Bike-Related Fatality Crashes Up in Georgia
State officials say the number of bicycle-related fatality crashes in Georgia is on the rise. According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the number increased by 28% in 2012.
Officials attribute the increase to a growing number of cyclists on the road. Kari Watkins, a professor of civil engineering at Georgia Tech, developed an app for Atlanta cyclists.
“Here in Atlanta, we went from a .3% bike commute share in the year 2000 to a 1.5% bike commute share in the year 2011, an increase of 368%,” she says, “And these numbers continue to increase.”
Harris Blackwood is the director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. He says state officials plan to tighten safety measures, such as enforcing a state law requiring three feet between cyclists and cars.
“Last year, we had 18 fatalities in this state involving crashes with bikes,” Blackwood says, “That’s up from 14 the year before. While that’s a very, very small portion of our traffic fatalities, it’s too many and we’re going to continue working.”
Blackwood says the state is also working to build more bike lanes and paths to accommodate cyclists.
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