AS VEHICLE SIZE INCREASES, SAFE SPACE FOR BICYCLES DECREASES

Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia require that motorists give bicyclists at least 3 feet or more of clearance when passing. However, the growing size of vehicles makes this almost impossible. As cars have gotten wider and heavier in recent years and SUVs have become the new family vehicle, bike lanes are getting more squeezed and riding is getting more dangerous.   

 The photo shown in this post was provided by Transportation Alternatives , an NYC-based organization focused on reclaiming NYC streets for bikes and pedestrians really depicts our shrinking space on the road. It shows since 2000, passing distances have decreased by 75%, putting cyclists at greater risk of being doored or sideswiped. Example:  A bike rider sharing the road with the best-selling car — a Toyota Camry — would have 18 inches on either side of them. A bike rider sharing the road with today's popular "car" — the Ford F-150 — would have just 4 inches. Bigger cars = less space for the rest of us.   

Other statistics gathered by Transportation Alternatives indicate additional risks for pedestrians and children: From 2000-2019, SUVs have caused an additional 1,100 pedestrian with no corresponding increase in motorist safety. Children are eight time more likely to be killed in crashed involving SUVs and pick-ups than regular cars.   Weight is also a lethal factor: For every 1,000 pounds a car weighs over a Toyota Corolla, the chance of killing another person goes up by 46%. With vehicles growing in size and weight, they are more likely to kill you if they hit you.   

Suggested solutions include swap parking lanes with the bike lane so parked cars could be used to protect cyclists rather than using cyclists’ bodies to protect the parked cars. Another remedy noted is an increase in taxes on vehicles based on weight that will hopefully suppress the use of bigger vehicles.   If you are a driver as well as a cyclist, do some math to see just how wide your car or SUV is, and actually see how it looks when it’s on the road. Are you tight to both painted lines? If so, you need to take extra care while passing cyclists and pedestrians; you may have less space than you think. Keep in mind the higher up you are in SUVs, vans and trucks, the easier it is to underestimate how much space you need to give someone when passing. 

Photo courtesy of Transportation Alternatives.