Image by Scott Such Safer cycling ahead
Every time you see a white-painted bike on the side of the road, you might want to take a moment to remember the person who died there.
There are too many of those white remembrances, representing how South Carolina is the second riskiest state in which to ride a bike, according to a 2021 study by Streetlight Data . In 2020, South Carolina had the second-highest pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 people, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As a relatively small city with year-round moderate weather, Charleston should be an ideal place for cyclists and pedestrians. But the reality is bleak.
“Charleston County is consistently the most dangerous in the state for bike/ped users, and the tri-county area tends to be towards the top,” said Katie Zimmerman, executive director of Charleston Moves, a nonprofit advocating for more mobility access.
The state Department of Public Safety collects figures from law enforcement agencies on bike and pedestrian collisions. The 2021 data show that of 433 bike collisions reported statewide, 171 happened in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties — representing nearly 40% of all collisions in the state.
“The main issue is our infrastructure is not designed in a way that is complete. Our streets and bridges … really prioritize vehicles and encourage speeding, frankly, over human beings,” Zimmerman said. “Because of that, we have a lot of interactions on a daily basis that are really dangerous because you’ve got these different types of users, some more […]
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