Personal Injury

How many people are killed or injured riding bikes?

Posted on by Napoli Shkolnik PLLC
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11
Jun

Biking is a great form of exercise, is a fun way to get out in nature, and is a popular means of transportation for hundreds of thousands of people across the country. However, biking is also one of the most common types of roadway accidents. Many bicyclists are struck, hurt, and killed every year by vehicles on the road and many other biers get hurt in other accidents while they are out riding. In 2015, 818 people lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes, more than two people every day of the year in the U.S. This represents a 6 percent increase in bicyclist fatalities since 2006 and a 12.2 percent increase from the previous year. These numbers represent just over two percent of the total number of people killed and injured in traffic crashes in 2015. The number of estimated bicyclist injuries dropped to 45,000 in 2015, down from 50,000 in 2014. However, like pedestrian injury estimates, research into hospital records shows that only a fraction of bicycle crashes causing injury are ever recorded by the police, possibly as low as ten percent.

Quick Facts

 

Who is getting killed in bicycling crashes?

A detailed breakdown of the age, gender, and location of bicycle crash victims is available from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some of the more noteworthy trends and numbers are:

  • The average age of bicyclists killed in crashes with motor vehicles continues to increase, climbing to 45 years old in 2014, up from 39 in 2004, 32 in 1998, and 24 in 1988.
  • 88 percent of those killed were male.
  • 71 percent of bicyclist fatalities occurred in urban areas.
  • 20 percent of bicyclist fatalities occurred between 6 and 8:59 p.m.
  • 19 percent of bicyclists killed had blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08 g/dL or higher.
  • In 35 percent of the crashes, either the driver or the bicyclist had blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08 g/dL or higher.
  • California (128), Florida (139), and Texas (50) lead the nation in the number of bicyclist fatalities.
  • Just two states, Rhode Island and Vermont, reported no fatalities in 2014.

 

Statistics About Bicycle Injuries

According to the Center for Disease Control, this is a big issue and it has a reach and an impact that goes far beyond just the people involved in the accidents:

Deaths and Injuries

In 2015 in the United States, over 1,000 bicyclists died and there were almost 467,000 bicycle-related injuries.

Cost

Data from 2010 show fatal and non-fatal crash-related injuries to bicyclists resulted in lifetime medical costs and productivity losses of $10 billion.

 

Risk Factors

  • Adults aged 50 to 59 years have the highest bicycle death rates.
  • Children (5-14 years) and adolescents (15-19 years) have the highest rates of nonfatal bicycle-related injuries, accounting for more than one-third of all bicycle-related injuries seen in U.S. emergency departments.
  • Males die 6 times more often and are injured 4 times more often on bicycles than females.
  • Most bicyclist deaths occur in urban areas and at non-intersection locations.
  • Among bicyclist deaths, 37% had alcohol involvement either for the motor vehicle driver or bicycle rider.

 

Car accidents are what causes the most personal injury cases in the United States. The vast majority of auto accidents are caused by someone not following the laws of the road or not doing what they are supposed to. Speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence, and falling asleep at the wheel are some of the most common car accidents seen. And far too many involve a pedestrian or bicyclist getting hurt or even killed.  If you or a loved one have been hurt in an accident while riding their bike, give us a call and let our team of personal injury attorneys go to work for you.

When an injury occurs due to fault or negligence of another individual or entity then you will likely be wondering what your options are. One of the most common results of major injury in such as case is filing a personal injury case in a court of law. If you decide to move toward getting justice and the reconciliation you deserve after an accident or injury, you will likely have a number of questions that you will want answered.  We understand how traumatic and confusing a personal injury case can be and that is why we are here to help.  To learn more about personal injury cases and what a lawyer can do for you, call us today to set up your consultation appointment, the call is free.