Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Bicycling

Study Shows There Is Safety in Numbers for Cyclists

9_15_08_pasadena.jpg

It may seem paradoxical to some, but researchers at the University of South Whales in Australia shows that the more people that bicycle on the roads, the safer cyclists are.  The study included research from cyclists in
Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, 14 European countries and 68
Californian cities.  Put briefly, the study concludes that the more cyclists there are on the road, the more likely that drivers will recognize them as part of the transportation system and be aware of their presence.

Dr. Julie Hatfield, an injury expert from
UNSW, explains what she calls the "Virtuous Cycle" of more people biking in Science Daily,

"The likelihood that an individual cyclist will be struckby a motorist falls with increasing rate of bicycling in a community.And the safer cycling is perceived to be, the more people are preparedto cycle."

If we accept the researcher's findings that to improve cyclist safety we need to get more people cycling, it raises questions about the effects of advertising campaigns built around encouraging safe cycling.  Remember the City of Los Angeles' award winning advertisement that compares cyclists to insects who need to be trained? 

Dr. Chris Rissel, co-author of a 2008 report on cycling safety with Dr. Hatfield, tells Science Daily that these types of advertiesments help keep people off their bikes and make the streets more dangerous.

"We should create a cycling friendly environment and accentuatecycling's positives rather than stress negatives with 'safetycampaigns' that focus on cyclists without addressing drivers and roadconditions. Reminding people of injury rates and risks, to wear helmetsand reflective visible clothes has the unintended effect of reinforcingfears of cycling which discourages people from cycling."

Photo:Los Angeles Streetsblog/Flickr

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Metro 2026 World Cup Transit Plans Emerging

From June 13 to July 7, 2026, Los Angeles will host eight World Cup soccer matches, all at the SoFi Stadium in the city of Inglewood

May 9, 2025

Metro Names Bill Scott as Chief of Police

Chief Scott and Metro leadership emphasized that keeping Metro transit safe would require a multi-faceted approach that included the deployment of officers as well as collaboration with the community, ambassadors, and service providers. "Sometimes enforcement is the answer," Scott said. "Sometimes it's not."

May 7, 2025

Lyft’s Anti-Worker Anti-Transit Record Raises Red Flags For Metro Bike Share

Edwin Aviles and Kalayaan Mendoza urge Metro not to reward bad actors working to undermine workers’ rights and mass transit

See all posts