If the thought of dangerous drivers and busy traffic has ever kept you from cycling, you’re not alone. In fact, multiple studies from across the globe show that it’s among the biggest barriers to getting people out on a bike, even in urban places that stand to benefit the most from cycling.
In Australia, researchers found that participants of one study were more worried about a collision with a car than they were with bad weather, which was tied with fear of driver aggression. In England, the National Travel Attitudes Survey similarly found that 66% of adults believe it’s “too dangerous” to cycle on the road.
The same sentiment is true at home here in the Bay Area. In 2017, SFMTA published a survey to better understand the attitudes of San Fransicans on cycling. They discovered nearly a third of survey respondents said they can bike, but won’t in San Francisco. More than half (55%) said they don’t feel safe riding a bicycle near traffic and 70% said traffic safety concerns impact their decision to hop on a bike.
Traffic is a legitimate concern, especially when there isn’t sufficient infrastructure to protect cyclists from drivers who may be distracted, speeding, or both. The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index from the AAA Foundation for Traffic offers important sights about how Americans perceive and engage in unsafe driving behaviors.
These findings can serve a variety of purposes, but for cyclists, they’re a look into how drivers are behaving and thinking about those actions. Preparation is a first step in cyclists feeling comfortable on the road next to drivers.
Here’s what to know.
One: A quarter of drivers report texting/emailing
The vast majority of drivers (93%) in the annual AAA report say that texting or emailing while operating a vehicle is very or extremely dangerous, yet a number of people still do it.
“Despite these perceptions, more than a quarter of drivers (27%) reported having sent a text/email while driving and 37% reported reading a text/email while driving,” the report says.
This kind of distracted driving can be extremely dangerous. In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,308 lives were lost due to distracted driving. Countless more were injured, and many of these were cyclists or other road users.
We see these distracted driver cases often at Bay Area Bicycle Law. If you’ve experienced a crash due to a driver texting, emailing, or otherwise being distracted while driving, it can be helpful to work with one of our attorneys to figure out how you should be compensated for damages, injuries, and losses.
Two: Speeding perceived as less dangerous than other activities
While most drivers say they believe distractions to be dangerous, fewer respondents gave speeding the same weight.
About 60% of respondents in the AAA survey perceived driving 10 mph over the posted speed limit on residential streets as “very or extremely” dangerous and nearly half of respondents reported speeding 15 mph over the posted speed limit on freeways as very or extremely dangerous.
The report notes that speeding drivers are likely to be:
- Aged 40–59
- Male
- Have a bachelor’s degree
- Married
- Living without children aged 0–17 in the household
Speeding can significantly impact a cyclist during a crash. Risk rises in conjunction with speed, which is why many cities have worked to lower speeds in urban areas where cyclists and pedestrians are present.
In another AAA Foundation report, it was found that the risk of pedestrian death rises according to certain speeds. At 23 mph, the risk of death in a collision is 10%, but at 42 mph that increases to 50% and at 58 mph it’s 90%.
Three: There’s support for laws against distracted driving
Drivers who recognize distracted and impaired behaviors as dangerous report that people important to them would disapprove, and “support laws aimed at reducing those behaviors,” according to the report.
In a growing number of states, including California, it’s illegal to use a handheld cell phone or text while driving. For drivers under 18 years of age, it’s illegal to use any device, even hands free, while operating a vehicle.
Penalties for these offenses include fine and points off of a driver’s record.
Still, more than 100 deaths due to distracted driving happen on California roads each year. According to data compiled by UC Berkeley, 64% of these distraction-related crashes are in urban areas.
Cyclists should know that rules that govern drivers’ behaviors do impact them, and may even be of high public opinion, but they aren’t always followed.
Four: Drivers favor self-driving car companies sharing safety data
An interesting finding in the AAA report is one that is specifically relevant to road users of all kinds in the Bay Area.
“Over 90% of the respondents were in support of requiring autonomous vehicle developers to share safety information and testing results with the public before these vehicles are allowed on public roads,” the report says.
There has been support from cycling communities for the development of autonomous, or self-driving, cars. The League Of American Bicyclists says they “eventually improve the safety of people who bike and walk and provide opportunities for communities to create better places to bike and walk as vehicles become more law abiding and predictable.”
The support still comes with scrutiny, however, especially as cyclist deaths and injuries due to self-driving cars are on the rise.