A bicyclist in High Point is dead following collisions with two vehicles late Monday night. According to police, James Andrew Brennan was riding his bike at the Brentwood Street exit off of the Business I-85 North ramp, when he was hit from behind by a 2005 Nissan Sentra. The impact pushed Brennan into the center lane of the road where he was hit again by a 2006 Honda Civic, and later pronounced dead at the scene. The accident marks the fourth traffic fatality of 2017 for the city.
New North Carolina bicycling safety laws were put in place last year to prevent fatalities like these— updating lighting and reflective gear requirements for cyclists, allowing vehicles to pass slower-moving bikes in no-passing zones, and more—but UNC Highway Safety Research Center's (HSRC) Libby Thomas says there are a lot of challenges in creating bike-friendly environments.
“If a driver perceives another road that basically looks like a freeway—it's big and wide with multiple travel lanes—they might not realize that this is also a facility that is used by bicycles.”
Thomas says drivers are also increasingly distracted by things like cell phones, and drug consumption is on the rise. A 2012 survey found that nearly a third of all biking injuries are caused when bicyclists are struck by cars.
Last year, UNC-Chapel Hill received $2.8 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to create and manage the Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety (CSCRC). It's one of five national transportation centers exploring new ways to address traffic issues with the goal of improving road safety in the U.S.
Thomas describes it as a sustainable, multidisciplinary approach, drawing from best practices in Europe and elsewhere around the world.
“We consider all aspects of transportation, including the road network itself,” she says. “How complete, safe and connected is it for bicyclists and all modes [of transportation]? How easy is it to get from one place to another? If there is no bicycle detection at signalized intersection, how do they access the larger street? Are drivers well trained, and are they making the right decisions when they're using the network?”
Thomas admits that affecting driver and other [network] user behavior is difficult, but raising awareness is key. “One of the aspects we're working on is how to get people to recognize that they're part of a system, and that it's incumbent upon everybody to try and use it safely, and to avoid impairments and distractions while they're using the network.”
An investigation into the Brennan accident is ongoing, and charges have yet to be filed.
More bicycling safety facts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and
University of NC Highway Safety Research Center.