Franklin County is one of Ohio's most dangerous places for bike accidents
On the night of March 3, an unidentified vehicle struck a 58-year-old man on a bicycle riding along Sinclair Road and drove away from the scene. The impact left the cyclist with life-threatening injuries.
It was the second time in 2024 that a person suffered serious injuries in a bike accident in Columbus.
Avid cyclists like Bob Eckhart, who lives in the University District, said the fact that Columbus is trying to do something to make the city more bike friendly is better than other cities who do nothing.
"No city could ever do enough according to bikers, and probably every city is doing too much according to motorists," Eckhart said.
Which Ohio counties have the most crashes involving bikes?
Data compiled by the Ohio Highway Patrol shows Franklin County had the second highest number of crashes involving bicycles of any county in the state since 2019. Cuyahoga County reported the most, more than 200 more than Franklin County.
The Highway Patrol data, compiled from crash reports required to be filed by law enforcement agencies, showed there were 904 crashes involving bikes in Franklin County between Jan. 1, 2019 and March 11, 2024. Franklin County's bicycle crashes account for 16% of the state's total during that time frame.
Of those 904 bike crashes — which account for less than one-tenth of 1% of all crashes in Franklin County during that time frame — 16 were fatal.
The number of fatal crashes involving cyclists has remained at five or fewer each of the last five years. There was only one bike fatality each year in Franklin County in 2020 and in 2022, according to the Highway Patrol's data.
However, 97 or 10.7% of all the 902 crashes have resulted in a possible serious injury. The vast majority of crashes involving bicycles have resulted in minor injuries or property damage.
What Ohio counties are deadliest for cyclists
Cuyahoga County - 1,114
Franklin County - 904
Lucas County - 373
Hamilton County - 346
Montgomery County - 315
Summit County - 254
Stark County - 181
Butler County - 162
Lorain County - 140
Lake County - 128
Source: Ohio Department of Public Safety (accurate through March 11, 2024)
Where and when are bike riders most likely to get hit by a car?
Most bicycle crashes happen between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays, the Highway Patrol's data says. Sixty-four bicycle crashes occurred on U.S. 40, which runs east to west through Columbus as Broad Street, and 60 happened on U.S. 23, which runs north to south through Franklin County.
The city, in partnership with the Columbus Downtown Development Corp., and Edwards Companies development firm, recently announced plans for a two-mile bike and pedestrian path that will loop through Downtown. The plan represents a $100 million investment into making the city more pedestrian and cyclist friendly.
Ohio is bucking the national trend for pedestrian crashes, The Dispatch reported in February, seeing fewer pedestrians killed while other states are seeing increases in deaths.
As the weather improves in Ohio, the number of pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle crashes is expected to increase as more people are out and active.
There were 1,616 motorcycle crashes reported between 2019 and March 11, which are separate from bicycle crashes in how data is compiled on a statewide level. Of those, 89 were fatal and 387 resulted in a serious injury — 6% and 24% of all motorcycle crashes, respectively.
Columbus needs more bike lanes, advocates say
Having designated bicycle lanes in Columbus has been a point of contention for several years, with advocates arguing there should be more lanes that have separation from cars on roadways.
In 2022, cycling advocates argued there should be more protected lanes built into the city's design plans. In February, advocates attended a Columbus City Council meeting and said the city has not considered bicycle lanes in enough of its major road projects.
Eckhart said there are portions of the city that are more bicycle-friendly than others, largely along what appears to be socioeconomic lines.
"There’s not a single time I don’t put my helmet and my reflective vest on that I don't think there’s a small chance that I will get hit and run over by a car," he said. "That’s the reality. That’s the choice. Every time you’re getting on a bike, you’re placing a bet that you’re not getting run over."
Two of Eckhart's friends have been killed while cycling. One of them was an experienced biker out for their normal morning ride; the other was someone who rode recreationally.
"You can be the most experienced bicyclist in the city, but there’s still this really small chance that you’ll get hit. You have to choose your lifestyle," Eckhart said.
bbruner@dispatch.com
@bethany_bruner
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Bike crashes: Where Franklin County ranks among dangerous places to ride
