Across the nation, people are choosing bicycles over motor vehicles for their daily commutes. The benefits of this mode of transport are nearly endless. Cycling reduces pollution, it promotes fitness in American citizens and it has great potential to reduce dangerous traffic situations.
Despite the growing trend toward bicycle advocacy and cycling in general, some cities are simply unsafe for cyclists. Los Angeles is one such city despite the gorgeous weather we all enjoy. While city authorities have attempted to address cycling safety in recent years, fatalities and severe injuries continue to plague biking enthusiasts.
One bicycle advocacy essayist listed the factors below as common contributors to biking accidents in L.A.
- Motorists using lanes designated for bicycles
- Lack of designated (and safe) lanes for cycling
- Poor road and bike lane surfaces
- Lack of proper traffic signs
- Motorists not checking their blind spots for bikes
- Large city buses turning in front of bicycles
- Poor city infrastructure (e.g. cyclists must often cross lanes of heavy traffic diagonally)
In a time when virtually every government leader is encouraging citizens to protect the environment, many cyclists are abandoning this pollution-free mode of transport because they fear for their lives. When you look at the sheer volume of California bicycle accidents that continue to occur, it is easy to see why they make such a decision.