August 22, 2018
Lastly, A Note For My Forensic Colleagues: Bicycle-Related Safety Issues I Noted While Riding Across the Country
I've worn many hats throughout my 43 year professional career, and one of those is that of a consulting Forensic Engineer wherein I have determined the cause of vehicle incidents. I have been involved in determining the cause of bicycle-related vehicle collisions through a process generally known as "accident reconstruction." So I'm perhaps a bit more cognizant of bicycle safety issues than others might be. While crossing the country on bicycle, I noted several points that may be of interest to others involved in bicycle-related forensic issues, as well as to safety-conscious touring cyclists, and these are discussed below from the perspective of a touring cyclist.
The U.S. has designated certain corridors for the establishment of national bicycle routes, and the United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS) is being established at the state level. The path I took across the country is the corridor for USBRS 76, and some states have established signage that allows cyclists to follow this route just like an automobile driver might follow highway signs. At the time I rode in 2015, Virginia and Missouri had signed the route completely such that a cyclist could simply follow the USBRS 76 signs completely across the state! Other states are expected to eventually follow such that the U.S. will one day have the largest network of signed bicycle routes in the world. Here is an example of a USBRS sign in Virginia;
And here's an example from Missouri;
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Green was recently approved for USBRS signs, while black was the earlier standard, so you may see either color. But either color clearly conveys to both cyclists and motorists that this road is part of the U.S. Bicycle Route System, and to cyclists it conveys the direction needed to follow the route.
So here's the first issue of note. Just because the route is part of the USBRS doesn't mean that the roadway itself is especially amenable to mixed bicycle-automobile traffic. Some of the routing is chosen because it's on lower traffic roads, but these can be narrow roads with no shoulders as shown both above and below. Below is an example from Virginia;
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Touring Cyclists carry panniers on their bikes that cause the bike to be a bit wider than it would be otherwise, so a motorist must move out a wee bit further to safely pass. On a narrow roadway, this means that the motorist approaching at highway speed may have to brake and wait until there's no oncoming traffic to pass.
Here's an issue I didn't expect to encounter. I thought bridge designers had long ago quit using grates like this that can allow a bicycle wheel to fall into it and cause a wreck. This example is from Kentucky;
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If the grates had simply been oriented transverse to the roadway then this wouldn't present a hazard to cyclists. As it is, cyclists must move out away from the shoulder and into the travel lane to avoid this hazard. Here's another example of a roadway design issue that forces cyclists to move away from the shoulder and into the travel lane. This example is from Kentucky;
In the photo above, not only does the rumble strip completely cover the limited shoulder width, but there's also a rumble strip along the center line. So cyclists are forced away from the shoulder and approaching drivers must cross over the center rumble strip to pass. Should an approaching driver be reluctant to cross over the rumble strip, this could cause him to pass dangerously close to the cyclist or even lead to a collision.
Here's a different kind of bad rumble strip design, this one from Montana;
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The above example shows a rumble strip that is located too far towards the center of the shoulder, and effectively prevents cyclists from being able to use the shoulder. If the strip had been placed immediately adjacent to or on top of the fog line, then most of the shoulder would be available for cyclist use. As it is, a motorist would have to wander halfway onto the shoulder before getting feedback from the rumble strip; wouldn't it be preferable to get feedback as soon as the motorist begins to drift off the road? Here's an example showing the rumble strip placed immediately adjacent to the fog line, this example is also from Montana;
Both the good and bad examples above suffer from another flaw in that the rumble strip section is continuous. The jarring/jolting experienced by a cyclist when crossing over a rumble strip is quite severe. If the strip were constructed with gaps in it, then a cyclist could navigate on and off the shoulder as needed. Here's an example from Utah;
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The above photo is from another tour the author undertook, also written up on this website (see www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/heart_attack). The shoulder in the above photo is too narrow for sustained cycling. However, the rumble strip design as shown allows a cyclist to travel in the roadway most of the time and then move onto the shoulder for brief periods as traffic approaches from the rear. While the author is not a fan of rumble strips, this is perhaps the best design compromise that allows cyclists and motorists to co-exist.
There are probably many other things I could list in the realm of bicycle safety issues for touring cyclists, but I'll just mention a few more. I strongly recommend disc brakes, especially for cycle tourists. Cycle tourists are heavily loaded as compared to other cyclists, and braking requires more stopping power. On my journey across the U.S. I encountered 2 cyclists who suffered from inadequate brakes. One of these crashed going downhill in the Appalachians (day 12 of this journal), and the other suffered a near-crash incident that almost caused him to collide head-on with oncoming traffic. Both of these involved a cycle with rim brakes on days with wet roadways. Disc brakes don't suffer a power loss when wet like rim brakes do. Disc brakes also allow for better "modulation" of the braking force and simply give you more control and confidence in hard braking situations. My bike has hydraulic disc brakes, and I never required more than 2 fingers on the levers to bring my bike to a quick halt, even when fully loaded and going downhill at 30mph on a wet day. You can certainly tour using a bike with rim brakes, but be aware that a loaded touring bike will require greater effort and distance to stop than a lightweight road bike; and doubly so on wet days.
With regards to bicycle lights, allow me to say that 1.) you absolutely need good lights, and 2.) the lights that are sold in most bike stores are not real headlights. Lights are needed to allow you to make pre-sunrise starts and to finish after sunset when required. They are also needed for foggy conditions that you may encounter in the Appalachians and Ozarks or along the Oregon coast, or when you get caught in the unexpected storm. In the U.S., bicycle safety is relegated to the Consumer Products Safety Commission and not to a highway agency. Consequently, the standards for lights are different for bicycles than they are for motor vehicles. Motor vehicles require real headlights that have a cutoff at the top of the beam so that they don't blind oncoming drivers. Bicycle lights don't require the same standards, and most bicycle lights sold in the U.S. are really just flashlights that throw light out in 360 degrees from the bulb. While that makes for good lighting when you are mountain biking at night and you need to see the tree limb ahead of you, it also throws light up at oncoming cars and can blind the driver. Here's an example of blinding U.S. bicycle lights;
German bicycle lights are made to be real vehicle headlights, because German law requires it. So if you want real bicycle lights instead of the "flashlight-strapped-to-a-handlebar" that most bike shops sell, look at lights made by German manufacturers. A good start is to check out Peter White Cycles web page, or Compass Cycles. While many of these are dyno-powered, Peter White offers some battery powered versions.
Finally, this thought with regards to forensic issues. As more and more of the USBRS gets signed with official highway signage, the public awareness of these bike routes should increase. If a touring cyclist suffers a collision with a motor vehicle on a signed USBRS route, is the motorist even more liable than normal? After all, the signage is a clear indication that cyclists will be using the route. While cyclists may legally use any roadway (unless it's specifically prohibited for cyclists), it may be harder for motorists to claim that they were surprised by a cyclist on the roadway when it's an official bike route.
Be safe out there...
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