Common Collisions

Be aware of common circumstances surrounding collisions, and stay especially alert when cycling in these conditions. The following statistics are from a 1996 study*, which analyzed the reported 6,000 collisions between bicycles and motor vehicles that occurred in BC during a three-year period.

Collision location Most collisions happened at intersections, where there were no traffic controls, and in residential areas.

• 63% of the collisions occurred at the intersection of a street with another street, alley or driveway, while 31% happened between intersections.

• 57% of the collision sites had no traffic controls at all; 19% had stop signs and 15% traffic lights.

• 40% occurred in residential areas, and 35% in business/shopping areas.

Pre-collision actions

Almost four out of five cyclists were going straight ahead, while 42% of the drivers were turning either left or right.

Contributing factors

The most common error among cyclists was to ride without due care. Among motorists the most frequent fault was failure to yield right-of-way.

Several other studies in North America have found that the primary fault in bicycle/motor vehicle collisions is approximately equally shared between cyclists and drivers. These studies also found that the single most common bicycle accident was falling without any other vehicle being involved.

All cyclists should be aware that the three most common motorist-caused bicycle/motor vehicle collisions are:

• An oncoming driver turns left in front of the cyclist.

• A driver on a cross street stops, and then pulls out directly in front of the cyclist.

• A driver barely passes the cyclist and then turns right.