Transcript Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

Capital Metro/Star Tran
Safety Meeting
Mark Ostertag
Why is Capital Metro Interested
in bicycle and pedestrian Safety?
• People who walk and ride bikes
instead of use their cars reduce the
amount traffic and congestion on the
road, making our job easier
• They make cities healthier by reducing
the amount of air pollution created.
• Bicyclists can easily travel greater
distances to bus stops, thereby
increasing our “capture zone”.
Why should we be interested in
bicycle and pedestrian safety?
• Walking in the United States is a dangerous
business. Per mile traveled, pedestrians are 36
times more likely to die in a collision than drivers.
• Nationwide, 5.4 % of all trips are made on foot,
but 13 % of all traffic fatalities are pedestrians.
• Pedestrian fatality rates in the United States are far
higher than in other industrialized countries. In
both Germany and the Netherlands the fatality rate
was 26 deaths per billion kilometers walked, while
in the United States the rate was 364 deaths per
billion kilometers walked — or fourteen times
greater.
Why should we be interested in
bicycle and pedestrian safety?
• The situation is getting worse. Urban sprawl has
often left pedestrians stranded. Wide roads have
been built without sidewalks or frequent
crosswalks, and high-speed traffic makes these
roadways particularly deadly. In many areas,
intersections with crosswalks may be as much as a
half-mile apart, leaving pedestrians with no safe
way to cross the street. Of the pedestrian deaths
for which information is recorded, almost 60
percent (59.1%) occurred in places where no
crosswalk was available.
Why is Capital Metro interested
in bicycle and pedestrian safety?
• We are obligated to share the road with them, and
It’s the Law
• The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA) of 1991 requires transit agencies to work towards
incorporating different transportation modes (like biking)
into transit systems.
• In 1998, the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st
Century (TEA-21) reinforced this mandate.
• The Texas Vehicle Code has several laws dealing
with bicycles and pedestrians.
Significant Texas Vehicle Codes
pertaining to bicycles
• Sec. 551.101(a) A person operating a bicycle has
the rights and duties applicable to a driver
operating a vehicle…
• Sec. 551.103 (c) Persons operating bicycles
on a roadway may ride two abreast.
• Sec. 551.103 (b) A person operating a bicycle on a
one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic
lanes may ride as near as practicable to the left
curb or edge of roadway.
Significant Texas Vehicle Codes
pertaining to bicycles
• Sec. 551.103(a) a person operating a
bicycle on a roadway who is moving
slower than the other traffic on the
roadway shall ride as near as practicable
to the right curb or edge of the roadway;
unless (1) the person is passing another
vehicle…(2) the person is preparing to turn
left at an intersection or onto a private road
or driveway; or
Significant Texas Vehicle Codes
pertaining to bicycles
• Sec. 551.103(a) (cont.)... (3) a condition on
or of a roadway, including a fixed or
moving object, parked or moving vehicle,
pedestrian, animal, surface hazard, or
substandard road width lane, prevents the
person from safely riding next to the
right curb or edge of the roadway.
Statistics for Bicyclists
National Statistics
In 1997, 813 bicyclists were killed and
58,000 were injured in traffic crashes.
Bicyclists accounted for 2 percent of the
deaths and injuries of all the people killed
and injured in traffic collisions.
• 88% of bicyclists killed were males and one
third of all bicycle fatalities were between
the ages of 5 and 15. 53% of bicycle
injuries are between the ages of 5 and 15.
•
Statistics for Bicyclists
Major causes of collisions between motorists and bicyclists:
22.3% - The motorist failed to yield to the bicyclist
16% Bicyclist failed to yield to the motorist at the intersection
12% - Motorist turned or merged into the path of the bicyclist
11.8% Bicyclist failed to yield to the motorist midblock
8.5% - Motorist overtaking bicyclist
7.6% 0 Bicyclist turned into the path of the motorist
All other causes under 3%
State Statistics
In 1997, Texas ranked third in the nation, behind Florida and
California, in bicycle fatalities, with 55 killed.
CMTA Bicycle
Accident/Incidents (1996-1999)
25
20
15
10
5
0
1996-1999
Accidents
Incidents
• Accidents are actual
collisions between
CMTA vehicle and
cyclist.
• Incidents include
cyclist banging on
door and shouting at
operator after near
misses etc.
Watch out for cyclists unloading bicycles before taking off!!!!
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• As stated in our Safety Rules
Handbook, Chapter 2, sec. 2.29
and reiterated in the Operator's
Alert dated April 1, 1999,
Operators should kneel the bus
for cyclists placing their bikes
in the rack, place the bus in
neutral and apply the parking
brake. This picture shows the
problems for the cyclist when
the bus isn’t keeled
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Bicycles that have large boxes or other
items on the back of the bike that obscure
the driver’s view should not be placed in the
bike racks, and those riders denied service.
• For liability reasons, we do not assist
bicyclists with the loading or unloading of
their bikes on the racks.
• Remind the bicyclist when they are
boarding the bus to let you know when they
are getting off.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Keep an eye out for bicyclists. They're not as
easy to see as a car or truck and you are more
likely to be looking for other motor vehicles.
Keeping your windshield clean, as required by
your CDL, is one of the best things that you can
do to avoid collisions.
• Remember that bicycles may have the same rights
as a motor vehicle, but they differ from motor
vehicles; there're smaller and can't move as fast.
But, they can change direction more easily, stop
faster and move through smaller spaces.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Pass cyclists with care. Give them plenty of room.
Look ahead when you drive, plan and anticipate
passing bicyclists quickly and efficiently. Also, if
you are planning to turn right immediately after
passing a bicyclist, make sure you give them
enough lead out that you don't cut them off. Many
drivers do not realize how fast a bicycle can travel,
and think they have time to turn in front of them.
Cyclist can travel 15 to 30 mph.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Save your horn. Some bicyclists are startled by
honking, and it could cause them to have an
accident, or unexpectedly cause them to veer into
the path of your vehicle.
• Lights. When approaching a bicycle, your high
beams can be blinding. Although many of you
rarely use them, remember that they need to be
dimmed for cyclists as well as other motorists.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Road conditions can affect cyclists' behavior. Cars
parked along the side of the road will cause them
to ride farther out in traffic, because they are
worried about car doors opening. Sewer gratings,
soft shoulders, construction areas, broken glass,
gravel and other debris can cause them to ride
farther out into traffic, or cause them to swerve
unexpectedly out into traffic. When approaching a
cyclist, learn to assess the road hazards
the way the cyclist would.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Be extra cautious around cyclists that don't
wear helmets. Head injuries cause 75% of
all bicycling fatalities, and most cyclists
know this. The City of Austin has had a
helmet use ordinance (for children only)
active since 1996. Riders that don't wear
helmets are demonstrating that they are not
safety conscious, and may be more likely to
break traffic laws or act unpredictably.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• The same holds true for cyclists
wearing headphones, as they need to
be aware of their surroundings,
especially sounds of traffic, and can't
hear them if they are listening to
music.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Be alert to cyclists during left-hand turns.
Surprisingly, a cyclist is four times more likely to
be hit by a motor vehicle that is turning left than
by one that is turning right.
• Watch out for bicyclists that ride up along the right
side of the bus as you are approaching a stop (a
frequent occurrence). You could open the doors
right onto them, or let your passengers out right in
front of them.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Be alert for "midblock rideout", which
occurs when a bicyclists enters the
roadway from a driveway, alley or curb
without slowing, stopping, or looking
for traffic. This is the most frequent
crash type for young riders.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Similar to this is the "stop sign rideout",
where the cyclist enters an intersection
without observing the stop sign or traffic
signal. 62% of child bicyclist-motor vehicle
accidents are due to the cyclist failure to
yield right-of-way to the motorist. 71% of
teenage bicyclist-motor vehicle accidents
are due to wrong way bicycling or bicyclist
error at an intersection.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Watch out for the “draft”, or wake of air created
by your vehicle. It can cause the cyclist to swerve
unexpectedly.
• Rear engine vehicles, like transit buses, can
sneak up on a cyclist. Many cyclists depend on
hearing a vehicle approaching from the rear, and a
rear engine vehicle is usually a lot closer by the
time they hear it, which can startle them, causing
unpredictable behavior.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Bicyclists
• Be appreciative when you encounter a
cyclist following the rules of the road,
yielding the right-of-way, or otherwise
politely sharing the road with other traffic.
• Give them a friendly wave, a smile or tell
them thanks when they ride responsibly.
After all, we want to encourage that type of
behavior.
• At a stop light, both the bicycle and bus
move on green. After crossing intersection,
Operator said they assumed bike was
turning on to sidewalk. Collision occurred
as side of bus hit the cyclist (11/11/99).
• Cyclist states he was hit by bus forcing him
into parked cars when bus switched into left
lane on one-way road (12/14/99).
Significant Texas Vehicle Codes
pertaining to Pedestrians
• Sec. 552.001 (b) A pedestrian facing a green signal
may proceed across a roadway within a marked or
unmarked crosswalk unless the sole green signal is
a turn arrow.
• Sec. 552.002 (c) A pedestrian may not start to
cross a roadway in the direction of a "Don't Walk"
signal or a "Wait" signal. A pedestrian who has
partially crossed while the "Walk" signal is
displayed shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety
island while the "Don't Walk" signal or "Wait"
signal is displayed.
Significant Texas Vehicle Codes
pertaining to Pedestrians
• Sec. 552.003 (a) The operator of a vehicle shall
yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing a
roadway in a crosswalk if no traffic control signal
is in place or in operation; and the pedestrian is on
the half of the roadway in which the vehicle is
traveling; or approaching so closely from the
opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.
• d) Sec. 552.003 (b) A pedestrian may not suddenly
leave a curb or other place of safety and proceed
into a crosswalk in the path of a vehicle so close
that it is impossible for the vehicle operator to
yield.
Significant Texas Vehicle Codes
pertaining to Pedestrians
• Sec. 552.005. A pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to a
vehicle on the highway if crossing a roadway at a place
other than in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked
crosswalk at an intersection
• Sec. 552.008. Drivers to Exercise Due Care.
Notwithstanding another provision of this chapter, the
operator of a vehicle shall: (1) exercise due care to avoid
colliding with a pedestrian on a roadway; (2) give warning
by sounding the horn when necessary; and (3) exercise
proper precaution on observing a child or an obviously
confused or incapacitated person on a roadway.
Statistics for Pedestrians
National Statistics
• In 1998, 5,220 pedestrians died in traffic crashes,a
decrease of 24% from the previous decade.
• 69,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic
accidents in 1998, a decrease of 18% from 1988.
• 85% of all nonmotorist fatalities are pedestrians.
• 78% of pedestrian fatalities occur at nonintersections.
• 88% occur in normal weather conditions and 64%
occur at night.
Statistics for Pedestrians
National Statistics
• Walking is far more dangerous than flying
or driving, per mile traveled:
• 0.16 deaths per 100,000,000 miles aboard
an airplane
• 1.4 deaths per 100,000,000 miles in a car.
• Almost 50 deaths per 100,000,000 miles
walked.
Statistics for Pedestrians
Ranking the major causes of pedestrian accidents
1 Midblock Dart Out
3 Vehicle Turn or Merge
5 Backing Up
7 Vendor Related
2 Intersection Dash
4 Multiple Threats (A
stopped vehicle at a
crosswalk blocks the
view of another driver
approaching)
6 Bus Stop Related
Statistics for Pedestrians
Where Pedestrians Are Killed
Outside Trafficway
1%
In Crosswalk
10%
Not in Crosswalk
19%
Crosswalk Not
Available
Not on Roadway
58%
5%
In Parking Lane
0%
On Road Shoulder
7%
Statistics for Pedestrians
State Statistics
461 pedestrians were
killed in vehicle
accidents in 1998.
Again, just as with
bicycling statistics, we
were third in the
nation, behind
California and Florida.
CMTA Pedestrian
Accident/Incidents (1996-1999)
50
40
30
20
10
0
1996-1999
Accidents
Incidents
• Accidents are actual
collisions between
CMTA vehicle and
pedestrian.
• Incidents include
pedestrian banging on
door, throwing
missiles and shouting
at operator after near
misses etc.
Watch out for pedestrians crossing before taking off!!!!
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Increase your defensive driving "scan and search"
to include pedestrians along the road and on the
sidewalks. They're not as easy to see as a car or
truck and you are more likely to be looking for
other cars.
• Keeping your windshield clean, so that pedestrians
are more visible, is one of the biggest things you
can do to reduce pedestrian accidents. Pollen, dirt
and debris can increase glare and reduce visibility
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Be alert to pedestrians during left-hand turns. Just
as with cyclists, a pedestrian is four times more
likely to be hit by a motor vehicle that is turning
left than by one that is turning right. As shown in
driver work load studies, the left turning maneuver
is more demanding, particularly for older drivers,
and drivers appear to have problems with visual
search and detection of pedestrians.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Children under 8 years old are not capable of
safely navigating around traffic, so they present a
special risk group for pedestrian fatalities. The
American Academy of Pediatrics reports that a
young child's awareness of sounds and the
direction from which they emanate, their
peripheral vision, their focus and concentration
levels are not sufficiently developed until after 8
years of age. One study showed that 90% of street
crossings made by children in K through 3rd grade
were in error.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Areas around colleges and
universities should also receive special
attention at all times. Expect students to be
darting out, not paying attention to signals
or traffic, or trying to catch the tail end of a
walk signal, ending up still in the road when
the light turns green. The same holds true
for public schools during peak hours in the
morning and afternoon.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Slow down! Especially in schools zones
and other areas rich with pedestrians.
• If a car going 20 mph hits a person, there is
a 95% chance that the person will survive.
• If the car is traveling 30 mph, the person
has slightly better than a 50% of survival.
• At 40 mph, only 15% of people struck at
this speed can be expected to survive.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• During the summer months, Operators on
routes that drive by pools and parks should
increase their alertness for children darting
out and more people crossing mid-block.
Also, routes that go near Austin’s popular
hike and bike trails should be alert,
especially around the “hot” times - early
evening and weekends.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Everybody knows to be alert when a ball comes
bouncing out in the street, but statistically the
same or more caution should be exercised
when approaching an ice cream truck or
other street vendor.
• Joggers are special hazard. Some of them violate
traffic rules because they don't want to slow down
or break their stride at intersections and many of
them wear headphones, which takes away their
ability to hear traffic noises.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Older pedestrians walk slower, which
makes them more difficult for the eye to
pick up. They also need more time to cross
the street. Older pedestrians account for
13% of the population but 22% of all
pedestrian fatalities. They have the highest
death rate of any age group. Areas around
retirement homes, senior centers, and
nursing homes present an increased hazard.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Developments and neighborhoods that
don't have sidewalks force kids to walk
and wait for school buses in the streets,
increasing the hazard. This problem is
compounded in the winter months,
when the low angle of sunlight, and the
tendency to wear darker clothes makes
them more difficult to see.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Entertainment areas, like 6th street, are another
potential hazard. 31% of all pedestrian fatalities
involved an intoxicated pedestrian. Drunk drivers
are involved in only 12% of pedestrian fatalities,
less than half the amount. Some people think that
if they are too drunk to drive home, they will just
walk, which turns out to be not much safer.
Concerns about the inebriated also apply at
transient areas like Riverside and Congress,
and Lamar and Rundberg
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Be alert to unusual pedestrian behavior around
Construction areas, which are dangerous locations
for pedestrians. One reason is that many times
construction areas or activities force the pedestrian
to walk out into the street. Another is that the
pedestrian is distracted because they are watching
the construction activities and not paying attention
to traffic.
Safe Driving Practices Around
Pedestrians
• Exercise caution while making a Right Turn
On Red. One of the biggest causes of
pedestrian fatalities is a turning vehicle in a
crosswalk striking a pedestrian.
• Bus making a left turn from 8th on to
Colorado and struck a pedestrian in the
crosswalk, injuring the pedestrian’s wrist
and knee(1/22/98)
• While pulling away from a bus stop at 5th
and Congress, Operator hit lady walking in
crosswalk. Lady’s upper arm was hit by
front of bus before she fell on to sidewalk.
(3/2/98).
For bike and pedestrian accident
prevention,
Give the road your full attention.