Full Notification

The Santa Barbara Police Department will conduct bicycle safety enforcement operations on September 26, 2016 with focused enforcement on collision-causing factors involving motorists and bicycle riders.  Special patrols will be deployed to concentrate on drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians who violate traffic laws meant to protect all roadway users.

The department has conducted analysis of the locations where bicycle involved collisions have occurred, and the violations that led to those crashes, over the past 3 years.  Officers will be looking for violations made by drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians alike that can lead to life changing injuries. 

Bicycle fatalities are rising in California as more people ride bikes for commuting, exercise and recreation.  Locally, the Santa Barbara Police Department has investigated two (2) fatal and 341 injury collisions involving bicycle riders during the past three (3) years.

California witnessed 141 bicyclist deaths in 2013, accounting for nearly five percent of all traffic fatalities, much higher than the national average of just over two percent.  Nationally, 68 percent of all bicyclists who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2013 died in urban area crashes.  Over a 10-year period (2004 to 2013), the average age of ­cyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes has steadily increased from 39 to 44. 

The most recent Office of Traffic Safety statistics have ranked our city number two (2) in bicycle collisions when compared to 103 similarly sized cities.  In the past three (3) years Santa Barbara has experienced 366 bicycle involved collisions.

In December 2015 a bicyclist was riding eastbound on Carrillo Street when he failed to stop for a red traffic signal at the intersection with Castillo Street.  The bicyclist was struck by a vehicle that was traveling southbound on Castillo Street.  The bicyclist suffered injuries to his neck, back, both arms and both legs and required treatment at Cottage Hospital Emergency Room.  The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet and an inspection of his bicycle revealed that neither of its brakes were functioning at the time of the collision.

The following safety tips can save lives and stop this tragedy witnessed far too often in Santa Barbara:

Drivers:

• Place your full attention on driving and eliminate all distractions
• Share the road with bicyclists
• Be courteous; California law now mandates at least three feet of clearance when passing a bike rider
• Look for cyclists before opening a car door or pulling out from a parking space
• Yield to cyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and signals
• Be especially watchful for riders when making turns, either left or right

Bicyclists:

• Wear properly fitted bicycle helmets every time you ride; if under 18 years of age, it’s the law
• A helmet is the single most effective way to prevent a head injury resulting from a bicycle crash
• California law mandates that a bicycle operated on the roadway be equipped with a brake that will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement
• Riders are considered vehicle operators; they are required to obey the same rules of the road as other vehicle operators, including obeying traffic signs, signals and lane markings
• When cycling on the street, cyclists must ride in the same direction as traffic
• Bicyclists should increase their visibility to drivers by wearing fluorescent or brightly colored clothing during the day, and at dawn and dusk
• To be noticed when riding at night, the law requires a front light and a red reflector to the rear
• For additional safety, use a flashing rear light and retro-reflective tape or markings on equipment and clothing

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.