Between 1996 and 2003, 225 New York City bicyclists were killed and nearly 3,500 were injured by cars. A new advertising campaign being started today aims to make New Yorkers more conscious of bike safety, with fairly striking --and surreal --images of bike lanes veering off the road and onto the wall or onto the hood of a car.The ad campaign, known as LOOK, was created free of charge by the advertising agency Publicis in Seattle. The ads will run on bus-stop shelters, the rears of buses, phone kiosks and the tops of taxis; at gas stations; and on postcards that will be placed in restaurants around the city. The ads will also be featured in Time Out New York and New York magazine and broadcast on local radio stations.In September 2006, the city released what it called the first comprehensive analysis of bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries in New York City. "The report showed that nearly all fatal crashes were the result of poor driving or bicycle riding behavior, particularly driver inattention and disregarding traffic signals and signs," the city's Department of Transportation said in a statement. "This LOOK campaign was designed to combat that."In addition to improving motorist and cyclist awareness, the city, last year, committed to doubling the number of on-street bicycle lanes and paths in three years, improving collection of data on bicycle injuries, and increasing enforcement to keep cars from parking in bicycle lanes. Also, new bike racks have been installed. The city unveiled an official bicycle helmet, and a law took effect requiring bicycle-riding delivery workers to wear helmets."At D.O.T. we've committed to expand the city's bicycle network at an unprecedented pace, and today we're asking all New Yorkers to do their part to make our streets safe," said Janette Sadik-Khan, the city's transportation commissioner. "The idea behind this campaign is simple --we're asking everyone to accept responsibility to look out for each other on the city's streets."Ms. Sadik-Khan was joined by Lorna Thorpe, the deputy health commissioner for epidemiology; Betsy Gotbaum, the city's public advocate; Paul Steely White, executive director of the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives; and the New York City Bicycle Safety Coalition, a partnership among city agencies and advocacy groups and the American Automobile Association.