CLEVELAND (AP): Ohio chapters of auto club AAA are gauging interest in providing emergency roadside assistance for bicyclists in the state.
 
The AAA clubs covering central and southwest Ohio are sponsoring a survey asking bike riders to give feedback on their needs and suggestions. The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports the efforts are just preliminary research, but that the auto club already offers bike assistance in other states, including the Minneapolis area and parts of New England.
 
Clubs offering the service help cyclists with small repairs, or transport a bike and its rider in the case of a more serious problem.
 
A recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association showed yearly bicyclist deaths increased 16 percent between 2010 and 2012, and nearly 70 percent of those deaths occurred in urban areas.