As more people are opting to travel by bike rather than car in Georgia, bicycle safety is becoming a more prevalent issue, especially in major cities. Due to its beautiful scenery and location on the outskirts of Atlanta, the city of Kennesaw is a nearly perfect place to ride a bicycle.

However, before you choose to ride a bike in Kennesaw, GA, it’s important to consider safety. Take a closer look at bicycle accident rates in Atlanta and its surrounding communities, as well as what infrastructure currently supports bicycling.

Bicycle Accident Statistics for the Kennesaw Area

According to the National Safety Council, the number of bicycle accident fatalities nationwide was 1,360 in 2022. This is an almost 50% increase from 2013. However, during the same time, non-fatal injuries dropped roughly 30%, from just under 500,000 to nearly 338,000.

This suggests that riding a bike has become safer in general, likely due to infrastructure changes. Most likely, the increase in deaths is due to more people riding bikes.

Atlanta doesn’t have statistics for that decade, but the government did issue a bike report in 2018. According to those statistics, there were two bike accident fatalities in 2018 and 29 injuries.

Both of the fatalities involved bike riders who were 50 years or older, with only four riders in this age bracket being involved in accidents. On the other hand, the highest number of accidents and injuries involved bicyclists who were under 25 years.

Comparatively, in 2019, there were 21 bicycle accident fatalities in the state of Georgia. Assuming 2019 numbers are representative of most years, this means that the fatal accident rate in Atlanta in 2018 was roughly twice as high as the fatal accident rate in the state as a whole.

The report also identified the most and least dangerous days to ride a bike in the city. Most accidents occurred on Fridays, while the lowest number of accidents occurred on Sundays.

With the community’s location on Atlanta’s outskirts, it would be safe to assume that similar trends would apply to Kennesaw.

Future Bike Infrastructure Planning

Atlanta City Design is a project run by the Atlanta Department of City Planning.

The project guides infrastructure changes in the city based on the following five core values:

  • Equity
  • Progress
  • Ambition
  • Access
  • Nature

To make these changes, the project identifies growth and conservation areas when building the infrastructure improvements needed for the bike network. Currently, outlying suburban areas like Kennesaw are a top priority for growth areas.

According to data gathered by Atlanta City Design, the current road usage of bicycles, pedestrians, and public transportation is 17%. The goal of the project is to increase that number to at least 35%. This goal could take years to achieve as more infrastructure is added to the city and surrounding areas.

Current Bike Infrastructure in Atlanta and Surrounding Areas

While staying up-to-date on these developments in bicycle infrastructure is key for cyclists, it’s also important to keep the current infrastructure in mind. As of 2018, there were 118 miles of bike infrastructure in Atlanta and surrounding areas. That infrastructure is divided into areas of high protection, medium protection, and low protection.

High-protection areas include multi-use paths and cycle tracks. These are areas cars can’t access without violating the law and, in many cases, getting damaged. Riders should be safe from accidents with any vehicles other than bicycles in these areas. There are 44 total miles of high-protection areas.

The most common areas are medium-protection areas. There are five miles of buffered bike lanes and 47 miles of bike lanes. Medium-protection areas give bike riders a place to ride side by side with motor vehicles on public roads.

Finally, there are 22 miles of low-protection infrastructure. This includes shared lane markings and bike lanes on hills. These are the most dangerous places for bikes to travel and are often not much different from unmarked roads.

For the most part, high- and medium-protection bike infrastructure can be found in the downtown area of the city. Low-protection areas are most common on the outskirts of the city.

Peak Riding Times in Kennesaw, GA

When considering bike safety, another important factor is when people ride in the area. Somewhat surprisingly, the total number of riders in Atlanta appears to be roughly the same on weekdays as it is on weekends.

About 200,000 rides occurred on weekends and holidays, while about 500,000 occurred on weekdays. Since there are five weekdays and two weekend days per week, those rates are about the same.

However, there are differences between weekend riding and weekday riding. The most common time for riding on weekdays is between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Conversely, on weekends, the most common time for riding is between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The number of riders also changes significantly across the year. Ridership peaks during spring and summer months and then falls sharply starting in November, when temperatures drop low. December sees the lowest rider numbers, and those numbers increase starting in April.

Temperature isn’t the only factor that affects whether people ride their bikes, though. Rain also has a significant effect on rider numbers. Bike counts are typically down by about 33% on rainy days. This partially explains why the numbers drop so much in November, which tends to be the rainiest month of the year.

Major events can disrupt riding schedules as well. For example, Music Midtown closes several streets downtown for two weeks in September. Bike ridership plummets during those two weeks, as some of the best streets for riding bikes are closed. However, the numbers return to normal after the festival ends.

Bicycling Safely in Kennesaw, Georgia

Georgia has become an increasingly bike-friendly state over the past decade. However, it’s still important to keep safety in mind at all times as you ride your bike.

If you are riding around Kennesaw, stay in bike lanes when possible, and be mindful of the other vehicles around you. Use caution when bicycling during peak hours, and remember that bikes are harder to see at night or in inclement weather. By taking these steps, you can minimize your risk of experiencing an accident while biking in Kennesaw.