Chances are good that if you bike around the city, you’ve experienced near misses with cars — everything from being doored to almost getting hit. Though cyclists will never be able to avoid cars completely, a new study has found the riskiest places to ride in the city.
The study, conducted by Zendrive, a company that studies “drivers' behaviors” using sensors on smartphones, combined data on driver distraction with spots in the city that have heavy bike traffic. The bike data was provided by Human, a company that tracks bike rides and other activities. The outcome of both data sets includes a map that identifies 10 of the most dangerous areas to bike in the city due to distracted driving. It also shows other parts of the city that have a medium-to-low biking risk.
For the study, Zendrive tracked 1,100 drivers who used their phone while driving (the company also checked drivers' speed). This included all types of drivers — regular, rideshare, and taxi drivers, all of whom knew their data was being tracked. The most dangerous areas might not surprise seasoned cyclists: parts of the Panhandle, SoMa, Upper Mission, and Duboce Triangle. Less dangerous areas are found in the Sunset, Civic Center, and parts of downtown — really any area that doesn't feed out or into the 280 or 101 routes. Check it out below.
The company also created maps showing the density of bike collisions in intersections across a 10 year period (using data from the SFPD and transbasesf.org) as well as a general map of distracted driving in the city. Those maps are below and can help cyclists see which areas scream danger.
The maps were shared with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, both of which have a vested interest in making the city safer for both cyclists and pedestrians. “This study underscores the need for a comprehensive, safety-first approach on our city streets,” Tyler Frisbee, policy director for the SF Bicycle Coalition, told Zendrive. “Encouraging everyone to pay attention is a crucial part of improving our streets, and hopefully this study will reemphasize the need to prioritize safety when designing our roadways.”
As the city tries to meet its Vision Zero safety goals by 2024, there's no doubt that SF has an unprecedented need for more regulations that protect pedestrians and cyclists alike. But seriously, stop looking at your phone — that text message can wait.
All maps are © Zendrive 2015. Base mapping data for all maps used under creative commons license via Stamen.
Top photo courtesy of Egor Pasko/Flickr.
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