Giving Bicyclists Their Three Feet
Once a year, thousands of Americans participate in National Bike-to-Work Day. And why not? Riding a bicycle to work is an ideal
way to get exercise
With that said, riding a bicycle can be dangerous, especially in a big city. Nationwide, bicycle-related injuries are on the rise.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 43,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic in 2007. Two years later, in
2009, 51,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic.
So how can we make our cities safer for bicycling? The most important thing to do is to widen bicycle lanes. Common wisdom
suggests that bicyclists need at least three feet of distance from cars in order to be safe. But bicycle lanes are sometimes less than
three feet wide. Worse, they are often sandwiched in between parked cars and traffic. If someone in a parked car suddenly opens the
car door, a bicyclist can be injured or even killed.
What we need is a standard for bicycle lane width. A lane that is less than three feet wide almost guarantees an accident. Thus, all
lanes should be at least three feet wide. Moreover, they should be positioned at least one foot from nearby parking spaces
Wearing a bike helmet is a little like wearing a seat belt it offers only partial protection. If we want to keep bicyclists safe from
harm, we must also give them wider bicycle lanes. And city planners should impose minimum width standards if they are going to
prevent accidents
3
Which statement from the passage best supports the claim that bicycle lanes are located too close to parking spaces?
OA. Once a year, thousands of Americans participate in National Bike-to-Work Day.
OB. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 43,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic in 2007
OC. If someone in a parked car suddenly opens the car door, a bicyclist can be injured or even killed.
And city planners should impose minimum width standards if they are going to prevent accidents.
OD