Cycling fatalities in the United States reached a record high in 2023, the most recent year with complete federal data available. According to NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 1,166 pedalcyclists were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes that year, a 4.4% increase from 2022 and the highest count in more than four decades. The same data shows that 49,989 cyclists were injured in crashes during 2023, an increase from the previous year.
That record occurred despite an overall decline in U.S. traffic fatalities. Total roadway deaths fell 4.3% in 2023 compared to 2022, meaning cyclist deaths increased while overall roadway fatalities declined.
The States With the Most Cyclist Deaths
NHTSA’s 2023 data breaks down pedalcyclist fatalities by state. Three states account for a disproportionate share of the national total in 2023:
- Florida: 234 fatalities, the highest of any state and more than double the count of the second-highest state.
- California: 145 fatalities.
- Texas: 106 fatalities.
Together, those three states account for roughly 42% of all cyclist deaths recorded nationally in 2023, according to NHTSA’s Bicyclists and Other Cyclists: 2023 Data report. Four states, Alaska, Maine, North Dakota, and South Dakota, recorded no pedalcyclist fatalities in the same period.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) noted that Hawai‘i had the highest percentage of bicyclist deaths as a share of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2023, at 9%, despite lower raw totals. That figure reflects how the composition of road deaths can vary significantly by state, even when raw totals differ.
Urban Areas Account for the Majority of Deaths
Across the country, cyclist fatalities are more concentrated in urban areas than in rural areas. NHTSA’s 2023 data shows that 81% of all pedalcyclist fatalities occurred in urban areas. That proportion has grown over time, with urban areas accounting for approximately 69% of cyclist fatalities in 2011.
Most fatal crashes did not occur at intersections. NHTSA data shows 62% of pedalcyclist fatalities in 2023 took place at nonintersection locations, with 28% occurring at intersections and the remaining 11% at other locations, including bike lanes, shoulders, driveways, and parking zones.
More than half of all cyclist fatalities in 2023 (53%) occurred in the dark, compared to 42% in daylight conditions. NHTSA separately notes that cyclist deaths are highest during the months of July through October.
Who Is Most at Risk?
The demographic breakdown of cyclist fatalities is consistent across years of federal data. In 2023, 87% of pedalcyclists killed in traffic crashes were male, according to NHTSA. The population-based fatality rate for males was more than seven times higher than for females. The average age of a cyclist killed in a traffic crash in 2023 was 48, with the largest numbers of fatalities in the 55-to-59 and 60-to-64 age groups.
Alcohol involvement, defined by NHTSA as a BAC of .01 g/dL or higher for either the motor vehicle driver, the cyclist, or both, was reported in 34% of traffic crashes that resulted in pedalcyclist fatalities in 2023. The presence of alcohol in those cases does not necessarily indicate that it was a contributing factor.
Hit-and-run crashes accounted for 23% of all pedalcyclist fatalities in 2023, or 274 deaths, according to NHTSA data.
Vehicle Type in Fatal Crashes
When a cyclist is killed in a single-vehicle crash, the type of vehicle involved can affect how the impact occurs. NHTSA data shows that cyclists struck by passenger vehicles, including cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans, were more likely to be hit from the front of those vehicles. Buses had the highest percentage of rear-impact cyclist fatalities at 18%.
Collisions with light trucks, which include SUVs, pickups, and vans, accounted for the highest proportion of cyclist fatalities when looking at the full vehicle mix, according to NHTSA’s bicycle safety data covering recent years.
The Long-Term Trend
The increase in cyclist fatalities has developed over more than a decade. Cyclist fatalities in the U.S. totaled 623 in 2010, the lowest point in the modern tracking period. The 1,166 deaths recorded in 2023 represent an 87% increase over the 2010 figure, according to NHTSA data cited by the League of American Bicyclists.
Early estimates from NHTSA for 2024 projected an approximately 5% decrease in pedalcyclist fatalities compared to 2023 levels. Those figures remain preliminary as full-year FARS data for 2024 is finalized.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, released in 2022, noted that fatalities among pedestrians and cyclists had been increasing faster than overall roadway fatalities over the prior decade.
Contact Our Houston Personal Injury Law Firm For Help Today
If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident in Houston, Texas, and need legal help, contact our experienced personal injury lawyers at Mokaram Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
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