{2:40 minutes to read) Summer’s here. Riding a Citi Bike? Get a helmet!
Biking can be a great way to see the New York City sights and to get around town. In 2013, New York City rolled out the Citi Bike Program. It features thousands of bikes for public use, in hundreds of stations—available 24/7—all across New York City.
A year later, Mayor Bill de Blasio introduced Vision Zero: a project to reduce car-pedestrian and car-bike fatalities in New York City. Tactics included reducing speed limits and holding turning drivers criminally responsible if they fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians or cyclists. The city predicts that Vision Zero will increase the number of cyclists sharing the road with cars, which in turn will force motorists to slow down and be more safety-conscious.
Until those plans become a reality, bicyclists who decide to share New York City roads with cars are still at significant risk. Safety studies show that nearly all fatal bicycle injuries occur as a result of crashes between bikes and motor vehicles. Here are some recent New York Police Department statistics:
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From July 20, 2012 to April 2015, pedestrians or cyclists were injured or killed in crashes 556 times a month.
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A motor vehicle’s failure to yield right-of-way is listed as a contributing factor of 115 crashes per month.
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Nearly all bicyclists who died were not wearing helmets, and most fatal crashes involved a head injury.
Even though Vision Zero is intended to protect cyclists, there is still one action a cyclist can take to dramatically reduce the risk of injury to themselves—wear a helmet. Helmet use has been shown to reduce the risk of head injuries by almost 85%. While cycling in New York City, use your head and wear a bike helmet.
If you have any questions or comments about Vision Zero and bike-rider safety in New York City, call us at 212-809-4293 or email us at info@KatterLaw.com.
Katter Law Firm
Phone: 844-WAS-HURT
Alt Phone: 212-809-4293