Bike and Pedestrian Safety
Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists all have a legal right to use our roads unless restrictions are posted.
- But only motorists are required to learn the rules of the road and pass a test to drive a motor vehicle on the roadways. Too often, this education targets driving with other vehicles with very little coverage of driving safely around pedestrians and cyclists.
- This driver education often comes too late. More children (5-19 years old) are killed or disabled due to traffic than violence, cancer, AIDS and drowning combined. Yet educating our youth on traffic considerations for pedestrians and cyclists is a low priority. More perspectives on risk and education…
- The lack of pedestrian and bicycle education in our youth and society at-large results in years of bad habits in our youth that carry over into driving motor vehicles. Motorists think the roadways are only for them and too often, our roadways are designed only with motorists needs in mind.
- The Safe Routes to School program is a nationwide effort to educate our youth on bike and pedestrian safety and fund infrastructure improvements to make walking/biking to school possible.
Pedestrians and cyclists have a right to the road but they also have responsibilities in following the rules of the road! Bicyclists and pedestrians need to know how to stay safe while riding or walking whether they travel along a quiet residential street, on a separated multi-use trail away from motor vehicle traffic or along busier roads with more traffic.