Bike Accidents Decline as More People Trade Cars for Bikes
A study conducted by researchers in England found that the likelihood of hearing your helmet crunched beneath the tire of an oncoming taxi goes down as more people get on bikes.
“It’s a virtuous cycle,” says Dr Julie Hatfield. “The likelihood that an individual cyclist will be struck by a motorist falls with increasing rate of bicycling in a community. And the safer cycling is perceived to be, the more people are prepared to cycle.”
Researchers say that more bikes on the road means that more drivers look out for them. You see the opposite effect in Salt Lake City where the street are wide enough to drive 10 buses side-by-side but no one looks out for bikers or pedestrians. That thing about Salt Lake wasn’t in the study, but I promise that it’s true.
via Wired
By Rocky Thompson- rockythompson
This entry was posted on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 - 6:42 P.M. and is filed under Story, Cycling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:01 am
I don’t know about this… I ride every day on the streets of London. As the number of cyclists goes up (and it has risen massively in the last year) the taxi drivers seem to try that bit harder to hit every cyclist. Black London cabs are dangerous in a predicatable way - they always try to pull in right in front of your wheel and seem to get it wrong often. It’s the minicabs that are the complete liability though: totally unpredicatble - which is what happens when the drivers don’t know their way around drive with their eyes glued to the satnav…
September 18th, 2008 at 7:22 am
It sure looks like there are a lot of people riding there in the photo. Where are the cars they are talking about and there is a very large video screen shown larger than my house I wish I could ride my bike on open roads every day while watching tv with no cars. Wait I can and stay dry at the same time its called a trainer or rollers in the comfort of ones home.
September 18th, 2008 at 8:22 am
what is that picture? bike the drive in chicago?
September 19th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Cycling will never replace driving in England cos it’s fecking freezing and raining all the time.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
haha my friend just explained to me the cross walk flag system you guys got going on in salt lake. that’s awesome