BikeWise Community Makes Cycling Safer
Bike commuting is a rewarding way to reduce your carbon footprint and save some cash at the same time. Not only is it great for your body and your mind, riding that bike to work keeps one more car off the road and means spending less money on gas.
Unfortunately, riding bikes means occasionally dealing with pitfalls like bad roads, dangerous intersections, and theft. It would be great if drivers were more bike-aware, but this just isn’t always the case. Seattle-based BikeWise is looking to take some of the unknown out of bike commuting, providing a tool to “make biking safer and more fun by gathering good data on the things that sometimes go wrong.”
So how does it work?
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The folks at BikeWise firmly believe that knowledge is power, and they’ve broken down the major problems that face cyclists into three categories: crashes, hazards and thefts. The site is user-generated, and anyone can sign up and participate! Did you notice a terrible pot hole on 10th Street that might be a problem for an unsuspecting cyclist? Did you come back to a bike rack to find your ride was gone? BikeWise wants you to report it, so we can all learn about cycling danger zones. The site translates that information into interactive Google maps that pinpoint potential problems.
Crashes
According to their site, “it’s estimated that 75% or more of all crashes go unreported.” You can view crashes by several different sub-categories, like crash factors, road conditions and, my favorite, lessons learned. I think that last one is a great resource for beginning cyclists. Lessons learned include: always wear a helmet, don’t assume drivers will stop at signs/crosswalks, and get a better headlight. I wish someone had told me things like this when I first started riding! It would have saved me some near-misses and a lot of stress.
Hazards
Before setting out on a new route, wouldn’t it be great if you could get a heads up about tricky terrain you might encounter? The hazards portion of the site lets you look at just that! If you see a hazard bubble popping up along your route, just click it to get the full story, like this:
Their eventual plan is to get a system in place that not only logs these road hazards but gets those reports to the proper authorities.
Thefts
Have you ever had your bike stolen? It’s a terrible feeling, especially when you rely on those two wheels to get you where you need to be. I still remember walking out of my apartment a few years ago to find that someone had used a ladder to snatch my bike off of our second story balcony. I would never have thought to lock my bike up on the second floor! After it happened, I discovered that this wasn’t the first time someone had lost a bike that way. The theft section of the BikeWise site helps cyclists learn from others’ experiences.
Getting Involved
The site defaults to the Seattle area, but you can change cities to view your own. They’re just getting started, so some cities aren’t represented yet. That’s where you come in! Don’t see your city? It’s easy to get your own BikeWise account and get logging. The site is pretty new, so you can also help by spreading the word. This site has amazing potential for the cycling community - I’d just love to see it grow! As more and more folks contribute their stories, I could see this becoming an indispensable resource for new and seasoned cyclists alike!
Via Worldchanging
Image Credits:
Creative Commons photo by Joshua Putnam
Hazard Map via BikeWise.org
