On Friday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Highway Safety Network (HSN), representatives from numerous Centre County police departments, and safety partners held a news conference to promote bicycle safety.
Representatives from Bellefonte Borough police, Spring Township police, State College Borough police and Patton Township police were also on hand to answer questions from the media.
Speakers at the event included Eric Bauman, member of the State College Cycling Club, Sgt. Ryan Hendrick of Ferguson Township police and Josh Woods, from Highway Safety Network. They reminded the public that bicycle safety is not just the responsibility of bicyclists, but also of motorists.
“We want to remind motorists to share the road, and to avoid distraction, travel at safe speeds, and to not drive impaired,” Woods said. “These points are vital to protecting vulnerable road users like bicyclists and pedestrians.”
Bauman shared some of his own experiences as a cyclist and offered guidelines for how cyclists can keep themselves safe, including staying aware of their surroundings and avoiding distractions.
Hendrick offered safety tips for drivers like following the four-foot law when passing a cyclist, being cautious when opening car doors and treating bicycles like other vehicles as defined in the vehicle code.
According to state-wide PennDOT data, in 2023 there were 1,100 total crashes involving bicycles in Pennsylvania, resulting in 905 suspected serious injuries and 27 fatalities.
In Centre County alone there were 19 crashes involving a bicycle in 2023, with three resulting in suspected serious injury and one fatality.
In Pennsylvania, a bicycle is considered a vehicle, and, by law, bicyclists must obey all the rules of the road, including but not limited to, riding on the right side of the road, abiding by traffic signs and signals, and using turn signals. Additionally, bicyclists may operate on a shoulder or berm, but are not required to do so.
Bicyclists may travel at less than the posted minimum speed, resulting in being passed by motorists. Drivers are reminded that they must allow at least four feet between their vehicle and the bicycle when carefully passing at a reduced speed.
Motorists should check for bicyclists in mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and at intersections, as bicycles are small and may be difficult to see.
The agencies strongly recommend all bicyclists wear helmets every time they ride. Pennsylvania law requires all bicyclists under the age of 12 to wear a properly fitted helmet when riding a bicycle.
Anyone under the age of 12 must wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. This applies to anyone operating the bicycle, riding as a passenger or riding in an attached restraining seat or trailer.
Pennsylvania has over 2,400 miles of BicyclePA routes and an increasing focus on improving bicycling safety and access. For more information, view the Pennsylvania Bicycle Routes Map and the trails options in Pennsylvania.
For more information on bicycle safety, visit www.penndot.pa.gov/safety.
PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as bicycle safety for organizations, community groups or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.
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