May is National Bike Safety Month. Spring and summer increases the number of children and adults out on the roadways riding bikes for fun and exercise.
The Pilot Club of Great Bend also known as the Helmet People, want to raise awareness, and remind riders and drivers of the need for greater caution and awareness on the roadways and streets. Pilot club encourages everyone to always wear a helmet when riding and certainly to make sure children wear helmets.
Once again this May the Pilot club will participate in the Perfect Attendance Bike Program by properly fitting and giving away bike helmets to the USD 428 students who have perfect attendance and earned a new bike from generous local community sponsors and donations.
People travel by bicycle to work, to school, for social and family trips, and for recreation, among other reasons. The growth in use of bicycles, and electric bicycles in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increases in bicycling, and has resulted in expanded ranges of trip purposes, abilities, and experience of people riding bicycles on public roadways.
As reported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), bicyclists, like motorcyclists, are not safeguarded by occupant protection measures found in passenger vehicles and face comparatively high exposure to injury risks in crashes on the roadway. Bicyclist injuries remain consistently and disproportionately high.
In 2021 an additional estimated 41,615 bicyclists were injured. Over the last 5 years, estimated injury-only crashes averaged about 45,400 yearly.
In the absence of separate bike lanes, trails, or paths, bicyclists may be required to operate foot or low-powered electric bicycles on the roadway with vehicles.
Bicyclists are also more susceptible to outdoor elements such as weather and road surface conditions. Rising bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities have prompted urgent calls from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in recent years. The number of bicyclists killed in traffic crashes has been steadily trending upwards since 2010. From 2010 to 2021, bicyclist fatalities ranged from 623 to a high of 966 with a yearly average of 800 (NCSA, 2022; Stewart, 2023).
There were during the 5-year period between (2017 to 2021), a yearly average of 883 people on bicycles killed in police reported traffic. Bicyclists accounted for 2.2% of total traffic fatalities in 2021.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), recommends when riding in traffic, obey the same rules of the road as drivers, do not use headphones and cell phones when riding, obey all signs and lights, watch for obstacles in your riding path. Ride defensively at all times, use appropriate hand signals when turning. Think Safety: Your fault or not, you lose.
Bicyclists can take precautions, be visible. Plan to be seen; wear equipment to protect yourself that make you more visible to others – wear a properly fit bike helmet, bright clothing, and reflective gear.
Use lights at night: Kansas law requires a front head lamp with white light visible from 500 feet and a rear red reflector visible from 600 feet when riding after dusk.
Last but not least, make sure that you perform periodic bicycle maintenance on the families’ bikes. Checking tire pressure and condition, checking brakes, lights and reflectors, lubricating key places is also recommended.
