http://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/TOB/S/2008SB-00299-R00-SB.htm

AN ACT CONCERNING BICYCLE ACCESS AND SAFETY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 14-232 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2008):

(a) Except as provided in sections 14-233 and 14-234, (1) the driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the highway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle; and (2) the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle and shall not increase the speed of his vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle. For the purposes of this subsection, "safe distance" means not less than three feet when the driver of a vehicle overtakes and passes a person riding a bicycle.

(b) No vehicle shall be driven to the left side of the center of the highway in overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction unless the left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit such overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with the safe operation of any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction or any vehicle overtaken.

(c) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.

Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 13b-79p of the general statutes is amended by adding subdivision (22) as follows (Effective October 1, 2008):

(NEW) (22) Improving bicycle and pedestrian access throughout the state transportation system.

Sec. 3. Section 13a-57b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2008):

The Commissioner of Transportation shall [, whenever possible, encourage the inclusion of] include areas for bicycles and pedestrians when (1) creating a layout of a state highway, in accordance with section 13a-57, or (2) relocating a state highway, in accordance with section 13a-56.

Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2008) The Commissioner of Transportation shall, in consultation with groups advocating on behalf of bicyclists, develop and implement a state-wide "Share the Road" public awareness campaign to educate the public concerning the rights and responsibilities of both motorists and bicyclists as they jointly use the highways of this state.

Better design of dangerous intersections would be of enormous value, whether drivers are subjected to heightened education or not. Reducing lanes, enforcing speed limits, adding medians as islands of safety, adding bollards to prevent curb-jumping, and timing traffic signals to give peds more time to cross would greatly increase safety for people on foot. Of course, whether any of that'll happen as a result of this new law is uncertain. But keeping official track of "accidents" is an absolutely essential first step to taking other measures. I think the city council and the people who shepherded this law through it deserve enormous credit. This is a really good thing.

Now, of course, the next step is to translate the information into tangible street redesign.

I should add that FWHA research into bike crashes also uses crash types, and these can be found by googling "Crash Type Manual" or "Carol Tan Crash Type Manual".