Identification and Development of Countermeasures for Bicyclist/Motor-Vehicle Problem Types. Volume 3, Model Regulations

Blomberg, Richard D.; Leaf, W. A.; Hale, A. (Allen), 1938-; Farrell, Mary Lou; Cross, Kenneth D. · 1982 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report, Volume III of a larger study sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), addresses the development of regulatory countermeasures to reduce bicycle/motor-vehicle accidents. The research was motivated by a detailed re-analysis of previously collected accident data (Cross and Fisher, 1977), which identified specific problem types and causal elements in bicycle crashes. While previous volumes of the study focused on training and public education, this volume focuses on model regulations, operating on the premise that certain traffic behaviors require legal mandates to ensure safety and fairness when voluntary compliance is insufficient. The methodology involved drafting eight model state laws or municipal ordinances based on the identified accident typologies. The development process adhered to guidelines emphasizing clarity, behavioral realism, and enforceability. Each model regulation includes a description of the underlying accident problem, the regulatory language, annotations explaining the rationale, and recommendations for implementation and field testing. The eight developed regulations are: Model Bicyclist Conspicuity Law, Model Law for Bicyclist Position on the Highway, Model Highway Entry Law, Model Minimum Age Law for Bicyclists, Model Driveway Parking Ordinance, Model Law to Remove Visual Obstructions, Model Regulation to Prohibit Riding Bicycles on Sidewalks, and Model Bicycle Safety Patrol and Violator Disposition Ordinance. A ninth potential regulation regarding motor vehicle turn signals was considered but not fully developed due to engineering evaluation constraints. The findings present specific regulatory frameworks for each identified problem. For instance, the Model Bicyclist Conspicuity Law mandates the use of conspicuous equipment to address visibility issues, particularly in nighttime parallel-path accidents, though specific equipment details were deferred pending further NHTSA research. The Model Law for Bicyclist Position on the Highway requires bicyclists to keep right and use shoulders when available, while prohibiting wrong-way riding. The Model Highway Entry Law requires drivers exiting driveways to stop and look for traffic before entering the roadway. The Model Minimum Age Law restricts unsupervised riding for children under 12, with stricter limits for those under seven. Other ordinances address driveway parking to prevent sudden rideouts, removal of visual obstructions like vegetation, prohibition of sidewalk riding in unsafe areas, and the establishment of bicycle safety patrols for enforcement. The significance of this work lies in providing ready-to-enact legislative templates for states and municipalities to improve bicycle safety. By grounding regulations in empirical accident data and designing them for clear enforcement and public understanding, the report aims to reduce crash rates through behavioral control. The recommendations include field testing these regulations to assess their risk-benefit outcomes before widespread promulgation, ensuring that the laws are both effective and practically implementable.

Key finding

Eight specific model regulations were developed to address identified accident types, including laws for bicyclist conspicuity, highway entry, minimum age, and visual obstruction removal.

Methodology

dataset

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Topics

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• cyclist safety
• regulatory evaluation
• vru conspicuity
• motorcycle conspicuity

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: policy recommendations