Cyclists cause 10% of car-bike accidents

[Biciclista]

Wow, who knew!
http://www.research.utoronto.ca/behi...smart-cycling/
Who causes accidents—cyclists or drivers?

While there is a public perception that cyclists are usually the cause of accidents between cars and bikes, an analysis of Toronto police collision reports shows otherwise: The most common type of crash in this study involved a motorist entering an intersection and either failing to stop properly or proceeding before it was safe to do so. The second most common crash type involved a motorist overtaking unsafely. The third involved a motorist opening a door onto an oncoming cyclist. The study concluded that cyclists are the cause of less than 10 per cent of bike-car accidents in this study.

The available evidence suggests that collisions have far more to do with aggressive driving than aggressive cycling.

[Eden]

Hope you don't mind, but I swiped this link to post over at Cascade - there are pretty lively debates over there, even amongst cyclists about how to co-exist with automobiles. (and there are some there who are cyclists who still persist in blaming the cyclists for accidents - the phantom hordes of dangerous scofflaw cyclists..... )

You know - other studies have shown that a percentage of collisions have the blame assigned to cyclists only because the cyclist was unconscious or worse deceased and could not refute the motorists story.... so what does that leave 95% of collisions caused by automobiles.... and the remainder are likely those who have done really stupid things - riding at night with no lights is one of the is one of the major causes of cyclist caused fatality.

[dianne_1234]

Reminds me of "The Myth of the Scofflaw Cyclist"
http://washcycle.typepad.com/home/20...th-of-the.html

[Biciclista]

Ironically I got this link from Cascade!

[Kalidurga]

Interesting to read about this in light of a recent cyclist death in Baltimore. At this point, they're saying surveillance video shows that the cyclist was at fault, although it sounds as if the truck driver's actions may have contributed. I'd be willing to bet that there's similar grey area in a lot of bike/auto accidents.

[Crankin]

I have mixed feelings on this topic. In the past 2 weeks I've spent a couple of evenings in Cambridge (urban riding and lots of commuters, though mostly in designated bike lanes). Frankly I have never seen such blatant disregard of the law. Going through red lights, zipping through lanes of traffic, and no lights at night. And this is in a city that actually tickets cyclists. I hate to be seen as anti-cyclist, but this is one reason I don't ride in the city. The cars react to the riding and vice-versa, and everyone is angry, which is a recipe for disaster.
My son (the one who is not a cyclist) recently started riding the mountain bike we handed down to him around the city, as he realized he is a skinny out of shape person. He called us to ask why all of the other riders were going through lights and was this OK? We taught him the rules of the road a few years ago when he rode to a summer job and he was following everything we taught him last week. We told him to keep following the law!

[DebW]

In Switzerland, cyclists are required to buy an insurance policy (all of $6) in case the cyclist CAUSES an accident or injures a pedestrian.

[marybee]

While the researcher (victim of a car crash himself) who did this study found that 10% of car-bike crashes in Toronto are cyclist-caused, research done by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) has found that it's something like 50% of all bike-car crashes are caused by the cyclist. But let me back up...
--50% of bike crashes involve just the rider, wiping out, losing control of the bike, etc.
--for adults riders, 50% of the bike-car crashes are caused by cyclists, the other 50% by cars....
but in any event, it makes little difference whose fault it is, if you're dead or in the hospital for an extended period. In a car-bike collision, the car is ALWAYS going to win, so ride defensively, and know how to control your bike, and know how to maneuver it when car drivers do dumb things. This will prevent 90% of all crashes, according to LAB.

I am a LAB certified bike safety instructor, and I see, all the time, cyclists blowing through stop signs, blowing through stoplights, riding the wrong way down the street, helmetless, hugging the curb while going straight in front of a car making a right-hand turn, riding at night without lights, riding down the sidewalk and then blasting through the crosswalk... well I could go on and on. From my perspective, I'd say only about 50%-60% of all cyclists I see ride like they belong on the road.

[Blueberry]

In Switzerland, cyclists are required to buy an insurance policy (all of $6) in case the cyclist CAUSES an accident or injures a pedestrian.

I actually wish that were the case here. Seems the main anti-cycling arguments are 1) you don't have insurance and 2) you don't pay road taxes (ummm...yeah....I'm still paying them on the 3 cars DH and I have - I'm just not tearing up the road as much). Of course, then I'm sure the anti-cycling types would just find something else to be unhappy about

Very interesting link - thanks for sharing, Mimi.

CA

[yetigooch]

[Quote: From my perspective, I'd say only about 50%-60% of all cyclists I see ride like they belong on the road.]


Ummm...cyclist DO belong on the road. However, they should not ride like they OWN the road. They should obey all traffic laws.

[Mr. Bloom]

I am a LAB certified bike safety instructor, and I see, all the time, cyclists blowing through stop signs, blowing through stoplights, riding the wrong way down the street, helmetless, hugging the curb while going straight in front of a car making a right-hand turn, riding at night without lights, riding down the sidewalk and then blasting through the crosswalk... well I could go on and on. From my perspective, I'd say only about 50%-60% of all cyclists I see ride like they belong on the road.

You've just described what I see everyday in the college town of Bloomington Indiana - where I will ironically be seeking my LCI certification next weekend.

My hope is that a group of us can put together a better cycling safety program to include in freshman orientation.

[Reesha]

I agree with marybee... A lot of the cyclists I see are not riding safely. It's my belief, especially if I'm commuting/riding in a busy area, that I should make myself as visible and predictable as possible. I am smaller than a car, and the fact is some drivers don't anticipate us. I try to make eye contact with cars that are nearby so they know I'm there as well, I'll wave at people and I will acknowledge those who do me any sort of courtesy on the road (giving me the right of way for example, waiting for me to pass before turning onto the road, etc). While it's still possible that I'll get into an accident, I am fairly positive that I'm riding in such a way that it will not be my fault.

[Eden]

OK then - hands in the air those of us who have been hit by cars.....

I haven't said much about it here, but my hand is up. MMQFC - anyone else?

OK - how many of us caused our own accidents - hmmmm is that crickets I hear.....

I personally was hit by a driver (uninsured of course) who failed to yield when making a left hand turn across traffic. I was going straight through a green light, the driver was facing me, was not paying enough attention and turned. Indeed I was paying attention and did take as much action as I could, but in the end I was already in the intersection and could not avoid any incident at all. I was lucky to have not been severely injured. Had I been unconscious the accident surely would have been blamed on me. Even as it was she was "sure" that I must have been on the sidewalk and crossed against the "don't walk" - which was completely bogus of course and not only was I able to tell my own story there were several witnesses - if you see a car coming at you do scream at them..... not only will it hopefully get their attention, it makes everyone else around look too...

Most cyclists - even those who may not act like perfect little angels in traffic (and face it, neither do drivers - I see more of them running stop signs and red lights and speeding than I do cyclists) understand their own vulnerabilities. Even, perhaps especially, the non law abiding ones are very aware of their surroundings. That's not to say I'm excusing bad behavior - the rules of the road are there for a reason and having everyone be predictable is a good thing. It also gives motorists an excuse to take out their frustrations on us, which is never a good thing, but I don't believe it is a major cause of accidents.

Most of the severe accidents - at very least the ones that make the news around here are entirely not the fault of the cyclist - they are mostly drunken drivers, doorings or left or right hooks. Even one several years ago now, that I know of that is questionable cannot be entirely blamed on the cyclist - the road markings led the cyclist into danger - he was following a right hand bike lane that went up to an intersection when he was run over by a concrete truck making a right hand turn. Yes, he should have been watching for traffic crossing his lane, but he was also fairly unfamiliar with the area - having just come here to attend college. The bike lane offered a very false sense of security. The driver bears some responsibility there too - he did turn across a traffic lane without being sure it was clear, but I'm willing to give him some lee way as I know the area and I know how quickly a cyclist can appear (it is one block from a corner).

In any case of the 10 or so serious or fatal accidents I know about recently only one was clearly a non-law abiding cyclist. There was one case of a cyclist running a stop and being hit. The other 9 were caused by the motorist, which certainly seems to bear out the Toronto doctor's study.

[redrhodie]

OK then - hands in the air those of us who have been hit by cars.....

I haven't said much about it here, but my hand is up. MMQFC - anyone else?

OK - how many of us caused our own accidents - hmmmm is that crickets I hear.....

Me. I was hit by a car door when I was 14. I think it was as much my fault as the lady who opened the door. She should have looked, and I shouldn't have been riding in the door zone. I take half the responsibility.

[bmccasland]

On our MS training ride this morning we were warned that the Sheriff's Dept in the Parish we'd be riding in would be enforcing the new 3 ft law for cyclist safety, AND enforcing traffic safety laws as well - no 3 abrest, STOP at the stop signs. So we get some protection, but are expected to be good and compliant citizens as well. I saw an unmarked car strategically placed on a long up-hill climb of a busy highway watching us come up the hill, as I finally approached, the officer (in uniform) did a subtle wave.

On the other hand - I came close to becoming a hood ornament of a marked Sheriff's car running with emergency lights enroute I suppose to the "traffic stop" I had just passed where there were 2 other deputies. Said responding officer was running hot in the oncoming lane to pass a truck pulling a boat that wouldn't pull over to the shoulder. Nothing quite like seeing a car heading right towards you, emergency lights or no. At least I had a shoulder to move over to. I know it wasn't really THAT close, but it sure seemed that way. And apparently seemed so to the pace line that caught up with me shortly there after.