Bicycle safety: sustaining mobility and environment

Bicycles constitute some sixty percent of all vehicular traffic in the Tamale municipality (Ghana). In order to realize the full potential of this mode of transport to serve the mobility needs of especially the urban poor, it is suggested that a safe cycling environment is an important prerequisite. To this end a study of bicycle accidents in the municipality for the period 1989-1991 was conducted. A consistent rise in the number of accidents was observed but accident severity declined. Bicyclists were about six times more likely to die in accidents than motorists. The main accident types were rear-end collisions into leading cyclists in dark hours ending in "cutting" of cyclists too closely by overtaking motorists in daylight. Countermeasures suggested include use of the Finnish disc to reduce "cutting" and improved taillights/reflectors on bicycles to enhance their conspicuity in dark hours. Separation of bicycles from motorized traffic has also been recommended.