May is National Bicycle Safety Month.
California Highway Patrol and the Office of Traffic Safety are offering tips for cyclists and drivers to remain safe on the roadways.
“Always give the bicycle some clearance. A Rule of thumb is 3ft of clearance when you're trying to pass or overtake a bicyclist. Also, for bicyclists to make sure that they're wearing the reflective clothing, especially at night if they're going to ride their bicycle,” California Highway Patrol Police Information Officer Salvador Castro said.
According to CHP, in 2020 California had almost 8,800 bicycle crashes and 90% of the bicycle crashes in California involved an injury and 151 of them were deadly.
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“There are more bike lanes around the city so if they’re going to be pushing that – it makes sense to be aware of the safety issues,” San Diegan Donovan Stevens said.
Many San Diegans are in support of bicycle safety and safety projects around the city and county.
“I’m a super fan of the bike lanes that have gone up around, we live in North Park and we are able to go to Downtown or Little Italy all because of the new bike lanes,” Stevens said.
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Some San Diegans have a nuanced outlook on it all.
"I kind of have mixed reviews a little bit. I’m not a biker and I’m glad there are safer places for bikers to be, but I was one of the people that was impacted down here with my parking being taken away so for me I wish there were better alternatives,” San Diegan Elise Chanlatte said.
California Highway Patrol will be holding events through May offering safety tips for cyclists and drivers.
