May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and this is National Bike Week. National Bike To Work Day is on Friday. All of these events are designed to encourage more people to ride bikes, and to improve safety for riders. The Centers for Disease Control says more than 900 bicyclists were killed and 494 thousand others were injured in 2013. One of the keys for riders to stay safe is wearing a helmet. Cleveland Clinic physician Michael Macknin says helmets save lives and when worn correctly, prevent 85-percent of head and brain injuries.
Macknin says other bike safety tips include wearing reflective clothing and using the proper hand signals when riding close to vehicles on the road. Rob Thompson of the advocacy group Bike Cleveland says Columbus is one of the Ohio cities working on policies that promote active transportation, which can attract new residents.
Thompson says the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. grew by more than 60 percent between 2000 and 2013. He says a recent poll shows 60 percent of Americans want to ride their bikes more often, but are not comfortable on the roadways.
The League of American Bicyclists ranks Ohio 16th for bike friendly policies and programs.
