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Orange County Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis | 3 <br /> <br />serious injury (disabling and evident injuries). Considering that 20 crashes occurred in areas with a speed <br />limit of 40 – 45 miles per hour and 11 crashes occurred in areas with a speed limit of 50 – 55 miles per <br />hour, these severities are not surprising. Only three (3) crashes occurred in an area with a speed limit of <br />30 – 35 miles per hour. These severities highlight the fact that crashes in rural areas are likely to be more <br />severe, based on the higher automobile speeds and limited space on rural roads to accommodate joint <br />bicycle and automobile traffic. It is also important to note that crashes that do not result in injuries or <br />“close shaves” are often not reported. This may account for the low number of “No Injury” crashes. <br />Race and Sex <br />In terms of bicyclist race and sex, 85 percent of bicyclists involved in a crash are white and 79 percent <br />are male. Only three cyclists involved in a crash were black and one was categorized as “other”, while 21 <br />percent of crash-involved cyclists are female. Without good information about the demographics of <br />bicyclists riding in rural Orange <br />County, it is hard to state <br />definitively that one group of <br />people is more likely to be <br />involved in a crash than any <br />other. However, this <br />information generally reflects <br />the demographics of bicyclists <br />on Orange County rural roads <br />based on anecdotal evidence <br />and likely does support the <br />conclusion that white male <br />cyclists tend to be involved in a <br />crash to a larger degree than <br />female bicyclists or people of <br />other races. <br />Crash Group/Type <br />Perhaps the most important <br />information included as part of <br />the bicycle and pedestrian crash <br />data is the crash group/crash <br />type. This information provides <br />a clearer picture of how the <br />crash occurred and is helpful in <br />determining which, if any, <br />infrastructure or behavior issues <br />are creating unsafe conditions <br />for motorists or bicyclists. For those bicycle crashes occurring in Orange County, the “Motorist <br />Overtaking Bicyclist” crash group is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most prevalent, accounting for more <br />0.0% <br />20.0% <br />40.0% <br />60.0% <br />80.0% <br />100.0% <br />White Black Other <br />29 (85.3%) <br />3 (8.8%) 2 (5.9%) <br />Bicyclist by Race <br />0.0% <br />10.0% <br />20.0% <br />30.0% <br />40.0% <br />50.0% <br />60.0% <br />70.0% <br />80.0% <br />Male Female <br />27 (79.4%) <br />7 (20.6%) <br />Bicyclist by Sex <br /> 43