Photo courtesy of NBCLA.COM

With more people choosing a bicycle for transportation, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) are embarking on a monthlong endeavor to encourage all motorists to safely share the road.

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“The goal of the ‘Roll Model’ campaign is to educate motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians about the rules of the road and encourage everyone to act responsibly,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “It is especially important for bicyclists to be visible when riding with traffic and for motorists to use extra caution when approaching driveways and making turns at intersections.”

This month’s traffic safety campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) follows a significant increase in the number of people killed in bicycle-involved collisions in California. 

In 2011, there were 142 bicyclists killed in California, according to Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) data.

Those deaths accounted for 5 percent of the total collision fatalities in California.

Beginning Sept. 16, 2014, California drivers must give bicyclists three feet of clearance or slow down and pass when it would not endanger a bicyclist’s safety.

“More Californians are walking and biking and it is everyone’s responsibility to save lives by avoiding distracted driving,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “When all travelers pay attention and share the road, it helps curb collisions and improve transportation safety.”

In March, Caltrans released the California Household Travel Survey, which found the percentage of California residents walking, biking or using public transportation on a typical day has more than doubled since 2000.

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