According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 846 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2019, and while that represents a slight decrease from 2018, bike accidents in general—be they fatal or non-fatal—are up 25% since 2013, according to the Department of Transportation. In my community (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) alone, there were 71 bicycle–vehicle crashes in 2016. And while the statistics reflect an increasing number of bicyclists on the road, they also show that a better job of “sharing the road” needs to be done. One simple thing that can be done is for vehicular traffic to drive more slowly, especially in areas where pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars share the same strip of asphalt. A 2020 traffic study showed that “lowering the street speed by 6.2 mph was associated with a 28% decrease in pedestrian motor vehicle accidents,” for example, and according to the World Resources Institute, “Every 1.6 kilometer-per-hour (1 mph) reduction in vehicle speeds on urban streets results in a 6 percent decrease in traffic fatalities.”

To help promote safer streets here in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this summer, a local organization launched a bicycle safety campaign that uses lawn signage to encourage drivers to slow down.

Founded in 2005, Bikeatoga is an organization dedicated to promoting bicycling among the population, as well as working with the city to develop bike lanes, paths, and other bike-safe initiatives. Bikeatoga also operates the Bikeatoga Workshop, a volunteer-run bicycle recycling program that repairs used bikes and gets them back on the streets. Earlier this summer, Bikeatoga unveiled its “Slow Your Roll” lawn sign campaign. “We as an organization have been talking about how to keep the streets safer,” said Jen Natyzak, president of Bikeatoga. “In particular, [Saratoga’s horseracing season] season seems like a time that traffic gets really crazy. So we wanted to create a way to connect with residents and visitors and help support a culture of driving slowly, looking out for bicyclists, as well as pedestrians, people with strollers, everybody.”