Bike crash numbers in Bend slow after teen death

Published 5:15 am Saturday, October 14, 2023

Bicycle crashes in Bend that required emergency medical attention have dropped in recent months following a fatality and a campaign to raise bike safety awareness.

From July through September, Bend Fire & Rescue responded to 41 bike crashes in Bend, a 27% decline compared to the same period a year ago, when 56 crashes occurred in the same three-month period, according to data from the agency.

Bike crashes have been in the spotlight this year amid a public safety awareness campaign led by Bend Police related to unsafe riding of electric bikes among young people.

The campaign was in full swing in mid-June when a 15-year-old e-bike rider was killed at an intersection on U.S. Highway 20 near the East Bend Public Library.

The late summer accident decline stands in stark contrast to the first half of the year when bike crashes were on a record-setting pace.

During the first six months of this year, Bend Fire & Rescue responded to 43 bike crashes. That beats the previous January to June high of 35 crashes, recorded a year ago.

The public safety awareness campaign was a joint project run by Bend Police, City Hall and Bend Fire & Rescue. It focused on laws surrounding e-bikes and safety precautions, said Sheila Miller, a spokesperson for Bend Police.

“Perhaps the drop in the number of e-bike accidents that required a response from Bend fire medics is related to that community outreach, and of more people understanding the rules of the road,” said Miller.

Bend Fire & Rescue started to include e-bike crashes as part of its data in May. The number of reported crashes involving these types of e-bikes has also declined since the fatal crash in mid-June.

In May and June, Bend Fire & Rescue reported a total of 11 e-bike crashes. In the two months after the crash, July and August, the agency reported just six e-bike crashes.

“I am glad to hear that accidents are down,” said Dan McGarigle, owner of Pine Mountain Sports, a bike shop in Bend. “I hope this trend continues, and I hope the education is there to use e-bikes when they are in traffic.”

McGarigle points out that comparing year-on-year data isn’t apples to apples. July through September this year in Bend was smokier than the same time period a year ago, for example, and that can impact the number of people who get out on the roads to bike.

He adds that while the declining accident numbers are positive, he still sees young people in Bend with cavalier e-bike riding habits — texting while riding, traveling on sidewalks with multiple friends on the back.

Helmet use is far from universal, McGarigle adds, and he continues to see e-bikes used by kids not old enough to operate them. Because of their classification, the minimum age for e-bike riding is 16.

McGarigle said the best advice will come from parents.

“If your kids aren’t able to operate a motor vehicle, don’t put them on an e-bike,” he said. “If they are going to, wear helmets, teach them about traffic safety, and teach them that e-bikes aren’t meant for sidewalks.”