Are cyclists a bigger threat to pedestrians than motor vehicles?
February 3, 2009
We routinely hear how dangerous cyclists are to pedestrians. We’re constantly cycling recklessly along pavements, through parks and running red lights. Last week the government published figures showing that as a pedestrian you are 263 times more likely to be killed by a motor vehicle than by a bicycle.
In the last ten years, just over 7,600 pedestrian were killed by motor vehicles while 29 were killed by cyclists. Over the same period, 364,000 pedestrians were injured by motor vehicles, almost 76,000 (or 21%) of them seriously while cyclists injured just over 2,600 with roughly the same proportion (22%) being considered serious.
The big difference of course is that motor vehicles tend to be a little bigger and travelling a little faster than the average cyclist. When you look at the relationship between deaths and serious injuries you see that for every ten serious injures caused by motor vehicles there is one death whereas for every 19 serious injuries caused by cyclists there is one death.
So, unless you’ve still got your training wheels on, get off the pavement, obey the traffic laws and stop giving the public another (wrong) reason to hate us.
February 4, 2009 at 6:28 am
[...] close to home for this blog, another WordPress blog! Stats on pedestrian deaths from Jolly Olde. Are cyclists a bigger threat to pedestrians than motor vehicles? Yep, you’re 263 times more likely to die from getting hit by a car than a bicycle. I track the [...]
March 3, 2009 at 10:32 pm
I’m staggered the number of pedestrians killed by cyclists is so high. Almost 3 people every year? I find that difficult to believe.
I want to hear more about the circumstances. What manner of cyclist? What were pedestrian and cyclist doing at the time of the crash?
March 7, 2009 at 10:35 am
[...] Are cyclists a bigger threat to pedestrians than motor vehicles? [...]
March 9, 2009 at 6:56 am
I live in San Francisco in a neighborhood with bike lanes. I walk a lot. I have 2 dogs & am frequently walking around with my 2-year-old god daughter.
Still, I frequently almost get hit by bikes – bikes on sidewalks, bikes in crosswalks, bikes zipping through red, bikes against the walk sign.
I’m fast, fit & I pay attention. And I follow the traffic laws. I’m medium to tall & I’ve got a kid &/or two dogs increasing my visibility. Yet I get almost hit on a weekly basis. This week twice.
Frequently cyclists – instead of the universal my bad signal – yell or laugh at me.
Now switch me out with a little old lady or someone in a wheelchair or a way-pregnant woman or someone on crutches.
Voila! Cyclist on pedestrian accidents.
Yes, cyclists can & do injure pedestrians.
May 5, 2009 at 5:05 am
A lifelong friend of mine was killed this past Tuesday in NYC (April 28, 2009) when he was run over by a messenger on a bicycle near his office on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue. He suffered a serious head trauma and despite all efforts passed away yesterday at 49 leaving a wife and 2 children. So YES, many bicyclists especially those flying around trying to make a living can be very dangerous indeed…..so watch out when you are walking.
July 3, 2009 at 8:44 am
For the person that asked the 3 pedestrians a year on average killed in a collision with a cyclist are on the road. On the pavement its about one every four years. The ratio for injuries is about the same. So it is likely that much of this is hitting pedestrians crossing the road or stepping out into the road without looking. Its definitely not a pavement cyclist problem.
July 6, 2009 at 9:00 am
There’s definitely some hostility developed between runners/walkers, and cyclists in part to do with the laws. Runners on a road without either sidewalk are required in many areas to go against traffic. This presents frequent “oh crap” moments where there is little time to safely avoid a collision without stopping, or significantly slowing. Animosity has risen frim this. And yes a-holes in both groups add other complaints.
October 5, 2009 at 5:50 am
as a long time employeeof a large university in west los angeles, i have struggled with the issue of bicycles on sidewalks, being a frequent pedestrian. Recently I have developed a strategy which has helped me cope with bicycles on sidewalks. I call it Defensive Walking. The Buddhist Thich Naht Hahn might call it Mindful Walking, and the military might refer to it as Situational Awareness.
I think pedestrians must accept that with the advent of the bicycle, not to mention roller bladers, skateboards, motorized and un-motorized scooters, and the segway, that the sidewalk has become a roadway. It is no longer a sidewalk in the old meaning of that word, but a sideway, an extension ofthe street.
According for my own personal safety I have developed this eight part policy which I call Defensive Walking.
1. Before entering the sidewalk check for on coming bicycles.
2. When walking on a wide sidewalk, keep to the right.
3. Before moving laterally check your six o’clock position.
4. At the approach of a bicycle get out of the way.
5. Never go more than five or ten paces without checking your sixo’clock position.
6. Before entering the intersection of two sidewalks check for on coming bicycles.
7. Before crossing an intersection check for on coming bicycles both going with the flow of motor vehicles and against the flow.
8. Before crossing an intersection check for bicycles using the crosswalk.
October 18, 2009 at 1:38 am
[...] But let’s also be realistic—motorists are responsible for immensely higher numbers of fatalities in every category. As just one example, according to the British government, pedestrians in the U.K. are 263 times more likely to be killed by a motorist than by a cyclist: [...]