged 10-14 years, almost 70% of bicycle deaths involve adults. Collisions involving motor vehicles account for 90% of all bicycle-related deaths and 10% of nonfatal injuries. Officials found the responsibility being the bicyclist in half the cases, the motorist in about one third, and both in the remaining. Younger cyclists who are not familiar with rules of the road are far more likely to cause and be involved in a serious accident. Almost 40% of bicycle-motor vehicle crashes occurred during low-light conditions when motorists had trouble seeing cyclists. More than half of bicycle deaths occur on major roads; one third of deaths occur at an intersection. One third of bicyclist fatalities occur on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher.
The majority of bicycle deaths are caused by head injuries. The best insurance for a rider to prevent injury and death is to wear a helmet. Unfortunately, many riders disregard this recommendation. Mandatory use of helmets has proven to reduce severe injuries by almost 85% in addition to cutting the number of bicycle-related fatalities. 98% of bicyclists killed in 1998 were reportedly not wearing a protective helmet.
Investment in safety equipment such as protective clothing and a helmet can prevent a significant number of injuries. Other considerations are: wear reflective clothing and use lights for nighttime or low-visibility conditions, select the proper bicycle and keep it in good repair.
Cyclist should never use public road until they have achieved the proper level of experience, skill, and learned the rules of the road. They should avoid use of major roads and sidewalks. Cyclists must follow the same rules as motorists. They should ride in single file with traffic, not against it and use correct hand signals before turning. Nearly one-third of bicycle crashes occur when a bicyclist is riding against oncoming traffic.
Many people assume bicycle riding on sidewalks is safer than on roads. However, the risk of injury increases significantly if you ride on sidewalks. This may be due to the presence of pedestrians and stationary objects (parking meters, for example) lining sidewalks as well as a preference by inexperienced bicyclists to use sidewalks for bicycle travel.
Lastly, a cyclist must remain EXTREMELY aware of surroundings: opening car doors, sewer grating, debris on roads, uneven surfaces, poorly lit areas. They should announce their presence ("On your left") on bike and walking trails as you come up behind and pass pedestrians and other riders.
Safe Routes to School Program. Interested parties could set up a program for Hendersonville by contacting Diane Benedic, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, TDOT.
SAFE ROUTES to SCHOOLS
The goal of the National Center for Safe Routes program andTDOT grant from Federal Funds (do not require local match) is to increase levels of walking and bicycling to school among elementary and middle school students.
Pima County and the City of Tucson initiated a pilot program at seven elementary schools aimed at encouraging children to engage in more physical activity, and reduce traffic collisions involving children. It began in the fall of 2005, and will last for two years and then extend the program to other schools. The first phase focuses on the education and identification of infrastructure improvements needed for pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The following links provide a sampling of their work:
Traffic Safety Quiz Show; Stop, Look, and Listen; Helmet Safety; Walk Around the Block; and The Walking Schoolbus Challenge Guidebook
