Only about 20 percent of pedestrian injury crashes may show up in the reports. This is about four times as many as are reported in the statistics. If, as is likely, both pedestrian and bicycle injury crashes are under-reported as suggested, as many as 25 to 30 percent of all Montana's traffic injury crashes may involve either bicyclists or pedestrians. Currently, the statistics show only four to six percent. Approximately 30 percent of all pedestrians and over 50 percent of all bicyclists injured or killed in Montana are under the age of 15.
Children are particularly at-risk for walking or biking injuries.
There are seven times as many fatal pedestrian and bicycle crashes as there are fatal car-train crashes. However, much more attention is focused on improving railroad crossings and teaching safe crossing practices than is given to improving safety conditions for pedestrians or bicyclists. While Montana appears to have a relatively low fatality rate, compared to places like Florida or Texas, much of Montana's recent development is patterned after that found in the most dangerous communities of Florida and Texas. For more information, you can contact the author . Return to BikePlan Source home page .