Imagine driving down a nice country road, windows down, enjoying the lovely smells and warm sunshine. Then something catches your eye; the sight of which smacks you back to paying full attention. It is a white cross, set up on the side of the road as a memorial to someone who has died at that location. Sobering, isn’t it?

Now imagine seeing a white painted junker bike in that same spot. These phantom bicycles are called “Ghostbikes”; a new movement by bicyclists to memorialize fallen cyclists and remind everyone to share the road.

The concept began in Seattle in 2003. Since then, Ghostbikes have been put up in 25 cities across the U.S. A worthy concept given that last year, more than 1,000 people died in accidents involving pedal cycles.

Where and how do these accidents happen?
A recent Washington State DOT Study looked at bicycle/motor vehicle collisions on four categories of roads: city streets, county roads, state routes, and the inter-state system. While the most accidents, 65%, happened on city streets, the most severe and fatal accidents occurred on county roads. A staggering 45% of all fatalities occurred there. The study also found that the percent of cyclists turning or swerving into traffic on county roads was nearly twice that of all roads. This is attributed to narrower lanes, poor shoulders, and limited sight distance.

What can be done to prevent them?
Many deaths can be avoided by improving rural roads. If you’re responsible for maintaining these roads and want to improve bicycle safety, start by looking at your shoulders. Often shoulders are non-existent or narrow, or there are pavement drop-offs and irregular surfaces, Add in the oil and stone mix that is often used, and you can see why swerving into traffic is the most common cause of cyclist deaths. It’s hard, especially for a young rider, to stay a straight course.

To target your efforts, look at areas of high youth concentrations; areas such as mobile home parks, campgrounds, or the strip residential developments you often see in rural areas. Check out horizontal and vertical sight distances, intersections, and identify safety improvements. These improvements only make good sense because drop offs, narrow shoulders, and loose stone also contribute to vehicle accidents on rural roads.