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Report: High Bicycle Fatality Rate On Long Island

MELVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Bicyclists face higher risks for fatal accidents on Long Island than in other areas of the New York metropolitan area.

WCBS 880's Sophia Hall On The Story

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Newsday says it analyzed federal crash data and found that Long Island's bicycle crash death rate is much higher than in New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut.

It says at least 64 cyclists have been killed on Long Island in crashes since 2005.

Contributing factors ranged from drunken motorists to cyclists who failed to stop at red lights. Another was drivers who said they didn't see the bike until it was too late.

Suffolk County Police Detective Lt. Matt Sullivan says bicyclists should always assume they cannot be seen.

More than a quarter of the fatal bike crashes occurred on high-speed multi-lane arterial roads.

Does bicycling on Long Island seem more dangerous to you? Sound off in our comments section below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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