As more cyclists take to the road seeking health and freedom, the sobering reality is that 1,105 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 2022 alone, a tragic 16% increase from the previous year.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 1,105 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, marking a 16% increase from 2021
- Between 2017 and 2021, annual bicyclist deaths in the US averaged 1,023, with a total of 5,116 fatalities over five years
- In 2020, 1,017 cyclists died on US roads, the highest since 1986, representing a 37% rise from 2010
- In 2022, over 130,000 cyclists were injured in US road crashes
- From 2017-2021, US saw 467,000 non-fatal cyclist injuries requiring ER visits
- In 2021, 45% of injured cyclists in the US suffered head injuries
- Failure to yield right-of-way causes 40% of bike-motorist injury crashes globally
- In the US, 52% of cyclist fatalities involve drivers failing to yield
- Left-turning vehicles are involved in 22% of urban cyclist crashes
- Males aged 25-44 comprise 35% of US cyclist fatalities
- Children 10-14 years old have highest cyclist injury rate per population
- 85-90% of killed or seriously injured cyclists are male globally
- 40% of urban bike accidents occur in CBDs
- Rural roads see 38% of US cyclist fatalities despite 70% of miles
- Bike lanes reduce injury crashes by 47% in US cities
Bicyclist fatalities are rising significantly across the United States.
Causes
- Failure to yield right-of-way causes 40% of bike-motorist injury crashes globally
- In the US, 52% of cyclist fatalities involve drivers failing to yield
- Left-turning vehicles are involved in 22% of urban cyclist crashes
- Driver inattention/distractions contribute to 30% of bike accidents in Europe
- Running red lights or stop signs by cyclists causes 10% of collisions
- Doorings account for 15% of urban cyclist injuries in major cities
- Speeding vehicles involved in 25% of severe cyclist crashes in the US
- Alcohol impairment by drivers in 28% of fatal cyclist crashes
- Hilly terrain contributes to 12% of cyclist falls without vehicles
- Phone use by cyclists linked to 8% of single-bike crashes
- Intersections are sites for 65% of bike-motor vehicle collisions
- Rear-end crashes by motorists make up 35% of cyclist collisions
- Poor road maintenance (potholes) causes 20% of non-motorist cyclist accidents
- Driver age over 65 involved in 18% of cyclist crashes
- Cyclist riding against traffic flow in 14% of wrong-way collisions
- Large trucks account for 10% of cyclist fatalities despite 4% of vehicles
- No lights/reflectors on bikes in 40% of nighttime cyclist crashes
- Sidewalk riding by cyclists leads to 5% of pedestrian-cyclist conflicts
- Wet roads increase cyclist crash risk by 70% in rainy conditions
- Overtaking too close by cars causes 25% of rural cyclist incidents
- Cyclist intoxication in 11% of injury crashes
- Roundabouts reduce cyclist crash risk by 40% compared to signalized intersections
- Protected bike lanes lower crash rates by 50% per mile traveled
Causes Interpretation
While drivers failing to yield or pay attention are the dominant culprits in serious cyclist crashes, the data screams that the road to safety is a two-way street, paved with protected lanes, sober and present road users, and a basic, often neglected, respect for physics and traffic laws.
Demographics
- Males aged 25-44 comprise 35% of US cyclist fatalities
- Children 10-14 years old have highest cyclist injury rate per population
- 85-90% of killed or seriously injured cyclists are male globally
- Adults over 65 represent 25% of US cyclist deaths despite 15% of riders
- Urban males 18-24 have 3x higher cyclist fatality rate than females
- In Australia, 75% of cyclist casualties are male, peaking at 30-39 age group
- US females account for 20% of cyclist ER visits but 12% of fatalities
- Teens 15-19 have highest non-fatal injury rate among US cyclists
- In Europe, 70% of seriously injured cyclists are aged 30-60
- Low-income neighborhoods see 2x cyclist fatality rates in US cities
- Hispanic cyclists have 1.5x higher fatality rate than non-Hispanic whites
- In UK, 60% of killed cyclists are over 45 years old
- Rural cyclists aged 5-9 have high injury rates due to lack of infrastructure
- Black cyclists in US face 30% higher serious injury risk per mile
- In Canada, males 20-29 account for 25% of cyclist collisions
- Elderly females over 75 have rising cyclist fatality trends in Sweden
- Students comprise 40% of injured cyclists in college towns
- In Germany, commuters aged 25-54 suffer 50% of workday cyclist injuries
- Tourists represent 15% of cyclist fatalities in Florida
- In Netherlands, children under 12 account for 20% of cyclist injuries
- Professional cyclists have lower crash rates but higher severity when racing
- Immigrants in urban areas have 1.8x cyclist injury risk in Toronto
- Helmet use is 85% among children but only 42% among adults in US
- Low SES groups have 2x lower helmet ownership rates among cyclists
- In NYC, 65% of killed cyclists were daily commuters
- Females under 18 have highest helmet compliance at 90% in Australia
- 75% of urban cyclists in Portland are white males aged 25-44
- Veterans show higher recreational cycling injury rates
- 60% of California cyclist deaths are Latino males
Demographics Interpretation
While these grim numbers paint a universal picture of vulnerability, they also sketch a disturbingly specific portrait of risk, revealing that the most frequent victims of cycling's violence are not the stereotypical reckless thrill-seeker but often the everyday commuter, the working-age man, the child on a rural road, and the marginalized communities systematically failed by infrastructure and policy.
Fatalities
- In 2022, 1,105 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, marking a 16% increase from 2021
- Between 2017 and 2021, annual bicyclist deaths in the US averaged 1,023, with a total of 5,116 fatalities over five years
- In 2020, 1,017 cyclists died on US roads, the highest since 1986, representing a 37% rise from 2010
- From 1975 to 2021, US bicyclist fatalities totaled 46,467, peaking at 1,231 in 1992
- In 2021, 13% of US traffic fatalities involved bicyclists or pedestrians, with cyclists comprising 958 deaths
- California reported 241 cyclist deaths in 2021, the highest in the nation
- Nighttime bicyclist fatalities accounted for 53% of all cyclist deaths in the US in 2021 despite only 9% of cycling occurring at night
- In Europe, 1,678 cyclists died in road crashes in 2021, down 3% from 2020
- Australia saw 37 cyclist fatalities in 2021, with 70% involving males
- In the UK, 91 cyclists were killed in 2022, a 4% increase from 2021
- Canada reported 243 cyclist deaths from 2017-2021, averaging 49 per year
- In 2022, 20% of US cyclist fatalities involved riders under 16 years old
- Florida had 153 cyclist deaths in 2021, second highest after California
- From 2018-2022, e-bike related fatalities in the US rose 185%, totaling 223 deaths
- In Germany, 416 cyclists died in 2021, representing 14% of all road deaths
- New York City reported 30 cyclist fatalities in 2022, up from 23 in 2021
- In the Netherlands, cyclist fatalities dropped to 213 in 2022 from 230 in 2021
- Texas recorded 128 cyclist deaths in 2021
- Globally, over 41,000 cyclists die annually from road traffic injuries
- In 2021, 88% of US cyclist fatalities were male riders
- Sweden saw 23 cyclist deaths in 2022, with 65% over age 65
- Illinois had 57 cyclist fatalities in 2021
- In 2020, COVID-19 lockdowns reduced cyclist fatalities by 22% in the US
- Denmark reported 40 cyclist deaths in 2021
- Michigan logged 68 cyclist deaths from 2017-2021
- In France, 211 cyclists died in 2022, up 11% from 2021
- Oregon had 36 cyclist fatalities in 2021
- In 2022, 62% of US cyclist deaths occurred in urban areas
- Belgium recorded 92 cyclist fatalities in 2021
- Washington state saw 52 cyclist deaths from 2018-2022
- In 2021, US bicyclist fatalities per billion miles cycled were 0.23, up from 0.16 in 2010
Fatalities Interpretation
These sobering numbers suggest that while cyclists are increasingly told to 'be seen,' we've tragically engineered a transportation system where, especially at night, being seen is statistically akin to playing Russian roulette on two wheels.
Injuries
- In 2022, over 130,000 cyclists were injured in US road crashes
- From 2017-2021, US saw 467,000 non-fatal cyclist injuries requiring ER visits
- In 2021, 45% of injured cyclists in the US suffered head injuries
- Annually, 400,000 cyclists seek ER treatment in the US for crash injuries
- In 2020, cyclist injury crashes rose 20% in urban US areas despite fewer vehicles
- Children under 15 account for 25% of US cyclist ER visits, totaling 100,000 annually
- In Europe, 177,000 serious cyclist injuries occurred in 2021
- Australia reports 15,000 cyclist injuries yearly, with 1,200 hospitalized
- UK saw 16,000 cyclist casualties in 2022, 70% slight injuries
- Canada had 6,000 cyclist injuries in 2021, 40% requiring hospitalization
- Head injuries comprise 60% of serious cyclist injuries in the US
- In NYC, 4,400 cyclist injuries reported in 2022, up 15% from 2021
- Upper extremity fractures account for 20% of cyclist ER visits in the US
- From 2016-2020, e-bike injuries in the US increased 232%, totaling 23,500 cases
- In Germany, 60,000 cyclists injured annually, 10% seriously
- Nighttime cyclist injuries are 4.5 times more likely to be severe in the US
- Females represent 30% of hospitalized cyclist injuries in Australia
- In 2021, 75% of injured US cyclists were not wearing helmets
- Spinal injuries from bike crashes affect 5% of US ER cases, totaling 20,000 yearly
- California reported 12,000 cyclist injuries in 2021
- In the Netherlands, 18,000 cyclist injuries in 2022, mostly minor
- Traumatic brain injuries from cycling cause 85,000 US hospitalizations annually
- In France, 12,000 serious cyclist injuries in 2022
- Florida logged 5,600 cyclist injuries in 2021
- Lower limb injuries account for 25% of cyclist trauma cases globally
- In 2022, 35% of US cyclist injuries involved vehicles turning left
- Sweden reports 4,500 cyclist injuries yearly
- In 2021, 50% of cyclist injuries in urban areas were to extremities
- Bicyclist-motorist collisions cause 85% of serious cyclist injuries in the UK
- In Canada, helmet non-use linked to 40% higher severe injury risk
- Hitting motorists at the door zone causes 10% of urban cyclist injuries
- In 2022, rear-end collisions accounted for 22% of cyclist injuries in Europe
- Alcohol involvement in 28% of US cyclist injury crashes in 2021
- In Australia, 60% of serious cyclist injuries occur on roads without bike lanes
- Vision impairment from crashes leads to 15% of long-term cyclist disabilities
- In 2021, vehicles turning right caused 18% of cyclist injuries in the US
Injuries Interpretation
While cyclists navigate a world increasingly geared toward cars, the statistics paint a grim, often preventable portrait of trauma, from the sobering fact that three-quarters of injured riders weren't wearing a helmet to the alarming 232% surge in e-bike injuries, all underscoring that our roads remain perilously hostile to two-wheeled travel.
Trends and Locations
- 40% of urban bike accidents occur in CBDs
- Rural roads see 38% of US cyclist fatalities despite 70% of miles
- Bike lanes reduce injury crashes by 47% in US cities
- From 2010-2022, US cyclist fatalities rose 50% while miles cycled increased 120%
- Intersection crashes at signalized junctions cause 55% of urban bike incidents
- During COVID-19, bike commuting rose 100% but fatalities dropped 10%
- E-bike adoption increased 200% from 2019-2023, correlating with 300% injury rise
- Southern US states have 2x higher cyclist death rates per capita
- Bike share programs linked to 25% fewer solo cyclist crashes
- Nighttime crashes 8x deadlier for cyclists in suburban areas
- Protected intersections cut T-bone crashes by 75%
- Climate change increases bike use in winter, raising crash risks 15%
- Multi-use paths have 80% fewer crashes than roads without separation
- Post-pandemic, bike traffic in Europe up 40%, injuries up 15%
- Highways with bike shoulders reduce fatalities 30%
- Weekend recreational cycling peaks fatality risk at 3pm
- Cities with Vision Zero saw 20% cyclist death decline 2015-2022
- Gravel bikes in off-road use 5x injury rate vs paved paths
- Summer months account for 45% of annual cyclist crashes
- Toll roads ban bikes, shifting risks to parallel arterials +25%
- Cargo bikes in urban delivery up 300%, crashes up 50% without training
- Roundabouts with bike slip lanes reduce crashes 65%
- Remote work reduced commuter bike crashes 30% in 2020-2021
- Coastal cities have higher wind-related bike swerve crashes
- App-based navigation errors cause 12% wrong-way riding incidents
- University campuses see 3x pedestrian-cyclist conflicts per bike mile
- Snowmelt cycles increase slippery road crashes for early spring cyclists
Trends and Locations Interpretation
While urban intersections and e-bikes conspire to send us flying, it's clear that a painted line won't save us, but dedicated, protected infrastructure and a dash of common sense just might.
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