Education and Safety

• Cyclists
• Motorists
• Crashes

Education of both motorists and bicyclists is an important way to prevent crashes and build a successful bicycle transportation system. Education programs can help dispel myths about bicycling, and encourage courteous and lawful behavior. Bicycle education programs are designed to increase bicycle safety by improving the ability to ride with traffic as well as heighten motorist awareness. The difficulties facing safety education programs results from the wide range of age groups requiring the training, and the need to adapt the training for each group.

There are three basic components of bicycling education:

• Developing safe cycling skills in children;
• Teaching adult cyclists their rights and responsibilities; and
• Teaching motorists how to more effectively share the road with cyclists.

Cyclists

Youth Bicyclists

School children are most effectively reached using an action-oriented teaching approach and repetitive practice along with awards and incentives. Awards and incentives can consist of certificates of completion or bicycle/pedestrian licenses, bicycle helmets and other accessories, or discount coupons for area bicycle shops.

To reach the most children, it is important to work closely with schools so that children are receiving an age-appropriate bicycle safety message and are learning skills that will help them function safely on the roads. The following messages should be consistently taught:

• Wear a helmet. In the event of a bicycle crash, wearing a helmet reduces the risk of serious head injury by up to 85%. It could save your life.
• Obey all traffic laws. Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists.
• Look left, then right, then left again before crossing streets.
• Always be alert. Make eye contact with drivers and always be aware of what’s going on around you.
• Always ride with the flow of traffic.
• Be predictable. Always signal your intentions.
• Be visible. Wear light-colored clothing and bright or reflective clothing and always use a front light and rear reflectors at night.
• In addition, very young children (seven or younger) should ride with supervision.

Adult Bicyclists

Adult bicyclists fall into several different categories of riders. Some adults are comfortable riding on busy streets and mixing with traffic while others prefer quieter streets or paths. There are adults who ride a bicycle only a few times a year and those who ride often but primarily for recreation. Each type of cyclist has his/her own concerns and philosophy about how bicycles fit into the transportation system. Education efforts must recognize this and tailor messages to each group.

It is also important to reach as wide a range of bicyclists as possible. Since adults do not often group together as a captive audience as school children do, it is important to offer a wide range of opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills related to bicycling. The following messages should be consistently taught:

• Be alert. Watch for other users and sudden behavior changes. Also, pay careful attention to potential road hazards, such as potholes and gravel. Adjust speed to maintain control of the bicycle. Make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they have seen you.
• Obey all traffic laws. Though it is tempting to run through traffic signals and stop signs, do not do it. Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists. Disobeying traffic laws gives cyclists a bad reputation and is potentially dangerous.
• Always ride with the flow of traffic. Ride where motorists and others expect cyclists, and never against traffic.
• Be predictable. Signal your turns, do not weave in and out of traffic and stay as far to the right as is practicable, except when:
  • traveling the same speed as traffic (as in downtown)
  • avoiding hazardous conditions
  • preparing to make a left turn, passing another vehicle or using a one-way street (in which case riding alongside the left curb is permitted)
  • the roadway is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side
• Be visible. Wear light-colored, bright or reflective clothing and use front lights and rear reflectors or lights at night.
• Wear a helmet.
• Stay off sidewalks, whenever possible. Bicycles are legally classified as vehicles and should behave as such. Sidewalks are intended for use by pedestrians not cyclists. When using sidewalks, bicyclists are should warn pedestrians audibly when passing, yield the right-of-way in conflict situations and travel at a walking speed at driveways and intersections when a motor vehicle is approaching. Remember, motorists are not expecting cyclists coming at them at driveways or approaches.
• Do not drink alcohol and ride. You are operating a vehicle. Take it seriously.

Currently, safety education programs in the region primarily reach children. Safety City, in conjunction with the Knoxville Police Department, coordinates three Safety Fairs each year with an emphasis on bike safety. (These fairs do reach parents since they must accompany their children.) Safety City conducts classes, which include bike rodeos, for second grade students throughout the year. Officers also go to day cares, civic groups such as Boy and Girl Scouts, apartment complexes and other locations to talk about bike safety. The University of Tennessee Police Department sends out safety flyers with registration information and provides information during orientation. The Maryville Police Department sponsors Bicycle Safety classes for kids, using bike rodeos sponsored by local businesses. The Tennessee Department of Health’s Website has a Kids’ Page with 10 Tips for Cyclewise Kids.

Motorists

Motorists are probably the most difficult group to reach with bicycle education. Education programs aimed at motorists can most easily take place during existing programs such as driver’s training courses, driver’s licensing exams and traffic school courses for violators.

Motorists should learn to look for cyclists in traffic just as they check for cars, especially when switching lane position, turning or going through an intersection. They should look for cyclists in parking lots, and when entering and exiting roadways. Motorists should pay special attention to child cyclists, particularly in residential areas and near schools. Children often ride on the sidewalk, so motorists should check for them when entering or exiting driveways. Kids do not judge distance or speeds well, and the motorist should give them extra space and attention. Motorists should learn to be predictable by signaling turns well before an intersection.

Other topics to teach:

• Bike lanes and how to operate motor vehicles around them
• Why bicyclists choose to ride on arterials and collectors
• How to safely pass a bicyclist
• Why crashes happen and how to prevent them
• Importance of sharing the road and respecting other road users
• Why people bicycle—for health and fitness, transportation, recreation, the environment and to save money
• Why bicyclists sometimes swerve (to avoid road hazards such as broken glass or potholes)

Chapter 12 of Tennessee Drivers’ Handbook has information on sharing road with cyclists. The drivers’ exam, however, has no questions on Chapter 12 or bicycles.

Action Steps:

• Coordinate the bicycle safety programs being conducted by various agencies, health care providers and organizations.
• Provide and promote safety education and encouragement programs taught by qualified instructors and targeted to youth and adult bicyclists and motorists.
• Increase the availability of and participation in cyclist training courses for college students and adult bicyclists. (The adult-targeted Effective Cycling course by the League of American Bicyclists would serve the need and could be offered at bike shops and community centers.)
• Educate parent groups and adult groups that supervise children, such as PTAs, day care centers and youth camp operators.
• Work with Tennessee Department of Safety on updates to the Drivers’ Handbook to strengthen the bicycle section and include exam questions relating to bicycle issues.
• Work for inclusion of motorist-bicyclist safety information in defensive driving courses.

Crashes

The number of deaths nationwide due to bicycle-motor vehicle crashes has declined 20% in the past 10 years, from 859 in 1990 to 690 in 2000. The number of reported injuries is also decreasing, but this number is less reliable. From research in hospital records, it has been shown that many injuries from bicycle crashes are not reported to the police, and therefore do not show up in statistics. Approximately 40% of bicycle fatalities occur in 4 states: California, Florida, New York and Texas.

By analyzing the causes of nationwide bicycle-motor vehicle crashes, it is revealed that 21.6% of crashes are caused by a motorist failing to yield to a bicyclist. Just over 12% are caused by a motorist turning or merging into the path of a cyclist. Less than 9% are caused by a motorist overtaking a cyclist. About 28% are caused by a bicyclist failing to yield to a motorist, and 7% by a bicyclist turning into the path of a motorist. (12)

Action Steps:

• Continue to monitor and improve the data available on bicycle crashes.
• Identify locations and corridors with more than one crash reported, and look for potential improvements.
• Train law enforcement staff in the investigation of crashes involving bicyclists.