Clark, Perdue, Arnold & Scott's Blog

According to a recent study by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, 105 bicycle-motor vehicle crashes have occurred on the seven-mile stretch of High Street from Downtown to Morse Road since 200. The Ohio Department of Public Safety similarly reports that there have been between 200-270 bike crashes each year for the period 2002-2006. More than 1500 crashes have occurred in Franklin and Delaware counties from 2000-2004, and there have been five fatalities since 2000.

A national firm has been engaged by the city to address this problem and is expected to have a final bikeways plan next year that will include recommendations on making Columbus more bike friendly. Many believe that it is a question of room for the cyclist and that a combination of wider streets or bike lanes would greatly help cyclists and motorists to coexist.

But it is also a matter of educating both riders and drivers to be more aware experts say. Data shows that 29% of crashes are caused by cyclists who improperly cross streets or fail to yield to a car, while 14% are due to drivers failing to yield to cyclists. Not surprisingly, 33% of cyclists involved in crashes are younger than 16. It is they, of course, who are far more likely to be seen riding while using their iPods, MP3 players and headphones, all of which are obvious potential sources of distraction for a cyclist.

The point is that most bicycle crashes can be avoided by increased rider attention. Bicycle riders need to pay closer attention not only to what they are doing, but also to what motor vehicle operators are doing. Bicycles and motorcycles are frequently "invisible" to other motorists; so riders have to engage in a high degree of defensive riding. Riders should assume that they are "invisible" to motorists, and plan their defensive riding strategies accordingly. This cannot be accomplished with the distraction of any electronic devices.