BICYCLE ACCIDENTS 

10 Facts to Know About Bicycle Accidents

1. There are approximately 1,000 bicycle-related fatalities annually, and the estimated costs to society for these deaths amount to $8 billion annually, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
2. About one-in-five bicyclists who are killed in motor vehicle-related crashes had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of .08 percent, which is typically the highest threshold level in most states that deems a driver under the influence of alcohol (DUI), according to the NHTSA.
3. In the U.S., we have seen a 64 percent increase in bicyclists riding to work from the years 2000 to 2012, according to the NHTSA.
4. In 2015, 818 bicyclists were killed in motor vehicle-related crashes, which is more than two people every day of the year in the U.S., according to the NHTSA.
5. The NHTSA also notes that there has been a 6 percent increase in bicyclist deaths since 2006, and there’s been a 12.2 percent increase since 2014.
6. While estimated bicycle injuries dropped to 45,000 in 2015, which was down from 50,000 in 2014, research records show that many injuries that reach hospitals never get reported by law enforcement, according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
7. The average age of bicyclists killed in motor vehicle-related accidents was 45 in 2014, in 2004 it was 39, in 1998 it was 32, and in 1988 it was 24, according to the NHTSA.
8. 71 percent of bicyclists’ deaths occurred in urban areas, according to the NHTSA.
9. The top three states that lead the nation in bicycle fatalities are: No. 1 Florida (139), No. 2. California (128), and No. 3 Texas (50), according to the NHTSA.
10. Only Rhode Island and Vermont reported no bicycle/motor vehicle-related fatalities in 2014, according to the NHTSA.