Problem
Bicycle volumes are increasing in many regions worldwide leading to higher relevance
of an in-depth understanding of bicyclist safety mechanisms. Detailed studies on
bicyclist safety that consider exposure and distinguish by intersection category and
crash types are missing for urban signalised intersections which are of particular
relevance for bicyclist safety.
Method
Based on a comprehensive dataset of motorist and bicyclist volumes and infrastructure
characteristics for a sample of 269 signalised intersections in two German cities, we
analyse in a top-down approach first bicycle crashes of all types and second bicycle
crashes by type including turning, right-of-way and loss-of-control. A combination of
descriptive statistics and Accident Prediction Models (APM) are applied in terms of
analysis methods.
Results
Bicycle volumes are relevant for all types of intersections and crashes whereas the
effect of motor vehicle volumes differ between these different applications. The
separation of bicyclists from motor vehicles in time and space increases their safety but
also leads to behavioural adaption and risk compensation. The likelihood of right-ofway
crashes even increases with more separation in the signalling scheme. The main
predictor for loss-of-control crashes in terms of infrastructure are tram tracks.
Summary
This study provides insights on relevant determinants of bicycle crashes at urban
signalised intersections at several levels of detail. Exposure variables as well as the
physical separation of bicyclists from motor vehicles show consistent effects on bicycle
crash numbers whereas the effects of signalling differ between crash types.
Practical Applications
The different types of intersections and crashes follow each specific mechanisms of
bicyclist safety. The separation of bicyclists and motorists in time and space are
paramount at intersections with high bicycle volumes. Risk compensation such as red
light running becomes more important as intersections get smaller and motor vehicle
volumes decrease.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:85043 |
| Date | 02 May 2023 |
| Creators | Schröter, Bettina, Hantschel, Sebastian, Huber, Stefan, Gerike, Regine |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | German |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersion, doc-type:preprint, info:eu-repo/semantics/preprint, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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