Bicycle/Automobile Collisions

Position Paper (pdf)

In the 1890's the League of American Bicyclists began the Good Roads Movement to provide safe places for cyclists to ride. The network of paved roads and highways that American motorists enjoy today is the product of that early League campaign.

The League advocates for the rights of cyclists to use our roads and provides safety education to cyclists and motorists alike. Our heritage, and the experiences of thousands of our members who every day share the road with motorists, give us a unique perspective on the plight of cyclists involved in collisions with motorists.

All too often collisions between cyclists and motorists result in cyclist injuries or fatalities. All too often, police and prosecutors fail adequately to investigate such collisions and to pursue justice for injured cyclists or the loved ones they leave behind.

The League calls upon law enforcement authorities to provide treatment for motorist-cyclist collisions that is equal to that provided to motorist-motorist collisions, including:

1. Equal reporting of bicyclists’ and motorists’ descriptions of crashes.
2. Thorough investigation of all collisions involving motorists and bicyclists by individuals knowledgeable about traffic law and accident reconstruction as they apply to bicyclists.
3. An end to the assumption that cyclists are usually at fault.
4. Enforcement of traffic laws as they relate to both motorists and cyclists.
5. Vigorous prosecution of at-fault motorists who injure or kill cyclists.

Cyclists demand no more than to be accorded the same rights as other lawful users of the roads: safe access, appropriate facilities and maintenance, and protection from negligent and unlawful conduct by fellow users. Our heritage entitles us to no less.

(Adopted by the Board of Directors, November, 1999; amended June, 2000 and March 2005.)