Fewer bicyclists were injured in 2009, even as more New Yorkers take to their bikes, according to a new analysis of city and state data from Transportation Alternatives published in the Wall Street Journal.
2,730 people were injured while bicycling in 2009, a 7 percent drop from 2008, and marking five straight years of declines. Since 1998, cycling injuries have fallen by more than 45 percent.
The numbers are especially compelling given the dramatic growth in cycling in the city in recent years. Some estimates suggest that the number of people bicycling in New York City has grown by 20 percent in the past year, a testament to the improvements NYC DOT has made to the city’s bicycling infrastructure.
While at first blush it may seem contradictory that injuries are declining even as cycling rates climb, several academic studies have found that cycling safety improves when there are greater numbers of bicyclists as drivers grow more accustomed to sharing the roads. And certainly NYC DOT’s efforts to improve safety for cyclists and other road users deserves credit.
If bicyclists would obey traffic rules there would be fewer accidents. I have seen them run 4 red lights in a row at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn many times, for instance, and my wife and I have been missed by a foot or two crossing with our walk sign. It seems that bicylists enjoy asserting their arrogance.
Bikers obeying traffic laws? Not a chance, so long as Cops do not enforce traffic regulations. As NYC is desperately in need of revenue, all they have to do is start to give out tickets to bicyclists who go the wrong way on streets. I too have almost been hit by flying bicylists on many streets in Brooklyn.
“If
bicyclistscar drivers would obey traffic rules there would be fewer accidents.”“
BikersDrivers obeying traffic laws? Not a chance, so long as Cops do not enforce traffic regulations.”While I can’t stand bicyclists that ride with absolutely no consideration of the law or for others, there are thousands more people doing exactly the same thing but they are driving multi-ton vehicles with hundreds of horsepower, not 25lbs bicycles.
Why the hell should bicyclists obey they laws when automobile drivers are already out of control.
[…] Cycling Up, Injuries Down: NYC Bike Policy Is Working […]
If motorists would obey traffic rules there would be fewer accidents. I have seen them run 4 red lights in a row at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn many times, for instance, and my wife and I have been missed by a foot or two crossing with our walk sign. It seems that motorists enjoy asserting their arrogance.
Both cyclists and motor vehicles need to obey the laws better. I live in Honolulu and I commute to work daily on my bike (about 13 miles each way). I stop for every red light, but if all the crossing traffic is past and it’s safe enough for me to think that I would walk across the road, I’ll run the red light sometimes. Sometimes I’ll turn right and do a quick U-turn and turn back onto the road in the direction I was originally headed. I know it’s wrong, but it’s wrong to drive 45-50 when the speed limit is 35mph. It feels a little dangerous in those areas, but I still take my 3 or so feet of road that I’m allotted. There needs to be much more education; most car/truck drivers don’t know the law as it pertains to bicycles on roads and I bet that many of them don’t really care to learn either. Not sure about the laws in NYC or anywhere else, but in Hawaii all bicycles are required to be registered with the DMV. I have the same license on my bicycle as mopeds do here (a little yellow sticker). I get yelled at daily by drivers on a daily, “get on the sidewalk”, “get off the road”. Whatever, let’s just share the darn road.
Yes the falling stats speaks for themselves. There are fewer accidents!!
The city needs to come up with a license law for bikes, including plates. Right now it’s completely ineffectual to ticket them, plates would make all the difference. Also the licensing fees would defray the cost of the program. I don’t think much of most drivers in the city, but cyclists are a plague. They ride against traffic, they don’t stop for lights and they ride on sidewalks. They’re arrogant and think they’re something special, neither fully vehicle or pedestrian. Well they’re vehicles and should be so treated. With a license law cyclists can be fined and in the worst cases have bikes impounded.
To Andy B from jersey,
While I am a cyclist and I agree with what you are saying, I do have to take issue with your last question/statement of “Why the hell should bicyclists obey they laws when automobile drivers are already out of control.”
We as cyclist should take the upper road and obey the traffic laws so that vehicle drivers don’t have a reason to b**ch at us about that!! If you are not going to obey the traffic laws then you are only inviting trouble from motorists that want to see us off the road.
“If
bicyclists car driverspedestrians would obey traffic rules there would be fewer accidents.”“
Bikers DriversPedestrians obeying traffic laws? Not a chance, so long as Cops do not enforce traffic regulations.”I just want to point out that pedestrians are at fault too. How many times have you had to hit the brakes because someone was jay-walking or -worse! – just standing in the bike lane?
The new biking lanes are great and is making the city a better place.
Now police have to enforce the traffic rules; drivers some time park their car blocking the bike or bus lanes and bikers ride against the traffic, in the sidewalks, in the car lanes and don’t stop for lights.