OLYMPIA – The Washington State House of Representatives voted today to establish a Bicyclist Safety Advisory Council, which would analyze data on bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries throughout the state and identify opportunities for safety improvements.
“By creating this council, we’ll give communities across our state valuable information that will help save lives, regardless which mode of transport people use,” said Rep. Shelley Kloba, D-Kirkland, who sponsored the measure. “We know the number of bicyclist fatalities in our state is increasing, and we need to look systemically at what’s happening that might account for this.”
The council is named for Cooper Jones, who was killed at the age of 13 while riding his bike. His parents pushed for bicyclist safety legislation after his death, resulting in the Cooper Jones Act of 1998. Among other things, this legislation directed the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to promote bicycle and pedestrian safety education. Over time, resources have been shifted away from these efforts. Kloba’s bill gives fresh attention to the issue, and the opportunity to learn from patterns and commonalities across the state.
Bicyclist fatalities increased 12 percent from 2012 to 2014, compared with 2009 to 2011. The data the council would analyze is already collected by the state, but is currently not widely shared between jurisdictions or regions of the state. The value in sharing information is that often, lessons learned from a tragic accident in one community can spur improvements that help save lives in other communities.
The council’s mission is consistent with the state’s Target Zero goal of reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries on Washington’s roadways to zero by the year 2030.
“We already have a Pedestrian Safety Advisory Council, and it’s doing incredible work bringing people together to share information and best practices. That’s the kind of success we’re aiming for with the Bicyclist Safety Advisory Council. Safer roadways aren’t just better for bicyclists – they help everyone get where they need to go more efficiently and prevent accidents.” Kloba said.
The bill number is HB 1795. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.