Journal article
On-road bicycle facilities and bicycle crashes in Iowa, 2007–2010
Accident analysis and prevention, Vol.56, pp.103-109
07/2013
DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2012.12.031
PMID: 23337741
Abstract
► Impact of on-road bicycle facilities on crash risk is examined. ► Results suggest intersections with an on-road bicycle facility are more protective against crashes than those without. ► Results suggest bicycle-specific pavement markings are more protective against crashes than bicycle signage. ► The wider the index street (street motor vehicle was traveling on) the greater the risk of a bicycle-motor vehicle crash. ► Intersections where bicycle-motor vehicle crashes occurred had higher motor vehicle volume than control intersections.
An average of 611 deaths and over 47,000 bicyclists are injured in traffic-related crashes in the United States each year. Efforts to increase bicycle safety are needed to reduce and prevent injuries and fatalities, especially as trends indicate that ridership is increasing rapidly. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bicycle-specific roadway facilities (e.g., signage and bicycle lanes) in reducing bicycle crashes.
We conducted a case site-control site study of 147 bicycle crash-sites identified from the Iowa Department of Transportation crash database from 2007 to 2010 and 147 matched non-crash sites. Control sites were randomly selected from intersections matched to case sites on neighborhood (census block group) and road classification (arterial, feeder, collector, etc.). We examined crash risk by any on-road bicycle facility present and by facility type (pavement markings--bicycle lanes and shared lane arrows, bicycle-specific signage, and the combination of markings and signage), controlling for bicycle volume, motor vehicle volume, street width, sidewalks, and traffic controls.
A total of 11.6% of case sites and 15.0% of controls had an on-road bicycle facility. Case intersections had higher bicycle volume (3.52 vs. 3.34 per 30min) and motor vehicle volume (248.77 vs. 205.76 per 30min) than controls. Our results are suggestive that the presence of an on-road bicycle facility decreases crash risk by as much as 60% with a bicycle lane or shared lane arrow (OR=0.40, 95% CI=0.09–1.82) and 38% with bicycle-specific signage (OR=0.62, 95% CI=0.15–2.58).
Investments in bicycle-specific pavement markings and signage have been shown to be beneficial to traffic flow, and our results suggest that they may also reduce the number of bicycle-motor vehicle crashes and subsequent injuries and fatalities. As a relatively low-cost traffic feature, community considerations for further implementation of these facilities are justified.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- On-road bicycle facilities and bicycle crashes in Iowa, 2007–2010
- Creators
- Cara Hamann - Injury Prevention Research Center, University of Iowa, 2186 WL, Iowa City, IA 52242, USACorinne Peek-Asa - University of Iowa, College of Public Health, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, S160 CPHB, 105 River St, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Accident analysis and prevention, Vol.56, pp.103-109
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.aap.2012.12.031
- PMID
- 23337741
- NLM abbreviation
- Accid Anal Prev
- ISSN
- 0001-4575
- eISSN
- 1879-2057
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2013
- Academic Unit
- Public Health Administration; Occupational and Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Nursing; Center for Social Science Innovation; Injury Prevention Research Center; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9983996063302771
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