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Bicycle Safety Month Tips from AAA Hoosier Motor Club

05/02/18

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – May 2, 2018 – Every year, hundreds of bicyclists are killed and tens of thousands more are injured in preventable crashes and while the majority of those accidents involve automobiles, some even occur on driveways, sidewalks and bike paths. In support of National Bike Safety Month in May, AAA Hoosier Motor Club wants to help ensure the safety of Hoosier cyclists.

Sadly, in 2016, 840 people were killed in bicycle crashes in the U.S. (19 in Indiana), a 1.3-pcercent national increase from 2015 and the highest number on record since 1991.

Adults aged 50 to 59 years have the highest bicycle death rates while children (5-14 years) and adolescents (15-19 years) have the highest rates of nonfatal bicycle-related injuries. Also of note, in 2016, 87 percent of bicycle deaths were those ages 20 and older.

Other interesting facts:

  • Men are six times more likely to die and four times more likely to be injured on bicycles than women.
  • Bicyclist deaths in 2016 were highest in June and lowest in February (12 percent and five percent, respectively).
  • Bicycle deaths peak during 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
  • 51 percent of bicyclists killed in 2016 were not wearing helmets.
  • Wearing a helmet reduces chances for head injury by 50 percent.
  • Roughly 20 percent of bicycle fatalities involve a hit-and-run.


AAA Hoosier Motor Club offers the following safety tips:

  • ALWAYS wear a properly-fitted bicycle helmet.
  • Wear bright colors and reflective material on your clothing.
  • Ride with the flow of traffic and obey all traffic laws.
  • A bicyclist who is not traveling at the same speed of traffic must ride in a designated bike lane or as close as practical to the right-hand curb or edge of roadway.
  • Communicate your intentions to other road users by using appropriate hand signals.
  • Always slow down and yield to pedestrians.
  • Always stop and look left-right-left before entering the roadway.
  • If riding on the sidewalk, yield to pedestrians and cross at marked crosswalks following pedestrian crossing signals, where available.
  • When you are part of a group, ride single-file, not side-by-side.
  • Do not wear headphones or listen to music while riding because you need to hear what’s going on around you.


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