Tri-State Bike Fatality Rate Highest in L.I.

Bicyclists face higher risks for fatal accidents on Long Island than in other areas of the New York metropolitan area.     

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 multilane arterial roads.