Each year there are tens of thousands of crashes on the Hampton Roads roadway network, resulting in thousands of injuries, millions of dollars of damage, and the loss of life.  Many of these crashes involve active transportation users.  Active transportation is defined as including all forms of human-powered transportation.  The most common forms of active transportation are bicycling and walking, but it also includes using a wheelchair and activities like in-line skating or skateboarding. 

Because of the impacts that crashes have on society, safety planning is a priority for the HRTPO.  HRTPO is in the process of preparing the Hampton Roads Active Transportation Safety Study, which will build on previous HRTPO safety planning efforts by emphasizing safety concerns for bicyclists and pedestrians.  The study will highlight recent trends in active transportation crashes, crash characteristics and factors, the locations of active transportation crashes throughout Hampton Roads, and ways to improve active transportation safety. 

There were nearly 700 people injured and 30 people killed in active transportation crashes in the region in 2014.  Although the number of people injured has decreased since 2012, the number of people killed matched a high seen in 2005. 

There are a number of factors that contribute to active transportation crashes.  Notable trends in regional active transportation crashes from 2010-2014 include: 

• A high percentage of crashes involving pedestrians occur in dark conditions - 39% of pedestrian crashes occurred in dark conditions, versus 26% of all crashes.
• Bicyclists and pedestrians involved in crashes are generally “at fault” - The bicyclist committed the action that resulted in the crash 56% of the time.  For crashes involving pedestrians, the pedestrian was at fault 53% of the time.
• Crashes involving bicyclists overwhelmingly occur at intersections - 67% of crashes involving bicyclists occurred at an intersection, as compared to 44% of all crashes.
• Pedestrians and bicyclists involved in crashes are generally young…and overwhelmingly male - The age group with the highest percentage of bicyclist and pedestrian crashes was the 10-19 year old age group, followed by the 20-29 year old age group.  71% of the bicyclists and 61% of the pedestrians involved in crashes were male.
• In those crashes where alcohol is involved, those using alcohol are generally the bicyclist/pedestrian - For alcohol-related crashes involving bicyclists, the bicyclist was under the influence of alcohol 87% of the time.  For alcohol-related crashes involving pedestrians, the pedestrian was under the influence of alcohol 82% of the time. 

HRTPO will release the Hampton Roads Active Transportation Safety Study – including an analysis of locations with the most active transportation crashes – in Fall 2016.