Bicycling offers many health and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, Bicyclist Safety, notes a recent surge in bicyclist deaths in motor vehicle collisions and identifies ways to protect cyclists. Bicyclist fatalities in motor vehicle collisions fell dramatically from 1975 (1,003 deaths) to 2010 (621). But from 2010 to 2012, the number jumped 16%, to 722, while other motor vehicle fatalities rose only 1%. Although bicycle usage data are limited, the report (http://bit.ly/1B23GUQ) finds “some evidence” of growth in recent years, especially in commuting, intensifying cyclists’ exposure to traffic. Indeed, crashes in urban areas constituted 69% of bicyclist deaths in 2012, compared with 50% in 1975, and 37% of fatal collisions in 2012 occurred at intersections. Although fatalities among male riders still far outnumber those among female cyclists, victims’ ages have shifted. In 1975, cyclists younger than 20 years represented 79% of deaths. In 2012, 84% were 20 years or older (74% of those were male). The report emphasizes two factors in bicyclist fatalities: failure to wear a helmet and alcohol impairment. In 2012, 28% of fatally injured cyclists 16 years of age or older had blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08% or higher, and more than two-thirds of cyclists killed in 2012 weren’t wearing helmets. No state mandates adult helmet use, although some localities require helmets for cyclists of all ages and 21 states have child helmet laws. Still, a 2012 survey found that 46% of adult U.S. cyclists never wear helmets, and some biking organizations oppose adult helmet laws, claiming they would discourage bicycling. Although total physical separation of bicycles and motor vehicles best protects cyclists, most roads cannot accommodate cycle paths or bike lanes. The goal, then, for many states, is to educate motorists and cyclists, enforce traffic laws, and improve engineering to enhance bicycle safety. Health professionals, schools, governments, and motorist and cycling organizations can reinforce the message that wearing bicycle helmets, driving and cycling sober, and exercising caution on public roads save lives. (Author/publisher)
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