Study Shows New York Bicyclists Routinely Break Traffic Laws

June 4, 2009

A recent study, performed by students at Hunter College looked at bicycle riders at 45 randomly generated intersections across Midtown in New York City. The survey looked at 5,275 observations of traffic behavior among the cyclists. The results were shocking and the students found that a great number of riders routinely disobey traffic laws.

Nearly two-thirds of all bike riders were not wearing helmets. While it is not required for all cyclists to wear protective headgear, it is against the law for delivery workers and children under the age of 14 to go without. Also, it was found that a full 37 percent of bike riders regularly run red lights. Only 28 percent of these riders even paused to look before driving into the intersection. More than 10 percent of the bikers on the roads went against traffic.

Those students who completed the survey said that their sample was “enormous,” so they were confident in the application of their findings to the whole of bicyclists in the city. However, many cycling advocates disagreed with the application of their results. For one, they said that the area where the study was completed actually has no lanes where bicyclists are exclusively allowed to travel.

Regardless of their objections, many community members and drivers are now asking that police forces crack down on bicyclists in the city to reduce the number of accidents on roadways.