Pedestrians and Cyclists Need to Respect Cars, the Road and Each Other.
More and more people are choosing to add a bicycle to their daily lives. Whether commuting, running errands, grabbing groceries or just for fun, cycling is on the rise across the country. This positive trend serves to benefit a culture and a country plagued by stress and inactivity, but also increases the chance of accidents between bicycles, pedestrians and automobiles. As part of our own daily commuting, we at Commuter Connection PA have noticed many unsafe habits that put everyone on the road at risk, and strongly believe that pedestrians, cyclists and drivers must all respect each other in order to achieve safe, effective commuting.
Nationally and locally the rate of accidents between pedestrians, bicycles and/or motor vehicles is exceptionally low when compared to accidents between motor vehicles. New York City alone has over 70,000 motor vehicle accidents a year, resulting in over 50,000 hospitalizations and 250 deaths. More than 10,000 pedestrians and 3,000 bicycles a year are struck by cars in the city. By contrast, the city only has 500 hospitalizations due to bicycle/pedestrian accidents – making cycling safer for everyone involved. Both within the city and nationally these statistics have been dropping since 1990; the main point, however, is that pedestrian/bicycle accidents still can result in hospitalization or death – especially when cyclists are traveling at high speed.
Neither pedestrians, cyclists or drivers are alone in blame for these accidents. Drivers weave in and out of bike lanes, try to run yellow lights and don’t pay close attention to people in crosswalks – distracted by cell phones, makeup, breakfast or crabby kids. Cyclists often run red lights, zipping through cross walks, don’t signal, or pay attention to cars at the expense of pedestrians. Meanwhile, pedestrians frequently cross when and where they are not supposed to, and can often be caught leaning into or standing in bicycle lanes, looking for cars by oblivious to cyclists. All three groups need to take greater precautions and reduce distractions to improve the safety of their daily commute.
Pedestrians should be aware that cyclists can be traveling as fast as cars when traveling in a bike lane. Being struck by a bicycle at this speed is much the same as being struck by a car, and bicycles can take a longer time to come to a complete stop. Cyclists need to understand that much of the antipathy towards cyclists from pedestrians and drivers comes from unpredictable behavior and frequency of running (or jumping) red lights. Weaving between pedestrians makes them feel unsafe and increases the likelihood of accidents. Drivers need to understand that the weight and size of their vehicle can mean that even minor, low-speed accidents can result in significant injury to cyclists or pedestrians. Distracted driving is the cause of most accidents and can carry a heavy price. Together we can respect the rules of the road and reduce the chance of injury or fatality on the way to work.
Drivers! – Don’t eat in your car, use a blue tooth headset if you have to and avoid texting. Make sure to stay out of bicycle lanes – do not use them for passing – and stop before cross walks, not in them.
Cyclists! – Don’t run red lights. Come to a complete stop before crosswalks, not in them, and wait for the light to change and pedestrians to clear.
Pedestrians! – Don’t stand in the road. Resist the urge to stand or lean into bike lanes to watch for traffic. Wait at intersections for the light to change and for you to have the right of way.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/study-finds-higher-number-of-pedestrians-hurt-by-bikes/
