Bike-Related Fatality Crashes Up in Georgia | WABE 90.1 FM

State officials say the number of bicycle-related fatality crashes in Georgia is on the rise. According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the number increased by 28% in 2012.

Officials attribute the increase to a growing number of cyclists on the road. Kari Watkins, a professor of civil engineering at Georgia Tech, developed an app for Atlanta cyclists.

“Here in Atlanta, we went from a .3% bike commute share in the year 2000 to a 1.5% bike commute share in the year 2011, an increase of 368%,” she says, “And these numbers continue to increase.”

Harris Blackwood is the director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. He says state officials plan to tighten safety measures, such as enforcing a state law requiring three feet between cyclists and cars.