Bicycle Safety: The Bike Box

A recent Forbes article notes that injuries and fatalities of pedestrians and cyclists have steadily increased since 2009—at a significantly higher rate than motor vehicle fatalities. From 2011 to 2012, pedestrian deaths rose 6% and bicyclist fatalities were up nearly 7%. These road users lack the speed, power, and protective "shell" that a motor vehicle affords drivers, and it is an important responsibility of every driver to ensure their safety.

Traditional Safe-Driving Techniques

The safety of bicyclists and walkers is generally enhanced by limiting the driving speed of motor vehicles and by separating motor vehicles from these road users as much as possible. In a practical sense, this means that drivers should remain vigilant for cyclists and pedestrians, slow down when operating a motor vehicle near them, and give them a generous space cushion—a minimum of three feet between a motor vehicle and a bicycle.

These tips remain helpful, but other steps are being taken at the infrastructure level to enhance the safety of bicyclists.

Bike Box/Advanced Stop Lines

A bike box (also referred to as an advanced stop line or advanced stop box) is a system of road markings employed at signalized intersections to allow certain vehicle types a head start when the traffic signal changes from red to green. The markings include a green box on the roadway with a white bicycle symbol inside, and include a green bicycle lane approaching and leading from the box. There are two parallel stop lines at the intersection: the first, at which all traffic except for the specified users (usually bicyclists, but sometimes buses or motorcycles) must stop; and a second, closer to the intersection, to which only the specified users may proceed. Signage may inform road users of the meaning of the extra stop line. Separate signals may be provided for the specific traffic, but usually all vehicles use the same signals.

The primary goal of this set-up is to prevent, through enhanced visibility and awareness, collisions between motorists who are turning right and cyclists who are going straight. At a red light, cyclists are more visible to motorists because they are in front of them. At a green light, the bike lane through the intersection reminds motorists and cyclists to watch for one another.

When the traffic signal is yellow or red, motorists must stop behind the white stop line that is behind the bike box. Don't stop on top of or "in" the bike box; keep it clear for cyclists' use. A right-turn-on-red may not be made at these intersections. When the light turns green, motorists and cyclists may move through the intersection as usual, with cyclists proceeding first. Motorists turning right on the green should signal and watch for cyclists to the right, especially in the green bike lane in the intersection.

Cyclists enter the bike box from the approaching green bike lane, stopping before the crosswalk on a yellow or red traffic signal. When the light is green, cyclists proceed as usual, taking care to watch for right-turning motor vehicles.

(The City of Portland's (Oregon) Office of Transportation publishes a helpful brochure to introduce motorists to this newer arrangement.)

Adult Involvement Can Lower Teen Driver Deaths

Driving Can Be Dangerous

Teen drivers are inexperienced behind the wheel, and they often make dangerous choices because they lack maturity and are prone to taking risks. It's no surprise, then, that traffic crashes are the leading killer of teens in the U.S.

Parents and Other Adults Can Help

Parents (or other adults) can have a significant impact on the safety habits of young drivers. That's the message behind the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) "5 to Drive" campaign intended to raise awareness about the critical role adults play in developing safe teen drivers.

The safety initiative encourages parents to:

• Learn about their state's graduated driver licensing (GDL) program, if there is one, and to understand—and enforce—the restrictions placed on their teen's license. Even in states that don't have an official program, parents can establish important ground rules for their teen driver: Restrict night driving and passengers, prohibit driving while on the phone, and require seat belt use at all times.
• Be a good role model. Parents must remember that their child sees how they drive and is likely to model their behavior. Therefore, it is imperative that parents practice safe-driving techniques themselves! (They might even take a defensive driving course to brush up on their skills.) Parents should also observe and discuss with their children these important "5 to Drive" safety rules:
1. No mobile phone use or texting while driving. Ten percent of those killed in teen-driving crashes in 2012 died when the teen driver was distracted at the time of the crash.
2. No extra passengers. NHTSA data show that a teenage driver is 2.5 times more likely to engage in risky behavior when driving with one teenage passenger, and three times more likely with multiple teenager passengers.
3. No speeding. In 2012, speeding was a factor in almost half (48%) of the crashes that killed 15- to 20-year-old drivers.
4. No alcohol. The minimum legal drinking age in every state is 21. However, 28% of 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in crashes in 2012 had been drinking.
5. No driving or riding without a seat belt. In 2012, more than half (60%) of all 15- to 20-year-old occupants of passenger vehicles killed in crashes were unrestrained.

Driver Education is Important, But Just the Beginning

Parents should not rely solely on a driver education class to teach their teen to drive. While formal, professional driver education is important—and highly recommended—it should be used as just part of a broader GDL program. Parents are encouraged to communicate with their teen and set aside time to take their teen on practice driving sessions. It can be a great way to spend time together and to allow the teen to improve on basic driving skills.

Parents who are anxious about practicing driving with their teen could pick up a copy of the outstanding parent-teen driving guide, Teach Your Teen to Drive…and stay alive. This fantastic parent-teen guide provides life-saving tips and easy-to-follow, structured exercises to reduce the stress factors associated with the up to 60 hours of supervised driving practice that's required by all 50 states.

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Teen Drivers: Distracted and Dangerous

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), a non-profit organization representing state highway safety offices (and an excellent resource that's available here!), recently released a report detailing the dangers of teen distracted driving. The report, "Distracted & Dangerous: Helping States Keep Teens Focused on the Road," highlights promising programs and policies designed to help teen drivers recognize deadly distractions and to encourage young motorists to be fully engaged while behind the wheel.

The Danger

"Teens have the highest crash risk of any age group, and research confirms that distraction is often a factor," Jonathan Adkins, the group's executive director, said in a statement. Indeed, teens represented the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal crash, based on the 2012 data used in the report (the latest available), and 57% of those killed were the teen drivers themselves.

Unexpectedly, the research indicated that the youngest and most inexperienced motorists were actually among those least likely (with the exception of drivers 60 and older) to use a mobile phone while driving. "Many brand new teen drivers recognize passengers and portable electronics are distracting. But as they gain experience and become more confident in their driving skills, their attitudes about talking and texting while driving, as well as transporting passengers, changes," Adkins added.

Distraction caused by multiple passengers is also problematic for new drivers. The probability of a crash increases with each passenger riding with a young driver, as it's often tempting for teens to pay attention to their passengers than to the road.

Help is on the Way

Superior driver education programs and graduated driver licensing systems can help a great deal with such issues—as can strict, but fair, enforcement of reasonable, well-drafted traffic laws. Of particular note:

• New York will soon have the nation's toughest distracted-driving penalties. Beginning November 1, 2014, drivers under the age of 21 will face a 120-day license suspension for a first conviction and a 1-year suspension for a second. And state law is complemented with aggressive enforcement that includes utilizing unmarked, raised sport utility vehicles that allow officers to better spot drivers who are texting or engaging in other distracting behaviors.
• North Dakota invested federal distracted-driving grant funds to provide law enforcement training in advance of a statewide, high-visibility enforcement initiative and media campaign conducted during Distracted Driving Awareness Month (April). The state continues to support the effort with messages via Pandora, Hulu, and other social media platforms directed to young drivers.

The report noted that simulators, peer-to-peer campaigns, contests, phone apps, and grassroots advocacy were among the promising approaches to fighting teen distracted driving.

Potential distractions are everywhere, and no driver is immune to the hazards. Considering that distracted driving can lead to slower reactions times than even a blood alcohol content of 0.08% (the presumptive limit in all 50 states), we should all have an interest in doing whatever we can to keep teens—and all drivers—distraction-free behind the wheel.

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Remember that October 19 – 25 is
Teen Driver Safety Week!

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