Hawaii Department of Health Cites Progress vs. Fatal Bicycle Accidents

The Hawaii State Department of Health delivered some good news for bicyclists in its Hawaii Injury Prevention Plan (HIPP) for 2012–2017. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “bicycle-related deaths in 2009 were nearly half of what they were in 2005.” HIPP attributes the success to “an increased effort among traffic safety partners and advocates” that consisted of “engineering improvements, improved planning and design policies, targeted enforcement and public education efforts, and reductions in the average number of vehicle miles traveled.”

In the five years DOH studied to prepare HIPP, bicycle fatalities numbered between two and four each year, with 12 of the 15 deaths happening on Oahu. Thirteen of the bicyclists killed were male. Eighty-seven percent of the victims were hit by a car, and only two were wearing helmets.  More than half of the victims tested positive for either alcohol or drugs. Of the 11 vehicle drivers who fatally struck cyclists, only two were positive for substance use, and only two were observed to have been speeding. No other driving errors were cited as contributing factors in the crashes. In fact, in 10 of the 11 crashes, the cars were traveling straight on the road.

Nonfatal injuries were much more frequent and trending upward. Each year approximately 1,200 nonfatal injuries occurred, 92 percent of them requiring emergency department treatment. Males again predominated, making up 75 percent of treated patients and 80 percent of those hospitalized. But juveniles five to 15 years old had the highest injury rate.

In making recommendations for preventing bicycle injuries, HIPP notes that “only 27 percent of the injured bicyclists wore helmets.” Unhelmeted riders were three times more like to have a “critical” or fatal injury. Cyclists who consumed alcohol were also much less likely to wear a helmet.

Bicycle safety seems to be one area where DOH is making significant progress. According to the most recent statistics available from NHTSA, Hawaii in 2012 was well below the national average of 2.31 bicycle fatalities per one million population, at 1.44. However, cyclists must do their part, which should at minimum include wearing a helmet and refraining from drinking before cycling.

Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, Attorneys at Law represents injured cyclists throughout Hawaii. Call us at 808.524.1433 to schedule a free consultation or contact our Honolulu office online.

By Cronin Fried | Published March 3, 2017 | Posted in Personal Injury | Tagged bicycle injuries in Hawaii, cycling injuries, HIPP | Comments Off on Hawaii Department of Health Cites Progress vs. Fatal Bicycle Accidents