The Only Good Cyclist... NYC Bicycle Fatalities--Who's Responsible, cyclists or motorists? | TransAlt

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

The Only Good Cyclist is an analysis of fatal bicycle crashes with motor vehicles in New York City. It refutes police officials' claim that bicyclists, not drivers, are responsible for most cyclist deaths. . . .

Police officials justify their inaction with the unsupported claim that "cyclist error" has been the "primary contributing factor" in three-fourths of recent fatal bicycle crashes with motor vehicles.

To test this claim, and to better understand how cyclists are being struck and killed on our streets, Right Of Way obtained and analyzed police accident reports for 71 fatal bicycle crashes during 1995-1998 (data for 1999 were not available). Here are our key findings.

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The Only Good Cyclist... NYC Bicycle Fatalities--Who's Responsible, cyclists or motorists? | TransAlt

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MoBikeFed comment: Police and officials in Missouri often use this same excuse to avoid investigating or taking seriously bicycle and pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

As the data makes clear, by far most often it is the motorist speed and behavior (large, heavy, fast-moving vehicle) that is primarily responsible for the most serious injuries suffered by bicyclists and pedestrians in collisions involving automobiles.

The data point to different, more productive and proven ways to address the safety of our roadways.