If you feel like the roads in San Francisco are getting more dangerous for cyclists, it’s not just your imagination. Research from the Vision Zero initiative, which hopes to reduce pedestrian and cyclist fatalities to zero by 2024, shows that San Francisco is one of the few cities in the country where fatal cyclist accidents are increasing. The fact that more cars and bicycles are on the road than ever before in the Golden City is no consolation, either, considering the city’s efforts to improve infrastructure.
Yet, a silver lining can be seen by studying the recurring factors related to these accidents and making adjustments to both personal decisions and government policy in response. So, the next time you go out cycling, consider these ]bike accident trends courtesy of a San Francisco bike accident attorney.
Cyclists Are Most Likely to Get Hit Downtown
One might expect that roads with faster speed limits would be correlated with an increase in cycling accident rates in San Francisco, but the opposite is true. Vision Zero observes that 70 percent of all pedestrian and bicycle crashes occur in just 12 percent of the city’s streets, all concentrated in high-traffic downtown areas.
Looking at a map created to document where the accidents occurred, you can see this trend immediately. In fact, the Tenderloin quickly pops out as having the highest rate and concentration of accidents in the entire city. The Mission District is a likely candidate for second, with the stretch of 24th Street between Valencia and Potrero acting as a particularly notorious area for accidents.
Cyclists and pedestrians are advised to take extreme caution in these areas and to consider a less-direct but possibly safer route where infrastructure provides more safeguards like dedicated bike lanes. Hopefully, the city will make changes to improve visibility for bikes and reduce the risk to riders.
Dangerous, Illegal Driving Kills
Unsurprisingly, many fatal accidents involve drivers who were not obeying the laws of the road. Common infractions being committed at the time a cyclist was struck include:
- Speeding
- Ignoring red lights or stop signs
- Failure to yield
- Unsafe turning or lane changes
- Driving under the influence of substances
The tragic reality of this trend is that cyclists have no control over when drivers decide to take others’ lives into their hands by using dangerous driving habits. Law enforcement hopes to pick up the effort by using stricter enforcement methods to discourage drivers from making bad decisions.
One such measure, speed enforcement camera systems, has met with significant opposition from privacy advocates but has shown to reduce speeding and accidents in states where it is implemented. San Francisco is one of the only cities in the state seriously considering their use.
Vehicle Design Could Be Smarter
Another significant factor in the number of cyclist deaths doesn’t concern the first impact but rather what happens after. Vehicle designs that fail to account for pedestrian and cyclist safety can make a bad accident worse. Consumer groups point to regulations in Europe and Japan that mandate vehicle safety designs that account for cyclists, like crumple zones on hoods that prevent deadly strikes after a crash.
Some companies like Volvo and Land Rover are developing active safety technologies that detect pedestrians and cyclists and react accordingly, and if these systems were more widespread we could see a reduction in accidents overall.
Injured in a Cycling Accident? Contact a San Francisco Bike Accident Attorney
While the above three trends could eventually lead to safer streets, serious cycling accidents will sadly continue to happen until they do.
If you have been the victim of one of these accidents, remember that you have a right to pursue compensation from all at-fault parties. You can contact a San Francisco bike accident attorney today to get a free consultation and discuss your options for moving forward with your case.
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