June 14, 2012
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says that in 2010, a bicycle rider was injured or killed every 8.4 hours. That means that almost 1,100 crashes that year involved a cyclist. According to FOX 11 News, Green Bay, Wisconsin, is doing its part to reduce the number of these types of accidents and improve safety for both motorists and cyclists alike.
The efforts are being funded by a federal grant Green Bay received to install bike lanes throughout the city. Last Friday it was announced that five miles of the project had been completed thus far, with those stretches receiving new markings on the pavement indicating biking lanes and new signs to mark the routes.
These lanes are for mixed use of both bikes and cars, but authorities are warning motorists to yield to cyclists when they are using them.
City officials hope that the completion of the project will help further reduce the number of Wisconsin bicycle accidents throughout the city. Over the past 20 years, the number of cyclists injured in accidents has been reduced by more than 40 percent; however, the number of fatalities has remained steady.
The Appleton personal injury lawyers with Sigman, Janssen, Sewall, Pitz & Burkham would like to remind cyclists of the importance of always wearing a helmet when you ride. Doing so will greatly decrease your chances of being injured or killed in the event of an accident.