The COVID-19 pandemic produced a number of changes in our everyday lives; one of them being more people deciding to get from one place to another either by using a bicycle or walking. Sadly, as a result, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there has been an alarming rise in cyclist accidents and deaths, and these statistics paint a frightening picture: In 2021, there were close to 1,000 bicyclists who lost their lives in traffic-related accidents, reflecting the highest number of cyclist fatalities since 1975.
There is no question that traffic fatality in the U.S. has been trending in the wrong direction here in the U.S., with those traveling outside of vehicles consistently becoming victims to an increase in traffic deaths within the last decade. This does not just involve fatalities, but cyclist injuries as well: The number of injuries stood at an alarming almost 42,000, reflecting a seven perfect rise between 2021 and 2020.
Poor Design of Roads
A number of experts argue that a large contribution to these accidents involves the poor design and structure of the roads: Just over the last 15 years, the overall number of people killed outside a vehicle have reached a deadly high, and of all the vehicle crashes each year, cycling fatalities make up a significant percentage of them, and they argue that much of this has to do with inadequate road facilities and improper planning for cyclists specifically. Since the pandemic specifically, the road safety signs and signals do absolutely nothing to help protect cyclists, and drivers regularly have difficulty identifying them at intersections and turns.
A new study also indicates that paint-only bike lanes may actually be contributing to an uptick in the number of cyclist accidents, and this includes protected bike lanes that give way to paint at intersections, which could be endangering riders as well. The analysis indicated that painted bike lanes and sharrows actually had “estimated harmful effects,” meaning that drivers may actually be crashing into riders who are within them more than if there wasn’t any paint present at all.
Speeding, Distracted Drivers
There is also an increase in the average driving speed of cars on the road, which has led to a number of accidents, as well as the rise of distracting technology in vehicles behind drivers, every day, taking their eyes off the road, and getting into an accident as a result.
