We established in earlier blogs that commuting by bicycle is energy and time efficient. 

But just how safe is it?

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), bicyclist deaths accounted for two percent of all traffic fatalities and traffic injuries in 2006. That translates to 773 deaths and 44,000 people injured that year. Clearly, bicycle riding has some risk. But so does being sedentary.

You can maximize your calorie burning and health benefits by regularly using your bike to get to work. Learn how to minimize your injury risks at www.bicyclinginfo.org. Also, www.commutebybike.com offers a wealth of information including how to get started (“Commuting 101”), articles, bike reviews, and a really cool gas savings calculator.

Another great resource is a bikeability checklist from NHTSA.  You rate your local area on things like intersections, surfaces, and driver behavior.  If you end up with a low bikeability score, you can move to one of these top 10 bikeable cities.  Or you can follow the recommendations given on the checklist for actions you and others can take to advocate for improving the bikeability in your community. 

The picture at the top of this blog at the central train station in Amsterdam.  Obviously the Dutch are big into bike commuting.  Is your local area bike commuter friendly?