Brooklyn leads city in bicycle accidents

A recent fatal bicycle accident underscores the importance of observing traffic safety regulations. A bicyclist was hit in Brooklyn on New Utrecht Avenue while riding against traffic on that busy street. Bicycle riders are supposed to ride with traffic, according to NYC traffic laws. 

The cyclist killed last week was biking southbound in the Borough Park neighborhood when he was hit by a 2008 Honda going north. He was then hit again by another 2008 Honda travelling west on an intersecting side street. The 29-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident is under investigation, but police have not charged either driver.

Brooklyn has both the highest number of bicycle fatalities and the greatest number of bike lane miles – 35 percent of all bike lanes in New York City built between 2010 and 2012. This figure does not include the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, which, when completed, will cover 14 miles between Greenpoint and Bay Ridge.

In 2012, bicycle accidents in Brooklyn killed seven people. Since 2007, Brooklyn has led the city in fatal bike accidents five out of six years. In 2011, half of the city’s 22 bike fatalities occurred in Brooklyn. Peter Engel of the Five Borough Bicycle Club says that the wider streets and faster speeds in Brooklyn and Queens make streets riskier. Drivers go faster because they can. In contrast, drivers in Manhattan find it more difficult to speed because of the density of traffic.

Source: The Brooklynink, “Brooklyn is Bad News for Cyclists, Third Year in a Row,” Feb. 13, 2013

Source: NBC New York, “NYC Bike Rider Hit by 2 Cars and Killed,” Mar. 8. 2013.