Traveling by bicycle already puts those who prefer a pedal-powered approach at a significant disadvantage. Reality paints a troubling picture for 2021, with fatalities reaching levels not seen in decades. Simply put, sharing the roads with larger and more powerful motor vehicles can potentially put cyclists on the road to disaster.

Alarming fatality statistics

Since 2012, deaths in urban areas have grown 62 percent. Conversely, rural areas saw reductions of 38 percent. The overall category of people losing their lives “outside the vehicle” skyrocketed from 20 percent in 1996 to 34 percent in 2021. That same year accounted for 2.2 percent of all traffic fatalities, with injuries in collisions exceeding 41,000, a seven percent increase from the previous year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 966 pedal cyclists lost their lives in traffic accidents, the most fatalities since 1975. The previous year saw close to 1,000 cyclists dying, another increase from 858 fatalities in 2019.

Bordering on a crisis?

The multi-decade trend is reaching crisis levels, particularly when looking at fatality statistics with the U.S. Census Bureau. For every million residents, 2.7 fatal bicycle crashes occurred between 2017 and 2021, an increase of five percent from the previous period. No state was spared, with the top five in deaths coming from Florida, New York, California, Texas, and Arizona.

The overall picture painted is troubling at best. Nearly 43,000 people lost their lives in 2021, a record number that hasn’t been seen since 2005. With more than 39,000 fatalities during the previous year means that almost 4,000 more accident victims died two years ago.

The ongoing and highly dangerous trend is a problem in desperate need of a solution. If you or a loved one were involved in a bicycle related accident, feel free to reach out at [nap_phone id=”LOCAL-REGULAR-NUMBER-1″] to our team of attorneys who have experience in this specific area.  We are prepared to face the insurance companies and others who desire to complicate or otherwise prevent resolution in these matters.