Bicycle Safety is for Everyone

By Aline Miranda on September 22, 2018

Whether we drive cars or motorcycles, bike, or walk, the road belongs to everyone and everyone has a part to play to ensure safety on the road. Regardless of your mode of transportation, we have a duty to know and follow the law.

For example, drivers and bicycle riders must obey all the same rules of the road, including stopping at stop signs, allowing faster moving vehicles to pass, yielding to pedestrians, avoiding distracted driving, and not driving under the influence. Drivers also have to keep at least 3 feet of distance when passing a bicycle.

In the last 5 years, CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System recorded 738 bicyclists killed and another 61,000 injured in collisions with vehicles. The data shows that improper turning and bicycling under the influence of drugs or alcohol were the major causes of injury or death in those cases. Another study from UC Davis reported that 50% of bicycle deaths result from head injuries. California law requires that all riders under age 18 wear helmets, but this statistic is a grim reminder that helmets are a good idea for all riders.