Mighk Wilson, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator for METROPLAN ORLANDO, reports the following:
Professor Bill Moritz of the University of Washington surveyed over 1,900 cyclists in 1996 (Transportation Research Record 1636). The average respondent for the survey cycled 2,900 miles per year (55 miles per week).
When the crash experiences combined with the average distance cycled, the average cyclist in this group could be expected to ride for 11 years before having a crash." By "crash," Moritz means of any type, including a fall, a collision with another cyclist or fixed object, or of course with a motor vehicle. Only 11% of crashes in his survey involved a motor vehicle.
A rough estimate of risk of crashing with a motorist for the experienced cyclist based on type of facility would go as follows:
(Miles between crashes with motor vehicles)
Major street w/o bike facility (lanes) -- 364,000
Minor street w/o bike facility -- 250,000
Street with bike lanes -- 571,000
Sidewalk -- 14,000
This data clearly suggests that it is outrageously dangerous to ride on sidewalks. The reason that this is the case is that at every driveway and every intersection, you as a cyclist on the sidewalk do not have the right of way, but simple observation around Gainesville shows that most cyclists act as if they do. A motorist will often have significant difficulty in detecting the presence of a bicycle on a sidewalk, and often will not (or not be able to) yield when the bike suddenly appears in the crossing street or driveway. This results in a crash danger with motor vehicles more than 17 times greater than on the next most hazardous venue. And this does not even consider that the major crash danger on a sidewalk is a collision with a pedestrian (who sometimes behave like squirrels when confronted with a bicycle)!
Minor streets are probably more dangerous than major ones due to the increased turning activity (driveways) on the minor streets. Interestingly, staying on the bike lane on the major street is more than twice as safe as cutting through the quiet neighborhood streets, though the exposure is actually so small that the noise and stress reduction from using the neighborhood street may well be more important.
Remember that all of this discussion is about crashes with motor vehicles, which make up only 11% of all crashes. Most bicycle crashes occur when the cyclist falls off the bike; the number two cause is colliding with another bike; cars are only number three.
Clearly the safest place to ride (with respect to crashes with motor vehicles) is in a bike lane. But even in a bike lane you must be alert. As club member Bill Triggs found out this spring, the most significant hazard to you in a bike lane is turning vehicles.
The most dangerous are those turning left in front of you. They will have the most difficulty picking you out as you travel along the curb towards them. Your defense is to stay alert to what is happening around you, to ride as far out from the curb as you feel comfortable doing, and to wear visible clothing (if you get hit while wearing a GCC jersey the driver will have NO defense). If you see a left turning vehicle coming into your path, your best bet is to turn in the same direction they are going (if you are unable to stop).
Perhaps more common is the driver who will come up alongside you even though they intend to turn right. I'll speculate they do this because they see you as a stationary object, and are surprised that you aren't when they go to make their turn. If a car comes alongside you and starts to slow, watch their front tires. If they start to turn, that will give you enough warning so that you should be able to turn with them. If they pass you and then stop, don't go by them on the right; there is no way you can guarantee that they will not turn with no notice. Either stop or go around on the left (if clear).