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Orange County Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis | 10 <br /> <br />Conclusion <br />This analysis verifies what many bicyclists in rural Orange County already know, namely that motorists <br />overtaking bicyclists can create hazardous conditions for both road users and that intersections also <br />pose a threat in terms of safety. As most roads are narrow, have a limited shoulder, and have speed <br />limits higher than 35 miles per hour, bicycle crashes are also likely to result in an injury, so it is especially <br />important to be aware of the risks. Based on anecdotal evidence, bicycle crashes are occurring in areas <br />with substantial numbers of cyclists, most notably to the west of Carrboro. However, the area between <br />the Town of Hillsborough and the City of Durham may not have as high a volume of bicyclists, indicating <br />that this area is particularly dangerous. Both the area west of Carrboro and the area between the Town <br />of Hillsborough and the City of Durham merit special consideration in terms of safety infrastructure <br />improvements, education efforts, and enforcement. Additionally, more information about high volume <br />bicycle routes and areas where people are bicycling should be gathered to enhance this analysis. For <br />drivers, it is clear that drivers exceeding 50 mph are likely to cause a serious or fatal injury to a bicyclist <br />in the event of a conflict. Reducing or enforcing speed limits more rigorously may be a strategy to <br />reduce the severity of bicycle crashes in rural Orange County. This information can hopefully help target <br />efforts to improve safety and also inform the creation of a priority bicycle network in rural Orange <br />County. <br /> 50