South Carolina ranks #5 as most dangerous state for bicyclists

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - We all driving on Upstate roads can be dangerous and it turns out riding a bike on them is no different.

According to data gathered over a 10 year plan from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows South Carolina ranks at number 5 for the most dangerous state for bicyclists.

“It scares me that cars are not paying attention, it scares me when drivers are going too fast, it scares me when drivers are looking at their telephone instead of driving,” Steve Baker said. Baker and Robert Bailey are both members of the Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club.

One year ago, Bailey was hit on his bicycle by a car.

“Last June I was out riding and a driver rolled through a stop sign thanking he didn’t see a car or a truck coming, and chose to pull out and I was unable to stop in time which collided,” Bailey said.

They’re asking people to focus on the windshield and not on your home screen.

“I would say the most important is that the people that we encounter on the road are sons, daughters, and and god parents, they are people that just want to get home,” Bailey said.

Unfortunately, 178 bicyclists did not make it home between 2010 and 2019 in South Carolina, they say more bike lanes may be a problem solving path.

“We would want to see these developments when is the most cost effective, and we want to see it all over the area across the board,”

South Carolina shows 49% higher deaths per 100,000 than the national average.

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