Note: BHSI participated in the development of this national campaign for bicycle safety, and is the coordinator for the helmet section of the effort

A national strategy to make it safer for bicycle riders to use the nation's roads was announced on May 4, 2001 in Washington, D.C.

The plan, entitled the National Strategies for Advancing Bicycle Safety, is a call to action to make cycling safer for recreational and commuter bicyclists of all ages. It was prepared by a coalition of representatives from more than 60 groups, including federal and state agencies, professional and non-profit safety groups, and bicycling advocacy organizations.

Its goals are to have motorists share the road with bicyclists; ensure bicyclists ride safely and wear helmets; improve police and court support for safe bicycling; and help re-engineer our roads and environment to be more bike-friendly.

Although strategies that increase bicycle use can complement this agenda, the focus is on safety and public health issues that have not been sufficiently addressed by other planning efforts.

The strategies were prepared by decision-makers at dozens of organizations that deal with safety, public health, and transportation. Last July, all federal agencies that deal with bicycling or road safety met with these decision-makers to develop a framework for action to guide the work of individuals and organizations committed to increasing safe bicycling. The results of this plan have already begun to be put into place by members of the National Bicycle Safety Network, a public-private partnership of national organizations that deal with bicycle safety. More information about this group can be obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Web site.

The federal agencies that funded the meeting where the plan was prepared were the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Highway Administration, both parts of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.

A longer list of the partners in this effort (but still far from complete) includes:

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Automobile Association

Bicycle Federation of America

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

Brain Injury Association

Department of Transportation/ Federal Highway Administration

Department of Transportation/ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Highway Safety Research Center/ University of North Carolina

League of American Bicyclists

Maternal and Child Health Bureau

National Association of Governors' Highway Safety Representatives

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National SAFE KIDS Campaign

National Safety Council

State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association

United States Consumer Product Safety Commission

World Health Organization Helmet Initiative

This page was last revised on: April 26, 2007.

Contact us.