Kicking Off Bicycle Safety Month

People riding bikes celebrate a street closure in Los Angeles where only cyclists and pedestrians are permitted.
May 7, 2019
SUBMITTED BY ALI VON KLAN

May is National Bicycle Safety Month!

As bike-friendly warm weather approaches, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) has an important message for Californians: Share the Road with Bicyclists. Bike transportation is an opportune way to stay healthy, decrease stress, reduce air pollution, take advantage of financial savings, and strengthen ties to the community. Across the nation, cities and towns are adopting Complete Streets policies and investing in quality bike infrastructure to create connected safe, multi-modal networks. However, despite ongoing changes to make biking safer, people on bikes are still vulnerable to injury or death on California roadways. When conflicts between motorists and bicyclists occur, a person biking has a much greater risk for injury or death compared to motor vehicle passengers.

From 2012-2016, bicycle fatalities increased by 14.4 percent nationwide. Unfortunately, bicycle fatality trends in California indicate a similar upward trend. In 2016, bicycle fatalities represented 4.1 percent of the total number of traffic fatalities in California and increased by 8.1 percent from 2015 to 2016. Mitigating bicycle fatalities will require a combination of  Vision Zero and Safe Systems approaches and changes in roadway user behavior.

Here are a handful of tips for people driving and people traveling by bike to exercise while sharing space on public streets this May:

Safety Tips for People Driving

  • Share the road. Drive with an understanding that bicyclists have same the same rights and responsibilities as drivers.

  • Do not drive in the bike lane. It is illegal to drive in a bike lane except for 200 feet prior to making a legal turn.

  • Provide adequate space. The law requires a minimum of three feet when passing someone riding a bike.

  • Double check. Check twice for people riding bikes at intersections and yield as directed by traffic signs and signals.

  • Exercise the Dutch Reach. Before exiting a vehicle, use your far hand to open car doors while cautiously turning around to watch out for oncoming people on bikes.

  • Avoid distractions. Keep your eyes, mind, and hands on the wheel at all times.

  • Drive predictably.

  • Listen carefully. Be aware of what’s going on around you by reducing audible distractions. It’s illegal to wear headphones or a headset in both ears while driving.

Safety Tips for People Riding Bikes  

  • Wear a properly fitted helmet. If you’re under 18, you are required to wear a helmet when riding a bike.

  • You can “take the lane” even if you’re moving slower than car traffic. People who ride bikes are required to ride as close to the right side of the road except under the following conditions: while passing, avoiding hazards, if the lane is too narrow to share, or if approaching where a right turn is.

  • Know local laws and vehicle codes. People riding a bike are required to obey same rules of the road as drivers, including obeying traffic signs, signals, and lane markings. Laws about riding on the sidewalk vary by local city and county jurisdiction.

  • When traveling in the street, people riding a bike must ride in the same direction as motorized traffic.

  • Be visible.

  • Be predictable.

  • Listen for others. It’s unlawful to have headphones covering both ears or headphones in both ears. Hearing aids are permissible.

  • When riding at night, the law requires a front reflector and red rear reflector. You may attach a solid or flashing lights for extra visibility.

The month of May is a great opportunity to commit to safe bicycling and be reminded of safe road user behavior. Make sure to stay informed of life-saving tips to protect yourself and others on the road!

Bike Safety Resources

Upcoming Bike Celebrations

May 1-31: Regional Bike Challenges

May 8-12: National Bike to School Week

May 8: National Bike to School Day

May 9: Regional Bike to Work Day

May 13-19: Bike to Work Week

May 15: San Luis Obispo County Bike to Work Day

May 16: Regional Bike to Work Day

May 17: National Bike to Work Day

...and many more bike-friendly events across the state! If you don’t see your region represented here, and would like to, e-mail us at safetrec@berkeley.edu

Are you curious about reported bicycle crashes and injuries in your neighborhood, city, or county? UC Berkeley SafeTREC’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) provides free access to California crash data and makes it easy to map out crashes and injuries.

UC Berkeley SafeTREC also recently released a web-based community engagement tool, Street Story, that can be used by residents, community groups and agencies in California to collect and share information about collisions, near-misses, hazards, and safe locations to travel. Users can create downloadable maps and tables that may be used by agencies, organizations and members of the public to better understand local bicycle safety issues.

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