Rising Cyclist Fatality Rates Raise Concerns in the Seattle Area

Seattle is often praised for its bike-friendly infrastructure, but with an uptick in cyclist fatalities, bike advocacy groups look to add more legislation to mitigate these accidents. A report made by Axios reveals a 15% increase in cycling deaths over the past 5 years.

The total is 2.8 bicycle-related fatalities per million Seattle residents. This is just above the national average of fatal bike crashes, which is 2.7 fatalities per million U.S. residents.

A Lime bike parked right on a Seattle street — A Lime bike parked on a Seattle street

Underlying Causes

There are a number of factors that contribute to Seattle’s high rate of bicycle fatalities. One factor is the city’s growing popularity. Bike rental applications such as Lime and Bird have exploded and popularity since the pandemic putting people at risk. As more people move to Seattle, the number of cyclists on the roads is also increasing. This leads to more congestion, which can make it more difficult for drivers and cyclists to see each other.

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Another factor is the city’s infrastructure. While Seattle has made some strides in recent years to improve its bike lanes, there are still many areas where cyclists are forced to share lanes with cars. This can be dangerous, especially for inexperienced cyclists.

What Should Be Done?

There are a number of things that can be done to make Seattle’s streets safer for cyclists. One important step is to continue to support bike infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes and separated bike paths. These can help to create a physical barrier between cyclists and motor vehicles, which can help to prevent accidents. Separating bicyclists from motor vehicles may not be enough to stop tragedies outright.

It is also important to educate both cyclists and drivers about the rules of the road. Cyclists need to be aware of their surroundings and obey traffic laws. Drivers need to be aware of the presence of cyclists and give them plenty of space.

In addition, there are a number of things that cyclists can do to keep themselves safe. These include wearing a helmet, using lights and/or reflectors at night, and being predictable in their movements.

Seattle has good cycling infrastructure (by North American standards), so you can go just about anywhere on a Lime bike — Seattle has some good cycling infrastructure, but it needs more

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

If you are involved in a bicycle accident, it is important to stay calm and seek medical attention immediately. You should also file a police report and contact your insurance company.