Abstract
Bicycling is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and healthful; however, bicyclist safety is a rising concern. This study investigates bicycle crash-related key variables that might substantially differ in terms of the party at fault and bicycle facility presence. Employing 5 year (2014–2018) data from the Texas Crash Record and Information System database, the effect of these variables on bicyclist injury severity was assessed for San Antonio, Texas, using bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression. Severe injury risk based on the party at fault and bicycle facility presence varied significantly for different crash-related variables. The strongest predictors of severe bicycle injury include bicyclist age and ethnicity, lighting condition, road class, time of occurrence, and period of week. Driver inattention and disregard of stop sign/light were the primary contributing factors to bicycle-vehicle crashes. Crash density heatmap and hotspot analyses were used to identify high-risk locations. The downtown area experienced the highest crash density, while severity hotspots were located at intersections outside of the downtown area. This study recommends the introduction of more dedicated/protected bicycle lanes, separation of bicycle lanes from the roadway, mandatory helmet use ordinance, reduction in speed limit, prioritization of resources at high-risk locations, and implementation of bike-activated signal detection at signalized intersections.
Highlights
In recent years, bicycle ridership has gradually become one of the most common commuting means for the urban populace in the United States, as it is economical, energysaving, and environmentally friendly
Logistic regression models were developed using bicyclist, environment, road, and temporal variables associated with bicycle–motor vehicle crashes to analyze their effect on severity of bicyclist injury
This study examined the spatial distribution of bicycle crashes and analyzed the factors that influence the injury severity of bicyclists involved in bicycle–motor vehicle crashes using 5 year crash data for San Antonio, TX
Summary
Bicycle ridership has gradually become one of the most common commuting means for the urban populace in the United States, as it is economical, energysaving, and environmentally friendly. Many cities across the world are currently developing programs designed to promote bicycle riding as a means of reducing road congestions, controlling air pollution, and promoting healthier and more sustainable transportation alternatives [1,2]. Bicyclists have a higher risk of severe crashes compared to vehicle drivers, which is a major deterrent to adopting bicycling as the main mode of transportation by many people [7,8]. Bicycle crashes were responsible for more than half million emergency visits to hospital in the United States in. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the percentage of bicyclists in total fatalities has steadily increased from 1.8%
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