Abstract
Bicycles are classified as non-motorized vehicles in road traffic law. This law stipulates that, in principle, bicycles must ride on the roadway on roads where sidewalks and roadways are separated. However, on main line roads with heavy traffic volume, the regulated velocity for vehicles is high, ranging from 40km/h to 50km/h. Furthermore, on main line roads, not only passenger vehicles but also large size vehicles such as trucks pass through, and the traffic volume is high. Therefore, based on the above principles, it is difficult to ensure the safety of cyclists. For this reason, there are many cases where bicycles are permitted to ride on sidewalks as an exception to the principles. In recent years, collisions between bicycles and pedestrians resulting in the death or serious injury of pedestrians have become a social problem. Therefore, it is also important to consider the safe coexistence of pedestrians and cyclists on sidewalks. From the viewpoint of the vehicle, the velocity of bicycles is faster than that of pedestrians, and their behaviors are difficult for drivers to grasp. Furthermore, if a bicycle collides with a vehicle, there is a high possibility that the cyclist will be killed or seriously injured. Therefore, it is best to avoid accidents involving bicycles as much as possible. In this paper, the author analyzes accident statistics data for collisions between passenger vehicles and bicycles, and between large size trucks and bicycles. As a result, the relationship between the collision position on the vehicle side, the collision velocity, and the degree and type of injury to the cyclist was clarified. Based on these findings, the author would like to discuss the desirable coexistence of automobiles and bicycles in road traffic.
