CHAPTER III
BICYCLE ACCIDENTS
Part 3

[Editor's note: this chapter is very long;
the online version has been split into three sections
for easier navigation]

CORRIDOR BICYCLE ACCIDENTS

Bicycle accidents have been recorded according to the street along which the bicyclist was riding when an accident occurred. This allows for an accident analysis for each route or corridor, and allows a comparison of the relative safety of the routes.

Table III-3 lists the corridors along which five or more bicycle accidents were reported. For routes with improved bicycle facilities, the tabulation indicated the total number of bicycle accidents for the five-year study period, as well as the number of bicycle accidents before and after the improvement was constructed.

Bikeway system usage counts are not available prior to installing the bicycle facilities; therefore, it is not possible to directly compare accident rates. However, the average annual frequency of accidents can be compared. Accident histories are described in this section for existing bicycle facilities and problem streets. The rates of occurrence of accidents are also described.

The 1978 bicycle count measurements on Eugene's bikeways determine bicycle accident rates. The rates of occurrence of bicycle accidents for this evaluation project are expressed as the number of accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year.

TABLE III-3 SUMMARY OF BICYCLE ACCIDENTS
BY CORRIDOR AND YEAR
EUGENE, OREGON
1974-1978

** Short Sample Period

*** Unknown

BICYCLE FACILITIES

Table III-3 contains examples of bicycle facilities that have: 1) reduced the accident frequencies per year, 2) have not changed the accident frequencies per year, and 3) have increased the accident frequencies per year. Examples of each group follow:

Reduced Accident Frequencies

Four streets experienced lower average annual frequencies of bicycle accidents after facilities for bicycles were installed. The "After Installation" frequencies are in parentheses.

Agate, Alder, and 11th Streets have striped bicycle lanes. Each facility is well used by bicyclists and motor vehicle drivers. These striped lanes have channelized bicycle traffic in an expected manner, and promote riding consistent with the Rules of the Road.

The Hilyard Street sidewalk bicycle facility is a section that is not heavily used, and has few motor vehicle conflicts across the sidewalk. In this situation a sidewalk can be successfully used for bicycle movement, as long as the pedestrian volume is low.

Unchanged Accident Frequencies

Five streets experienced no significant change in frequency of bicycle accidents after facilities for bicycles were installed. The "After Installation" rates are in parentheses.

The increased accident frequency of the High Street facility results from a sidewalk bicyclist hitting a parked car, bicyclists riding double, and tipping over. The increased accident frequency of the 5th Street facility results from a bicyclist tangling a backpack in a wheel. These accidents are not related to the striped bicycle lanes along either street. The sensitivity of the comparisons is demonstrated by the two routes.

The 12th Street facility has existed for the duration of the evaluation project period, while the 18th Avenue facility was recently completed. The average annual frequency of bicycle accidents was very high along 18th Avenue prior to striping.

The average annual frequency of bicycle accidents along 13th Street are not significantly different before and after the bicycle lane striping was installed.

Increased Accident Frequencies

Five streets experienced an increase in the frequency of accidents after the installation of bicycle facilities. Because bicycle usage of the streets was not measured before the facilities were installed, the effects of increasing ridership along the routes cannot be evaluated.

*Average Accidents/year prior to bicycle facilities

** Average Accidents/year after bicycle facilities installed

The Coburg Road accidents include: seven sidewalk collisions, two wrong way riding in the bike lane collisions, and two collisions involving bicyclists properly riding in the bicycle lanes. The sidewalk portion of the bike lanes along Coburg Load are a problem.

The Willamette Street sidewalk bike lanes extend from 19th to 32nd Streets. Each accident along this section involved a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk, or in the wrong direction on Willamette Street.

The sidewalk bicycle facilities result in unexpected bicycle-motor vehicle conflicts. The sidewalk facilities also promote improper riding through intersections and along bike lanes. The unexpected conflicts and improper riding are a primary cause of the accidents along Coburg Road and Willamette Street.

Each of the four collisions along the Harlow Road bike lanes, involved a young bicycle driver turning unexpectedly across the motor vehicle lane. The average age of the young drivers involved in the accidents was thirteen.

The accidents along Pearl Street include seven collisions of bicyclist and left-turning cars, which occurred between 7th and 13th Streets. This bike lane is on the left side of a one-way street. Off-street parking, on-street parking, bus stations, and intersecting streets create conflicts of left-turning motor vehicles and through bicycles. Consideration was given to relocating the facility to the west side of the street. However, turning conflicts with vehicles would still occur, with no real benefit to the bicyclist. The problem is, specific to the location. A similar bike lane on High Street does riot have this problem.

The 15th Street bicycle facility has no striped lanes along the route. The increased average annual frequency of bicycle accidents is probably related to increased ridership, rather than the installation of the bicycle route signs. Five of the accidents involved motor vehicle drivers violating the right-of-way of the bicyclists. The other two accidents did not involve moving motor vehicles.

PROBLEM STREETS

The following streets had five or more bicycle accidents during the evaluation project period. These streets are on the Eugene Bikeways Master Plan, but do not have installed bicycle route facilities:

The Master Bikeways Plan includes bicycle facilities on or near each of these facilities. Oakway Road was striped for bicycle traffic late in 1978. Bicycle lane striping is proposed for Chambers, 18th, 24th, and 29th Streets. Bike lane striping on 18th Street will attract bicyclists from the problem sections of 17th arid 19th Streets. Also proposed is bike lane striping of Lincoln, Lawrence and Friendly Streets. These streets will provide north-south connections to attract bicyclists from the problem sections of Monroe and Charnelton Streets.

The proposed striping projects channelize bicycle traffic in an expected manner, and allow riding consistent with the Rules of the Road. These projects should improve bicycle safety, as demonstrated by the Alder, Agate, and 11th Street bicycle facilities:

BICYCLE ROUTE ACCIDENT RATES

This section compares the bicycle accident rates on existing bicycle routes in the Eugene bikeway system. Bicycle facilities are summarized below under

• Striped bicycle lanes
• Signed bicycle routes
• Sidewalk bicycle routes

Bicycle accident rates have been determined from 1978 bicycle counts on the bikeway system, and using Police Reports of Bicycle Accidents. Accident rates on "Separate Bicycle Facilities" are not appropriate for this evaluation project, as there were no bicycle-motor vehicle collisions on Eugene's separate bikeways. The accident reporting study described in the next chapter determined that the bicycle accidents which do not involve motor vehicles are seldom reported to the City.

Striped Bicycle Lanes

Table III-4 below lists the accident rates for striped bicycle lanes which have been in use for a year or more, and have available bicycle usage measurements.

The bicycle accident rates for the streets with striped bicycle lanes vary from 0.0 to 5.7 accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year. The average rate for the 27 streets is 0.7. For a short low usage section, for example Cal Young Road and 11th Street, the accident rate determinations are sensitive to a single accident occurrence.

TABLE III-4

BICYCLE ACCIDENT RATES
ON STRIPED BICYCLE ROUTES
EUGENE, OREGON 1978

* Average bicycles per day measured in 1978

** Accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year

Signed Bicycle Routes

Table III-5 lists the accident rates for bicycle routes with no paint striping or streets with traffic diverters.

The bicycle accident rates for the streets with bicycle route signing, vary between 0.0 and 3.3 accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year, with the average rate of the 19 streets at 0.6. Accident rate determinations for a short street section with low usage, such as High Street, is sensitive to a single accident occurrence.

TABLE III-5
BICYCLE ACCIDENT RATES
ON SIGNED BICYCLE ROUTES
EUGENE, OREGON
1978

* Average bicycles per day measured in 1978

** Accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year

Sidewalk Bicycle Routes

The accident rates for the sidewalk routes along Hilyard, Coburg, and Willamette Streets are 1.5, 1.9 and 2.0 accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year respectively.

The average accident rate for these three sidewalk bicycle route sections is 1.8 accidents per 100,000 bicycle miles per year. This is nearly three times the average for the signed lanes or striped lanes. These facilities are significantly more hazardous for bicycle-motor vehicle accidents.

SUMMARY OF CORRIDOR ACCIDENTS

Bicycle lanes have been successfully used to reduce bicycle accidents. There are, however, a few locations that continue to have conflicts between bicycles and cars. Streets signed as bike routes have not reduced accidents. Bicycle routes on sidewalks have an accident rate three times higher than the rates for the striped lanes and signed routes.

INTERSECTION BICYCLE ACCIDENTS

Problem intersection locations are listed in Table III-6. The tabulation identifies intersections with three or more bicycle accidents during the five-year evaluation project period. Accidents are listed by the accident groups as described earlier in this chapter. Specific bicycle facility improvements are described in Chapter VI.

TABLE III-6
BICYCLE ACCIDENTS AT INTERSECTIONS
by ACCIDENT GROUP
EUGENE, OREGON
1974 - 1978

* Group B - The bicyclist rides into the path of a motor vehicle in an intersection of streets

Group C - The motorist drives into the path of a bicycle at an intersection of streets

Group D - The motorist hits the bicyclist from behind

Group E - The bicyclist makes an unexpected turn into the path of a motor vehicle

Group F - The motorist makes an unexpected turn into the path of the bicycle

BICYCLE ACCIDENT CAUSES

The majority of the bicycle accidents in Eugene can be related directly to an error made by the bicyclist. Identified bicycle driver errors are listed in the table below.

TABLE III-7 NUMBER OF BICYCLE ACCIDENTS
RESULTING FROM ERRORS BY BICYCLE DRIVERS
EUGENE, OREGON
1974 - 1978

As illustrated above, out of the 391 bicycle accidents, 259 or two-thirds of the total bicycle accidents were related to bicycle driver errors. Alerting bicycle drivers of the hazards of passing turning vehicles, sidewalk riding, riding out of driveways and alleys, turning and swerving unexpectedly, violating signs and signals, riding on the wrong side of a road, riding at night without a light, etc., may help to reduce bicycle-motor vehicles accidents. Providing this information to educators will improve educational programs developed to reduce bicycle accidents.

Bicycle riders must know and obey the Rules of the Road, except those which cannot apply to bicycles. (See Oregon Driver's Manual, 1978-1979, Oregon Motor Vehicles Division, Pages 48 and 49). Almost all of the 259 bicycle driver error accidents noted previously could have been prevented, had the bicyclist applied his or her knowledge of the law. The terms "Improper Riding" and "Improper Passing" are seen throughout the report. In order to clarify their meaning, the following examples are given. Improper riding refers to: Running stop signs, mid-block or intersection rideout without yielding right-of-way, riding on the wrong side of the road, riding the wrong way on a one-way street, etc. Improper passing refers to: Passing on the left at intersections, and passing on the right (same rules as for motor vehicles).

The Eugene Bikeways Master Plan recommended utilizing existing programs in schools, supplemented with publications of bicycle riding education materials, a speaker's bureau and maintenance workshops. Teachers are provided with general materials for traffic safety education by the Oregon Department of Education. Specific information about the problems of bicyclists in Eugene has not been provided. It is recommended that the information concerning Eugene's bicycle accidents be provided to the teachers responsible for teaching bicycle safety.

Bicycle driver errors were not identified in one-third of the bicycle-motor vehicle accidents. A defensive bicycle driver can often avoid a collision. Existing bicycle education programs including driver education classes could be improved by providing training of hazard recognition, risk assessment, and evasive techniques, as well as information concerning laws, riding techniques, coordination skills, and bicycle maintenance.

It is recommended that the City of Eugene cooperate with Eugene's schools, to improve bicycle riding education by providing information necessary to improve education programs. Helping teachers to understand the importance of bicycle riding skills and the primary causes of bicycle accidents, will assist the teachers to teach bicycle safety.

Next: Chapter IV separator

Last modified March 24, 2003