A recent unfortunate car-versus-bicycle crash killed a local cyclist. Following the accident, the Austin Police Department said that statistics support the fact that motorists are more often at fault in Austin bicycle accidents.
What was surprising about the statistics was that 21 percent of the accidents that occurred between cars and bicycles in 2012 were the cyclist’s fault. APD Senior Officer Veneza Bremner told KXAN that they also see near misses when cyclists run red lights and stop signs.
The Executive Director of Bike Texas, Robin Stallings, explained to the NBC affiliate that while most cyclists follow the law, there are some that “behave badly.” In most areas of Austin, cyclists cannot lawfully ride on sidewalks. This means cyclists and motor vehicles must share the road and cyclists need to follow the rules.