Safety Statistics
- The total number of cyclist fatalities dropped 12% between 2008 and 2009, from 718 to 630 deaths.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data reported by Flusche, D., 2010
- After two streets in Minneapolis were converted to be more bicycle friendly, bike traffic increased 43%, total vehicle crashes decreased, traffic efficiency was maintained, and parking revenues remained consistent.
City of Minneapolis, 2010
Hennepin and 1st avenues two-way conversion leads to fewer crashes, better access
- About one-third of U.S. bicycle fatalities in 2009 occurred in an intersection.
U.S. Department of Transportation, 2010
- From 2000 to 2009, bike crashes in Minneapolis, MN dropped 20%, while the number of city bicyclists increased 174% between 2003 and 2008.
City of Minneapolis, 2010, in Flusche, D., 2011
- A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest.
Reynolds, C., et al., 2009
- A survey of bike light use in Portland, Oregon found that nine in 10 bicyclists had front lights, but one in nine of those were inadequate.
Carl, 2011
"Survey result: Bike light use good, but not good enough," BTA Blog, 21 March 2011
- When protected bike lanes are installed in New York City, injury crashes for all road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) typically drop by 40% and by more than 50% in some locations.
Wolfson, H., 2011
Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
- In New York City, four pedestrians were killed in bike-pedestrian accidents from 2001-2005. From 2006-2010, while cycling in the city doubled, three pedestrians were killed in such accidents.
Wolfson, H., 2011
Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011
- Cycling fatalities fell by 21% in the U.S. from 1998 to 2008.
Pucher, J., et al., 2011
- A survey of Australian adults found that three in five have access to a bike, but many don't ride at all or as much as they want to due to road and safety issues. Respondents said that separated bike paths would encourage them to start riding at all or more often.
Cycling Promotion Fund, 2011
Riding a Bike for Transport: 2011 Survey Findings
- Cities with high bicycling rates tend to have lower crash rates for all road users.
Marshall, W., and N. Garrick, 2011
Evidence on why bike-friendly cities are safer for all road users, Environmental Practice, 13, 1
- Bicycling in New York City increased 8% between 2010 and 2011, 102% since 2007, and 289% compared to 2001. During the same time, safety increased for all road users.
New York City Department of Transportation, 2011
"NYC DOT Announces Commuter Biking has Doubled in the Last Four Years..."
- Hybrid electric vehicles are 57% more likely than regular internal combustion engine vehicles to be in a bicycle crash.
Wu, J., et al., 2011
- The installation of many miles of new bike lanes in New York City did not lead to an increase in bike crashes, despite the increase in the number of cyclists.
Chen, L., et al., 2011
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The majority of bicycle trips are less than 30 minutes in length, although the average distance varies by purpose:
- Entertainment, recreation, and fitness trips are generally longer, up to 30 or 40 km (18.6-24.9 mi)
- Work trips tend to be around 20 km (12.4 mi)
- Trips for shopping and trail access are shorter, under 10 km (6.2 mi)
Iacono, M., et al., 2008
- The number of trips made by bicycle in the U.S. more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009.
U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, 2009
National Household Travel Survey
- Residents of neighborhoods with a high bicycle lane density and population density bicycle more.
Sener et al., 2008
An analysis of bicyclists and bicycling characteristics: Who, why, and how much are they bicycling?
- According to a field study by the city of Portland, while bicyclists come to a complete stop at stop signs only 7 percent of the time, motorists stop completely only 22 percent of the time.
Rose, J., 2009
"Hey, Oregon, is that an Idaho stop or a California stop?", The Oregonian
- The majority of bicycle-vehicle crashes are not a result of environmental factors, eg. darkness, fog, or rain.
Schramm, A., et al., 2008
- Competitive road cyclists report safer driving behavior than drivers who have no cycling experience.
Martha, C., and P. Delhomme, 2008
- 72% of Texas bicycle commuters travel on unsigned roadways during their commute, and only 14% have bicycle lockers or safe storage rooms at their workplace.
University of Texas at Austin News, 2008
"State Bicycle Survey Reveals Danger Concerns, Cycling Perceptions"
- A survey of 1,600 cyclists from Texas revealed that 70% of riders felt bicycling is dangerous in terms of traffic accidents, but only 21% thought it is dangerous in the context of crime.
University of Texas at Austin News, 2008
"State Bicycle Survey Reveals Danger Concerns, Cycling Perceptions"
- Major streets without bike facilities are where the most bike crashes happen, followed by minor streets without facilities, bike paths, and then bike lanes.
Moritz, W., 1997
- 98.2% of North American bike commuters own a helmet, and 86.5% say they wear a helmet every time they ride.
Moritz, W., 1997
- The average accident rate for commuter cyclists is 37.1 crashes per million km, or one accident every 8.7 years.
Moritz, W., 1997
- In Paris, only 2% of bicyclists wear helmets compared to 32% in Boston. However, 47% of nighttime Paris bicyclists had working head or tail lights compared to only 15% in Boston.
Osberg, J., et al., 1998
Bicycle safety behavior in Paris and Boston, Accident Analysis & Prevention, 30, 679-87
- Both adult and child cyclists tend to adopt the helmet-wearing behaviors of their cycling companions.
Dannenberg, A., et al., 1993
Bicycle helmet use by adults: The impact of companionship, Public Health Reports, 108, 212-7
- Bicycle safety improvements attract proportionately more people to bicycling than automobile safety improvements (i.e. a 10% increase in safety results in a greater than 10% increase in the share of people bicycle commuting).
Noland, R., 1995
- Between 2006 and 2007, cyclist fatalities decreased nearly 10%.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008
Traffic Safety Facts: 2007 Data, DOT HS 801 986
- In Marin County, CA, bike commuting increased 66% while bicycle crashes declined 34% from 1998 to 2008.
Marin County Bicycle Coalition, 2008
MCBC Weekly Bulletin for April 3, 2008
- Despite the near doubling of cyclists in London between 2001 and 2005, there has been no increase in the number of pedestrians injured in collisions with cyclists.
CTC, 2006
"Livingstone's 'Share the Road' campaign is based on myths not facts, says CTC"
- Between 2007 and 2008, overall bicycle use in Portland, Oregon increased 28%.
City of Portland Office of Transportation, 2008
- In Portland, OR, 2008 total traffic fatalities were the lowest in recorded history, with only 20 total fatalities, none of them cyclists. 2008 car, pedestrian, and cyclist fatalities were all at all-time lows.
Ciy of Portland, 2009
- In London there has been a 91% increase in bicycling on the capital's main roads since 2000, and a 33% reduction in bicyclist casualties in roughly the same period.
Geffen, R., 2009
in "Cheap PR stunt demonises cyclists," 2009, European Cyclists' Federation
- The more cyclists there are, the safer cycling is.
Jacobsen, P., 2003
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A 1999 survey reported what was important to bike helmet owners:
- 95% said comfort or fit
- 93% said safety certification
- 88% said ease of strap adjustment
- 70% said cost
- 64% said helmet appearance
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1999
National Bike Helmet Use Study
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Why do people wear a bike helmet?
- 98% say safety
- 70% say because a parent or spouse insists
- 44% say they live where local law requires it
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1999
National Bike Helmet Use Study
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Why don't people wear a bike helmet?
- 26% say they ride only a short distance
- 25% say they forget to wear it
- 20% say it is uncomfortable
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1999
National Bike Helmet Use Study
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Why don't people own a helmet?
- 20% say they haven't gotten around to it
- 18% say helmets are not comfortable
- 11% say helmets are unnecesssary
- 9% say helmets are not attractive
- 7% say they don't ride very often
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1999
National Bike Helmet Use Study
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In New York City:
- A driver could speed every day and get ticketed only once every 35 years.
- Only 1 out of every 438 red light runners is caught.
- A driver could fail to yield every day and get ticketed only once every 1,589 years.
Singer, J., 2009
"Executive Order: A Mayoral Strategy for Traffic Safety," Transportation Alternatives
- Hybrid electric vehicles are more likely to be involved with bicycle crashes than are normal vehicles.
Hanna, R., 2009
- From 1995 to 2003, the number of bicycle trips in Copenhagen made by adults 40 and older rose from 25% to 38%, yet there was a 60% decline in serious injuries.
Pucher, J., et al., 2009
- There were 630 cyclist fatalities in the US in 2009, a decrease from 718 in 2008.
NHTSA, 2010 in Flusche, D., 2010
"New Fatality Data Released," BikeLeague.org blog, September 9, 2010
- One study of two years' worth of bicycle crashes in Indiana found that human error was the most common factor in crashes, right angle collisions were the most common crash type, and most crashes occurred in daylight.
Klobucar, M., and D. Fricker, 2007
- One-quarter of characters in recent (2003-2007) children's movies wore helmets while bicycling, up from 15% in 1998-2002 and 6% in 1995-1997.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010
- Even though 85% of Amsterdam residents ride a bike at least once a week, only 6 or 7 cyclists are killed in traffic accidents every year.
City of Amsterdam, 2003
- More than one-quarter (28%) of all traffic accidents occur when people talk on cellphones or send text messages while driving.
National Safety Council, 2010
- In New York City, 92% of all bicyclist fatalities occurred as a results of crashes with motor vehicles, and 91% of bicyclists who died were male.
New York City, 2010
Bicyclist Fatalities and Serious Injuries in New York City
- HIgher actual crash risk increases perceived crash risk, while higher perceived crash risk is negatively associated with actual crash rates.
Cho et al., 2009
- From 1994 to 2008, the number of bicyclists killed in the U.S. decreased by 12%.
U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, 2009
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