PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Roseville, California experienced 107 reported bicycle vs. vehicle crashes in the years 1991 through 1993. These crashes caused 78 injuries and two fatalities. In more than 70 percent of the crashes the cyclist was at fault. Over half of the cyclist violators were children under the age of 18; nobody was wearing a helmet. Lack of enforcement contributed to unsafe cycling practices. The Roseville Police Department issued few citations or written warnings. Police officers either did not think bicycle enforcement was a high priority, or disliked "punishing" juvenile cyclists with citations.

Additionally, there is a lack of connected citywide safe bicycling paths in Roseville, a rapidly growing suburban city. Streets in newly developed areas of the city feature well marked and separated bicycle lanes, but older, more congested streets in the center of the city do not.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

To decrease the number of deaths and injuries occurring among bicycle riders by:

• Increasing the skills, knowledge, and helmet usage of cyclists, especially youngsters
• Increasing enforcement of cycling laws by police officers, in particular, California's 1995 bicycle helmet law
• Raising public awareness of safer bicycle routes throughout the city.

Pedalsafe Bicycle Safety Education Program (cont'd)

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

The Pedalsafe Program is composed of staff from transportation, police, and other city developments, school district staff, and citizens. The program jointly plans and implements project activities such as:

• Safety presentations and a poster contest at daycare centers
• Bicycle safety checkpoints conducted by police officers at several elementary schools, where students wearing helmets received a free prize
• Bicycle stunt riders who performed at junior high schools
• A citywide bicycle skill rodeo, attended by approximately 300 people
• Provision of low- or no-cost bicycle helmets for children
• Bicycle safety articles published in local newspapers, and safety information broadcast on the City's government access cable TV channel
• A soon-to-be-published pocket-sized, easy-to-read bikeway map of Roseville.

The Roseville Police Department established a diversion program for juvenile bicycle safety violators. Parents of juveniles receiving a first-time bicycle citation get a warning letter and safety literature. If receiving a second bicycle citation, juveniles choose between a bicycle safety class or traffic court. Third-time violators are sent directly to traffic court. Education, rather than punishment, is emphasized, and police officers are encouraged to write more citations.

RESULTS

FUNDING Section 402: $17,150 CONTACT Dee Dee Gunther Administrative Analyst 401 Oak Street Roseville, CA 95678 (701) 774-5141 Bicycle safety enforcement awareness has increased among police officers. Enforcement is more palatable. Citations issued to cyclists increased from three per month before the project to 26 per month. Nearly all of the cited offenders were introduced to the project's diversion program. Helmet use among juveniles increased from a baseline of 14 - 65 percent in early November 1994 to 79 - 100 percent five months later, midway through the project. Although grant funding has ceased, the Pedalsafe Committee plans to continue meeting and conduct bicycle safety education activities.