from Batavia Bicycle Commission Link to FB
Cyclists are Vulnerable Road Users While bicycles are considered vehicles under Illinois law, a bicycle is far different from other vehicles on the road. The average weight of a bicycle ranges from 20-30lbs, but the average weight of a car is around 4,000lbs! Also, the driver of a bicycle sits on top of their vehicle while most other vehicles safely enclose their drivers inside. This puts bicycle riders in a much more vulnerable position compared to other road users. When looking at distance traveled by road user type, cyclists have been shown to have fatality rates 3-10.2 times higher than motorists(1). In 2019, there were 846 cyclists killed and 49,000 injured across the US(2). Early estimates of cycling deaths in the US for 2020 are 697 individuals(3). Many of these deaths could have been prevented through a combination of education and awareness. (1) Bluejay, M. Bicycle Safety Almanac. https://ift.tt/2QXXnD4 (2) National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2020, December). Overview of motor vehicle crashes in 2019. (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 813 060). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (3) Fox, M. & Whelan, L. (2021, January 29) What We Learned from Tracking Cycling Deaths for a Year. Outside Online. https://ift.tt/3eAy2XV #BikeBatavia, #BikeSafety, #ShareTheRoad
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