Proposed Senate Bill Endangers Washington Children

I was going to blog about a book I just finished last night, but I came across a proposed new law in the State of Washington which seemed more important.

On Friday, December 7th, Washington State Senator Jim Honeyford introduced a bill to prohibit operation of a bicycle with an attached occupied baby carrier on a street.

Labeled SB 6142, the bill reads:

A person shall not operate a bicycle attached to an occupied baby carrier on a street or other public roadway, unless the bicycle is operated within a city or town that prohibits the operation of bicycles on the sidewalk adjacent to the street or other roadway.

I see to main problems with this bill. 

First, the bill is ambiguous. What exactly is a baby carrier? A trailer? A trail-a-bike? A baby seat that sits over the rear wheel? Requests for clarification have gone unanswered by Honeyford’s office.

Second, the bill essentially forces riders towing children onto sidewalks, which has long been proven to be more dangerous than riding on the street. While that may sound surprising, consider the fact that the “rear overtaking” accident, so greatly feared by motor vehicle drivers, novice bicyclists, and policy makers who aren’t familiar with the bicycle accident data, actually accounts for only 1.3% of bicycle accidents. On the other hand, something like 75% of bicycle-car accidents are from motor vehicles approaching from the front or sides. These accidents happen when the bicycle or auto is at an intersection or driveway.

Every driveway crossing the sidewalk is an intersection with poor sight-lines. At intersections, the bicyclist enters the roadway at unexpected places (not where drivers expect a fast-moving vehicle to come from). Roads, especially those with wide lanes or bike lanes, are much safer.

Still don’t believe me? Okay, here are the numbers…

A major 1996 study of about 2000 cyclists by William E. Moritz calculated the Relative Danger Index of various facilities for cyclists. (Note that the Danger Index shows relative danger per mile traveled; lower numbers are safer.) From safest to most dangerous:

0.41 major roads with bicycle facilities (safest)
0.51 signed bike routes (wide lanes and signs, no other special facilities)
0.66 major road without bicycle facilities
0.94 minor road without bicycle facilities
1.39 multi-use trail
16.34 sidewalk (most dangerous)

Moritz’s data confirms two earlier major studies (1994 and 1974) and pretty much every other study of bicycling accidents ever done.

When you have a second please take a moment to email Senator Honeyford and your own state sentate representative and tell them why this bill does not make sense. 

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