Bicyclist Fatalities: A Disturbing Urban Trend

If you live in a city and enjoy riding your bicycle to get around, you’re part of a growing trend. In addition to the environmental benefits, riding a bicycle provides the exercise which scientific study after study has now demonstrated is essential for maintaining good health as we grow older.

According to a recent report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association, however, there has also been a disturbing safety trend when it comes to bicyclists. Unlike overall motor vehicle fatalities, which saw an increase of only one percent between 2010 and 2012, the period studied by the report, the number of bicyclist fatalities each year increased by 16 percent.

An increase in bicycle fatalities was seen in twenty-two states, but the number of bicyclists killed in Texas, along with California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Michigan, represented 54 percent of all bicycle fatalities.

The report also highlighted other trends in bicycle fatalities. For example, while adults aged 20 or older had represented only 21 percent of such fatalities in 1975, in 2012 they represented 84 percent of total bicycle fatalities. Adult males fared the worst, making up 74 percent of bicycle fatalities in 2012.

What can you do to avoid becoming one of these statistics? Wear a helmet while riding, and avoid the consumption of alcohol. The report found the two major contributors to bicycle fatalities was the lack of helmet use and alcohol use. Two-thirds of the those killed while riding bicycles were not wearing helmets, while 28 percent had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) above the legal limit set for motor vehicle drivers.

After a car accident, an experienced attorney is one of the few people who will advocate for your best interests. Robert Greening is the principal attorney at Greening Law, P.C. He has dedicated his 24 years of practice to the litigation of wrongful death and serious injury cases. If you have any questions, contact Greening Law, P.C. at 972-934-8900.