August 2/16 14:11 pm - New Insurance Survey Studies Bicycle Safety

Posted by Editor on 08/2/16
 

State Farm Insurance has released the results of a survey of 3000 respondents of driving age from across Canada. According to their survey, More than half of cyclists have been in or know someone who has been in a bicycling accident, and one out of four (24%) Canadians think that it's unsafe to ride a bicycle on city streets.

Other findings include:

• 55 per cent of Canadian drivers find cyclists to be an annoyance on the road. But it's a two-way street, almost the same number (54 per cent) of cyclists find motorists to be annoying while they're biking.

• Almost 20 per cent of survey respondents state they bike on busy streets. Of those respondents who do, more than half have either personally been in, or know someone who has been in an accident while cycling on the road.

• According to Statistics Canada close to 7,500 cyclists are seriously injured every year, but the danger increases if a cyclist is impaired or distracted. Alarmingly, 36 per cent of cyclists who say that they ride on busy streets and more than half of Canadian teens admit to texting while biking.

• When it comes to cycling impaired, more than 72 per cent think cyclists should face the same penalties as drivers.

• Eight out of 10 respondents think cyclists should be legally required to wear a helmet. Making sure cars are able to see and hear them by having a bell and lights or reflectors is also important. Unfortunately, almost 40 per cent of Canadians are unaware and don't know that cyclists are legally required to have a bell and lights or reflectors equipped on their bike.

• Giving the appropriate amount of distance when passing those on a bike, especially when there's no designated bicycle lane, is important. However, almost 45 per cent of Canadians state that drivers should only give cyclists one meter or less when passing them on the street.

See the survey Here

"Motorists and cyclists have had a contentious relationship for years. A lack of cycling infrastructure and confusion about the rules of sharing the road has a lot to do with it," says John Bordignon, Media Relations, State Farm. "Small things to drivers, like drainage grates and potholes are major dangers to cyclists. Cyclists that disobey traffic laws or take up lane space en masse can have motorists seeing red. Having a better understanding of the laws in your area, staying focused and sober on the road whether you're driving a car or riding a bike, is essential to ensuring all of us remain safe."

The survey results coincide with recent events involving cycling studies and accidents in Canadian cities:

• Study finds streetcar tracks pose significant danger to cyclists - Here

• SIU investigating after cyclist hit by police cruiser in Toronto - Here