New Bicycle And Car Safety Campaign Produces Surprising Results

July 21, 2011

A new campaign headed by the Philadelphia Police Department aims to raise awareness between bikes and cars. The program–“Give Respect, Get Respect”–has thus far been successful and has shown some surprising results.

NBC-Philadelphia reports that since May 16, 803 individuals on bikes and in cars have been stopped in connection with the campaign. Of the 803 people stopped, 600 were bikers. Captain Alan Clark of the Philadelphia Police Department stated, “Cyclists seem to be where the educational focus needs to go.” He continued by saying that motorists know they are wrong when they have done something like run a red light, bikers seem to be unaware they are responsible for following the same traffic laws.

Of the 600 bikers stopped, 590 were issued warnings for their violations, while another ten were issued citations. Three were issued tickets for running red lights or riding against traffic and another seven were ticketed for riding on sidewalks.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a total of 630 pedalcyclist fatalities in 2009. Fifteen of the fatalities occurred in Pennsylvania, which accounts for 1.2% of the total. These numbers combined with the recent discoveries uncovered by the campaign the chief of staff of the transportation office, Andrew Stober, believes more tickets will be issued to cyclists throughout the city.

The Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers with Lundy Law encourage and promote coexistence between bikes and cars on the road. This is the only way to ensure all users remain safe. If you were injured in a bike accident, call Lundy Law today.