Pedalcyclists Safety
The National Highway Transportation Safety Association has released traffic safety stats from 2004 for pedalcyclists. I love that word, pedalcyclist. Don't be surprised if you read that more often from me.
To download the PDF report from the NHTSA go HERE.
The report states fatalities for pedalcyclists are down 10% in 2004 compared to 1994, but the report doesn't highlight the fact fatalities increased 15% in 2004 compared to 2003. There were 725 pedalcyclist deaths in 2004 compared to 629 in 2003. Tennessee accounted for only 7 of those deaths in 2004.
The average age of those killed has increased from 28.9 in 1994 to 38.7 in 2004. That's a significant statistical difference, and highlights the fact there are more people getting into this sport at a later age.
A sobering stat is 21% of all pedalcyclists deaths in 2004 were under the age of 16. This is down from 37% in 1994, but still points out that younger kids need better safety education and guidance. Most younger kids are not involved with organized clubs like older pedalcyclists, and I would say this lack of structure contributes to their high fatality rate. Plus, aside from the efforts of groups like Walk/Bike Nashville there are no pedalcycling safety courses in school.
This number really shouldn't surprise me, but alcohol was involved in some capacity (driver or pedalcyclist) in over 33% of all pedalcyclist fatalities in 2004. It would be interesting to know who had been drinking more, the driver or pedalcyclist, but the report doesn't break down the one-third total.
Lastly, be careful if you're a male (87%) riding along in an urban area (66%) through nonintersection roads (67%) between 5 pm and 9 pm (30%) during June, July or August (36%). Your odds of survival will go up if you start riding earlier in the day and choose another route.
Each of us can help to lower all those stats by paying attention to safety and riding smart. Not only should you ride with an eye for safety, but correct anyone within your group when they're endangering themselves or others. Don't keep those safety tips to yourselves without offering them to lesser experienced riders. Your words of caution may save someone's life one day.
Remember goal number one on group rides? Everyone gets home safely.
To download the PDF report from the NHTSA go HERE.
The report states fatalities for pedalcyclists are down 10% in 2004 compared to 1994, but the report doesn't highlight the fact fatalities increased 15% in 2004 compared to 2003. There were 725 pedalcyclist deaths in 2004 compared to 629 in 2003. Tennessee accounted for only 7 of those deaths in 2004.
The average age of those killed has increased from 28.9 in 1994 to 38.7 in 2004. That's a significant statistical difference, and highlights the fact there are more people getting into this sport at a later age.
A sobering stat is 21% of all pedalcyclists deaths in 2004 were under the age of 16. This is down from 37% in 1994, but still points out that younger kids need better safety education and guidance. Most younger kids are not involved with organized clubs like older pedalcyclists, and I would say this lack of structure contributes to their high fatality rate. Plus, aside from the efforts of groups like Walk/Bike Nashville there are no pedalcycling safety courses in school.
This number really shouldn't surprise me, but alcohol was involved in some capacity (driver or pedalcyclist) in over 33% of all pedalcyclist fatalities in 2004. It would be interesting to know who had been drinking more, the driver or pedalcyclist, but the report doesn't break down the one-third total.
Lastly, be careful if you're a male (87%) riding along in an urban area (66%) through nonintersection roads (67%) between 5 pm and 9 pm (30%) during June, July or August (36%). Your odds of survival will go up if you start riding earlier in the day and choose another route.
Each of us can help to lower all those stats by paying attention to safety and riding smart. Not only should you ride with an eye for safety, but correct anyone within your group when they're endangering themselves or others. Don't keep those safety tips to yourselves without offering them to lesser experienced riders. Your words of caution may save someone's life one day.
Remember goal number one on group rides? Everyone gets home safely.
posted by NashvilleCyclist.com at 1/17/2006 10:13:00 PM
2 Comments:
Some of these numbers don't indicate risk so much as number of cyclists.
It's not that it's inherently more dangerous to cycle in June, July, and August than in December, January, and February, but that more people are doing it, so the death toll is higher in those months.
Similarly, it would be interesting to know whether it's more dangerous to ride in urban areas than rural ones or whether the larger number of deaths just reflects the fact that most bicyclists live in and around cities.
About alcohol, you ask what fraction of the fatalaties involved drunk cyclists as opposed to drunk drivers: according to the NHTSA report, "Nearly one-fourth (24%) of the pedalcyclists killed had a BAC of .01 g/dL or higher, and one-fifth (20%) had
a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher."
My favorite comment on this issue was this quotation published in the Tennessean last year: "I ride a road bicycle ... and when I do, my life span will be measured in decades," [Metro Police traffic analyst, Sergeant Jeff ] Keeter said. "But, if you're drunk on a bicycle going the wrong way on the interstate at 1:30 in the morning, your life span is actually measured in seconds." (tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050923/NEWS09/509230459/1001)
I should have stated my question/comment differently. The report appears to lump all pedalcyclist deaths involving a vehicle each time. Maybe so, but surely there were instances where a vehicle wasn't involved. The report may state that fact somewhere, but I have yet to come across it.
Moreover, it doesn't state what the rates were for drivers themselves, unless we assume it was 76% based upon 24% of pedalcyclists having a .01 or highter. That's a faulty assumption, what about a percentage when both parties were drinking?
Oh well, minute details that only prove what we already know. Which is, don't drink and ride and don't drink a drive.
I remember that article from last September. It was around a time when several people were killed across town. Riding on I-24/65 near Shelby Avenue is never a good idea.
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