Biking for transportation and recreation should be “as easy as riding a bike”. It’s why the League of American Bicyclists works at the national, state, and local level to make biking comfortable, accessible and safe for people of all ages and abilities. We know that by focusing on making safe streets for all--not only if you’re biking, walking, on a scooter or in a wheelchair--we are creating a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.
Today, at the virtual 2020 National Bike Summit, the League and Uber announced a new safety partnership towards building healthier, sustainable, vibrant communities. Through this partnership, we are collaborating on three fronts to move the needle when it comes to keeping people on bikes and all road users safe:
- Uber will make a multimedia version of the League’s Bicycle Friendly Drivereducational course available to its drivers to educate drivers on how to avoid common collisions, navigate new bicycling infrastructure, encourage courteousness with people on bikes, and help keep people on bikes safe.
- Uber will work with the League to create a micromobility safety education program for users of Uber’s JUMP-branded shared e-bikes and scooters to help them safely navigate city streets.
- Uber and the League will continue to collaborate when it comes to federal policyissues to encourage the funding and growth of safe bike infrastructure across the country.
The League knows bicycling improves lives and communities, and only by making our streets safe and comfortable will bicycling become an easy transportation option for more people.
"We are honored to partner with the League of American Bicyclists and have the opportunity to collaborate on initiatives that can help increase safety for road users, provide more access to mobility options, and grow bicycle usage,” said Colin Hughes, head of policy for bikes & scooters, Uber. “By utilizing our reach and technology along with the League’s long history of expertise and leadership in bicycling safety, together we can help create safe roads for all."
Nearly 40,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes annually and while cars and SUVs have become safer for people inside, people walking or biking are in greater danger of suffering severe injury or death when hit by drivers. In the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s latest estimates for 2018, the number of people killed while bicycling and walking increased over previous years and bicyclists were the largest increase in fatalities of all road users, with a more than 6.3% increase that year. This would make 2018 the deadliest year for people bicycling since 1988.
The League is dedicated to increasing road safety through all of our programs, including education, advocacy, and promotion. We are consistently advocating to advance policies and federal funding that would increase bike facilities, improve street design, reduce vehicle speeds, and integrate automobile technologies like automatic emergency braking into more vehicles.
No one does more to increase safety through education programs than the League--for both bicyclists and drivers.
That is why the League is so thrilled to partner with Uber.
Already, the League and Uber have partnered to push for better investments and policies in implementing high-quality bicycling infrastructure nationwide. In January, Uber joined the League in urging the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooter riders through additional funding measures and incentive programs.
The League’s knowledge and experience as a leader in bicycling and driver education will be leveraged to improve the ability of all people to move safely on our streets while improving awareness and behavior for drivers, bicyclists, and other micromobility users alike.
