Texas Ranks Low in Bike Safety
An average of 2 bicycle riders a day are hit by a car or truck and killed in this country. In addition, 2 or 3 persons a day in each state are involved in vehicle collisions that result in varying degrees of injury.
Meanwhile, bicycle commuting has increased 40% in the last decade and will likely continue to increase if the cost of gasoline remains high. Bicycle riding is a response to economic challenges and an increased awareness of the environmental impact vehicle emissions are having.
So states have taken up the cause of bicycle safety. This has been done (in part) as a response to bicycle riders' collective demands for legislation that improves conditions for them.
For instance, some states are requiring that additional statistics be collected concerning the various causes of bicycle accidents. The data collected will be utilized to create new public policy related to biking on public roadways.
Another state has made causing a bicyclist fatality - reason to impose criminal negligence manslaughter charges. Still other states are calling for networks of sidewalks and bicycle paths to be developed that cross their states from end to end and keep riders far away from cars and trucks.
Unfortunately, one public policy organization in Washington D.C. ranks Texas very low among states that are 'bicycle friendly'. I would suggest that part of the reason we have such a poor standing is the geography of the state doesn't naturally lend itself to the creation of bike paths and the lack of long term planning in the past for the boom town gowth in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio have also been a factor in increased bike accidents.
There's no doubt that - when it comes to bicycle safety - there's room for substantial improvement in our great state.
