The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported this year that although overall traffic fatalities are at the lowest they've been since 1949, cyclist and trucker deaths are up.
The Velo crew lost 8.7 percent more riders, and the tractor trailer crowd 20 percent — a not insignificant increase.
But there are reasons for the troubling trend that are, believe it or not, encouraging in a way. More trucker deaths stem from a higher volume of trucks on the road, meaning the economy is picking up and goods are moving. More bicyclists getting killed on public roads is a byproduct of more people riding bikes to work and for fun. See? Every cloud has a silver lining.
The downside is sad families, those creepy white memorial bicycles, and people having nightmares about Large Marge. If we can figure out a way to reduce those fatalities, life would be sweet indeed.
Seriously, though, I ride my bicycle a lot, and can't help but think how easy it would be for me to become one of those statistics. Maybe more dedicated lanes for bikes/trucks — or something — would be a boon to mankind.
Photo credit: Shutterstock