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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 6 november 2019
Agency: All states should require bicyclists to wear helmets

By TOM KRISHER mets, but many require
AP Auto Writer them for younger riders,
DETROIT (AP) — A govern- according to the Gover-
ment agency is recom- nors Highway Safety Asso-
mending that all 50 states ciation.
enact laws requiring bicy- Nineteen states plus Wash-
clists to wear helmets to ington, D.C., require mo-
stem an increase in bicycle torcyclists to wear helmets,
deaths on U.S. roadways. while 28 require them
The recommendation was mainly for younger riders
among several issued by and three states have no
the National Transportation requirement, the associa-
Safety Board after a hear- tion said.
ing Tuesday on bicycle The NTSB also recommend-
safety. ed that the National High-
The agency says 857 bicy- way Traffic Safety Admin-
clists died in crashes with istration evaluate a car's
motor vehicles in the U.S. ability to avoid crashes
last year, a 6.3% increase with bicycles as part of
over 2017. Bicycle deaths the agency's planned up-
rose even though total date of its five-star crash
road deaths fell 2.4%. test ratings program. Col-
The NTSB also found that lision avoidance technol-
improved road designs to ogy, such as automatic
separate bicycle and ve- emergency braking or
hicle traffic, and making bi- pedestrian detection sys- In this Aug. 13, 2019, file photo, a bicyclist rides on a bike lane through Harvard Square in
cyclists more visible through tems, could be modified to Cambridge, Mass.
clothing, lights and tech- detect bicycles, the NTSB Associated Press
nology would reduce the wrote in a report. The report Department of Transpor- lisions with bicycles hap- cause vehicles tend to be
number of cyclist deaths. said that delays by NHTSA tation in developing stan- pened as a motorist was traveling faster, the agen-
The agency wrote in its re- in updating the new car dards for connected ve- overtaking a bicyclist on cy wrote.
port that head injuries are ratings program "have like- hicle technology has de- stretches of roads between The NTSB investigates
the leading cause of bi- ly slowed the development layed use of potential life- intersections. crashes and makes recom-
cycle fatalities, and that of important safety systems saving devices, the NTSB Intersection crashes were mendations in an effort to
use of a helmet is the most for vulnerable road users wrote. more frequent, but crashes stop them from happening
effective way for riders to and their implementation The NTSB report said that outside intersections often again. It last issued a report
reduce their chance of into the vehicle fleet." one-quarter of all fatal col- were fatal more often be- on bicycle safety in 1972.q
getting a serious head in- NHTSA has said it plans a
jury. Research shows fewer significant update to its au-
than half of bicyclists wear tomobile crash test ratings
helmets, according to the next year, and it will look at
NTSB. including new technology
"If we do not mitigate head to make roads safer. The
injury for more bicyclists, agency said it would study
additional bicyclists will new test procedures and
die," NTSB Chairman Robert updates to its rating system
Sumwalt said. for automobiles, as well as
Such a requirement may technology that will better
prove difficult politically. protect pedestrians and bi-
Currently no states require cyclists.
all bicyclists to wear hel- Also, slow progress by the