Poor behavior by cyclists gives us a bad name. And, of course, jeopardizes safety for all. This study in Portland, Oregon puts numbers to what we have anecdotally observed -- frequent running of traffic lights, stop signs, ignoring pedestrian safety, etc.
Aaron Cole, who was one of the researchers, said, “We encountered a great deal of criticism during and after our study, primarily from bicyclists that felt our study was severely flawed,” admitted Cole, adding, “One local bicycle business even went so far to say that all of our data was ‘junk.’ Meanwhile, support for this has been seen from those who don’t ride bicycles. The Portland Police Bureau was supportive during our interview, and many drivers commented how they witness the same thing.”
Incidents of bike crashes go under-reported. Leah Shahum of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition says its group's 2001 study concluded that police neglect to report bicycle incidents. Out of about 40 injury cases called in to the coalition's hotline, officers didn't file reports one-third of the time.
One of my favorite resources for bike safety has lots of tips, tricks and plain old good advice for keeping us all safe on the road, together.
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