As more Americans take to the streets on bicycles in order to reduce their carbon footprints, unclog the streets, and get some additional exercise, traffic laws often prove insufficient to protect cyclists in the case of traffic accidents. Since the roads were originally made with cars in mind, existing rules are frequently dangerous to cyclists since drivers are typically reluctant to share the road. Currently, only 13 states have criminal penalties for drivers who kill cyclists. Noticeably absent is California, which had 131 bike fatalities in 2008 alone, according to the California Highway Patrol.