Brains and blood: Phoenix releases nightmarish bike safety graphic comics

PHOENIX — Apparently, the city of Phoenix is dead set on teaching your kids the dangers associated with cycling with their new graphic novels – key word being “graphic.”

Phoenix’s Street Transportation Department is handing out comic books at schools and events, each book focusing on different safety rules for bike riding. The books show young adults being maimed — and in one case killed — for infractions such as not wearing helmets or riding in a large vehicle’s blind spot.

Kerry Wilcoxson, a traffic engineer for the city of Phoenix, said the comics are intended to be shocking.

“They’re probably, admittedly over the top, but we’re not trying to be politically correct here, we’re trying to save lives and we’re trying to compete with things that we know they are already looking at,” he said.

“We know they are already exposed to things like ‘Mortal Combat’ and some of the first-person shooter games out there, so we’re trying our best to compete for the flitting attention of the younger demographic.”

Yes, cycling can be dangerous. The most recent data on cycling accidents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed 743 cyclists were killed in 2013 (or about two deaths a day).

Children under the age of 15 accounted for 7 percent of the cyclists’ deaths.

The street department must have really wanted to teach children that lesson.

A line from “Episode 4” of the graphic novels shows a kid getting his femurs ground to dust by a truck, after which the young man says “My legs, my legs, that truck crushed my legs! What if that’s the last wheelie I ever do?!”

The soon-to-be wheelchair-bound boy’s friend replies “Luke, that was so stupid! You need to see a doctor!”

The educational comics were aimed for children age 8 and older. They are handed out at safety events, schools and other places.

The comics were paid for by a grant from the Governer’s Office of Highway Safety.

KTAR’s Brian Rackham contributed to this report.