Originally Posted by
Bekologist
both DCcommuter and the author considers bikelanes statistically 'significant' in reducing crash rates...
Moritz makes no claims of statistical significance. He doesn't even discuss it.
The only way that Moritz's data even suggests that bike lanes have a safety effect is when the data on non-serious accidents are included. By his definition, these are accidents where less than $50 in property damage or personal injury occurs. Think about what a ridiculously low standard that is -- we're talking people falling off their bikes and not hurting themselves. By his standard, when I bang my shin on the trailer hitch of my car that should be counted as a "non-serious" automobile accident. If bike lanes can keep me from banging my shin on the trailer hitch, I'm all in favor of them, but in the meantime I'm just going to put a tennis ball over the damn thing.
Even his definition of "serious" is ridiculous. By his definition, when I knocked over my bike in my driveway and broke the light, that was a serious accident. When I forgot that I had my Ipod in my pocket and the headphones go tangled in the front wheel, that was a serious accident. Sadly, bike lanes don't seem to prevent those sorts of accidents.