Comments on: New NHTSA Study — Florida Most Dangerous for Cyclists

By: liz

liz — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:53:14 +0000

Bikers do not need any more info on safety!!!!!
Drivers of cars need to know more than anyone about cycle and pedestrian rules and in Florida… they need to know it the most! And I don’t care if your a cyclist, casual bike rider, night worker on bike or even drunk (should be arrested). If your in a car and you hit a pedestrian or cyclist… you need to have your licence removed forever!

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:39:39 +0000

Raiyn, that’s what I’m getting at — my comment about “anecdotal” evidence comes from the incidents reported in the Tampa Tribune and St. Pete Times…the overwhelming majority of bike fatalities in this area are reported as someone riding in the middle of the night, unlit, against traffic and/or drunk/high on crack, etc. Mostly “guys on bikes” rather than cyclists, at least based on what the news is telling me.

By: Raiyn

Raiyn — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:45:05 +0000

Not to split hairs here, but I’d like to know how many of these were cyclists as opposed to

By: Chip Haynes

Chip Haynes — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:15:20 +0000

I can maybe help Russ a little bit here. Where I work does compile accident statistics, and I’ve been told (since I asked them), that the cyclist was generally at fault about 50% of the time. So it’s kind of a wash, at least around here.

And honestly, I thought that percentage would be higher.

Much higher.

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:15:58 +0000

Yes, Russ, that would be helpful, but again it’s the lack of a uniform reporting tool — the process depends on both credible witnesses and law enforcement folks who care enough to investigate such things thoroughly…that doesn’t seem to be happening in a lot of bike/car fatality cases.

Anecdotally, it stands to reason that many (most?) of the fatalities were poorly lit, drunk, violating the right-of-way, blowing through a stoplight, etc. Eliminate these variables from the equation and things start to look pretty darn safe out there!

By: RussRoca

RussRoca — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:23:22 +0000

I’d also like to submit, that it would also be helpful if we knew how the cyclist was riding. Not to blame the victim, but I see many organ donors on wheels, riding the wrong way on a one way street with no lights at night on the sidewalk, etc,.

I think a great many types of accidents can be avoided with good education on part of motorists AND cyclists.

By: Chip Haynes

Chip Haynes — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:23:32 +0000

Hey, come on- we all know that 57% of all statistics are just made up.

For bike fatality statistics to make any sense, we’d have to be able to compare total miles ridden state by state, and come up with a comparative “deaths per million miles ridden”, or something like that. Just posting the number of bicycle deaths per state does very little to tell us which states are dangerous- and which states are safe.

For all we know, the states with no bicycle deaths are just so dangerous no one wants to ride there at all.

By: Steve A

Steve A — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:40:54 +0000

Andy Clarke figured it out – Florida is a warm weather state, so people ride year round.

Hey, wait! Isn’t that pretty much the case for California as well? Come to think of it, it’s true for Texas too.

ANDY, HELP US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Raiyn

Raiyn — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:54:09 +0000

@ Ghost
About as much as reading the comments section on TBO. C’mon lottery! Big money, no whammy!

By: Chip Haynes

Chip Haynes — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:58:06 +0000

Ridng a bicycle is a lot like flying: It can be tough to have a “minor” accident.

I think I’ll keep riding, though.