Bicycle Safety
Bicycling is a fun, eco-friendly way to travel and exercise.
Traveling by bicycle alleviates stress, improves heart health, reduces carbon emissions, and improves mental health.
Bicycle Safety
In 2019, 18 people were killed and another 62 were seriously injured while biking on North Carolina roads (NCDOT).
Physical separation from motor traffic is best for bicycle safety.
Bicycle infrastructure, including protected bike lanes, separated paths, and greenways, provides the best protection for people traveling by bicycle.
An analysis by NACTO found that adding more bike lanes leads to an increase in people biking and a lower risk of cyclists being killed or seriously injured while riding.
Bicycles are vehicles.
North Carolina law states that bicyclists are drivers of vehicles and may use the full lane.
The safest way to pass a bicyclist is to change lanes when traffic is clear.
Community Benefits
Active transportation infrastructure also benefits the community and local economy. One analysis of shared use paths (also known as “greenways”) in North Carolina found that they provide substantial economic benefits to the surrounding community. These benefits include:
- $19.4 million in business output
- $25.7 million saved from the increase in physical activity and reduction in congestion, traffic injuries, and air pollution
For more bicycle videos, visit the NC Vision Zero YouTube Playlist.
- Bicycling burns 50% more calories than walking.
- Wearing a properly fitted bicycle helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85% and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88% (NCDOT).
- Over 16% of bicycle crashes between 2015 – 2019 involved a hit-and-run driver (Highway Safety Research Center).
