Book 25, Question 41
Why do bike lanes keep cyclists safer?
A bike lane gives cyclists their own space away from fast-moving cars.
Painted lanes help, and protected lanes with barriers or curbs help even more. When drivers and cyclists know where to be, there are fewer surprises. Bike riders should wear helmets, use lights at night, and use hand signals. More bike lanes also mean more people can choose to ride.
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Quick answers
Why do bike lanes keep cyclists safer?
Sometimes called cycle tracks or separated bike lanes, protected bike lanes are separated from vehicle traffic by a physical barrier such as parked cars, a curb, landscaping or posts.
Source: iihs.org
More fun facts
- Bike lanes separated from the roadway by physical barriers make cyclists feel safer and encourage more people to ride.
- One approach to making roadways safer for bicyclists is adding separated bike lanes.
- Little research has been done on the safety effects of protected bike lanes, which are relatively new in the U.S.
- Intersections and junctions at a two-way bike lane can be particularly challenging for turning drivers.
- Conventional bike lanes also had a lower risk in the study than major roads.
- FHWA released its Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide in 2015.
Sources: iihs.org, Federal Highway Administration
Questions kids ask
Are protected bike lanes always the safest kind?
The study found that conventional bike lanes were less risky than street-level protected bike lanes, but that may be because they were located on safer roads.
Source: iihs.org