Friday, August 25, 2017
New Report on Bicyclist Safety
If you haven’t already read the recent Washington Post article on a Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report on bicyclist safety, FABB highly recommends that you do. The report is a good reminder that, with more people than ever biking, the risk of motorist-bicyclist collisions also is reaching new highs. According to the report, which was released Thursday, bike deaths increased by 12.2 percent in 2015, outpacing the rise in overall traffic fatalities. The average age of cyclists killed in collisions in 2015, meanwhile, was 45.
The GHSA report and the Washington Post article summarize the report’s many findings, so we won’t repeat them here. Some conclusions about the role of alcohol use by motorists and cyclists and about distracted driving/riding are unsurprising. Other findings provide useful reminders about the importance of wearing helmets and about being careful and being seen when riding at night.
The report also emphasizes the importance of adding bicycling infrastructure—marked and protected bike lanes, separated paths, etc.—and FABB remains committed to being your voice in Fairfax County for these improvements. Please take a few minutes to read the article and, if you would, please consider donating to FABB to help us with our critical safety mission.
Labels: bicyclist safety, GHSA
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