A new study published in the journal Transportation Research Part A found that bicycle riding is not as dangerous as many people believe, and that riding dirt bikes, which are not propelled by humans, is safer than riding conventional bicycles.
The study was led by University of Chicago researchers who looked at data from more than 14,000 riders in a study that included almost 300,000 trips.
The researchers found that riders were less likely to get injured or killed in accidents with bicycles than with other modes of transportation.
“I was shocked by the findings,” said Sarah Jaffe, a bicycle-friendly advocacy coordinator for Bike Chicago.
“It was very interesting, and very unexpected.
But it was also surprising, because we thought it would be the opposite.
We knew dirt bikes would be safer than bikes.
But this study showed that they are, in fact, safer.”
Bicycles are not made of steel and have fewer moving parts than a traditional bicycle.
Bikes are designed to be driven by humans by using two wheels that sit atop a single axle.
Bicycles typically have three wheels, with the handlebars on the front and the handlebar on the back.
The researchers found the number of fatalities caused by crashes with bicycles was about the same as the number caused by collisions with conventional vehicles.
The average number of injuries per fatal crash with a dirt bike is 3.5, compared to 4.4 for a conventional vehicle.
The findings were consistent across the board, and were not related to a particular type of bicycle, Jaffe said.
It was clear that dirt bikes were not the worst-case scenario when it came to accidents.
The new study also showed that riders who rode dirt bikes and who rode bicycles that are propelled by human power were more likely to ride safely and less likely than those who rode conventional bikes, a finding that could help prevent injuries and deaths.
“What it says is that people need to think more about the design of their bike and not just ride it,” Jaffe added.
“They need to consider the safety of their own bike.”
The study also found that the percentage of riders who used a “self-propelled” bicycle with a wheel on the ground had decreased from about 8 percent in the early 1990s to less than 2 percent in 2013.
The study also estimated that self-propelling bicycle use was responsible for about 1.5 million fewer deaths and an additional 1.8 million fewer injuries than conventional bicycle use.
Jaffe is urging people to take advantage of the opportunities offered by self-drive bicycles, which offer greater safety for those riding in the open and less space for pedestrians.
“It’s important to understand what is happening, and to understand why the numbers are different,” she said.
“That is the first step in making the right decisions about whether to ride on a self-powered bike.”
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