| NATIONAL |
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U.S. Department of Transportation statistics show that more than 8,000 bicyclists died and 700,000 were injured in motor vehicle-related crashes in the past decade.
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More than one-third of all bicycle fatalities involve riders 5 to 20 years old, and 41 percent of nonfatal injuries occur to children under the age of 15.
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Each year, more than 500,000 people in the US are treated in emergency rooms, and more than 700 people die as a result of bicycle-related injuries.
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| CALIFORNIA |
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California Highway Patrol gathered statistics for 1,997 accidents which show that the bicyclist was placed at fault approximately sixty percent of the time where the rider was severely injured or sustained fatal injuries.
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In California, bicycle plaintiffs lose two out of three cases that go to trial.
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| LOS ANGELES |
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In Los Angeles, cyclists may ride on sidewalks unless they exhibit "willful" or "wanton" behavior. In San Francisco it is forbidden, except for bike riders under age 13.
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Los Angeles has 1,200 miles of bikeways, but many are along busy thoroughfares on which cars and bikes compete for space.
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At the turn of the 20th century, Los Angeles was considered the bicycle capital of the nation, and portions of the route taken by the Pasadena Freeway had been a bikeway.
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Just 0.6% of Los Angeles' 28,000 miles of street lanes are for bikes, compared to cities like Portland who have about 6% of its 3,949 miles of street lanes for bikes.
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In 2006, 28 people in Los Angeles County were killed on bikes, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
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