News
Study: 40 Percent of Bike Deaths Involve Alcohol
A new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (via
) finds that in 40 percent of crashes between cyclists and automobiles, either the driver or the cyclist has been drinking. Of the 627 cyclists killed, 28 percent, or 176, had detectable levels of alcohol in their blood; nearly a quarter (24 percent) were above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
However, it does include some other interesting data:
• The vast majority of cyclists killed in 2009 were in urban areas---most likely cycling for transportation than doing recreational rides in the countryside.
• Not too surprisingly, cyclists were much more likely to be killed during the evening commute hours and at night---48 percent of cyclists killed in 2009 were hit between 4pm and midnight (just 9 percent were killed between midnight and 4 in the morning).
• The average age of cyclists killed in auto collisions has steadily increased---from 35 in 2000 to 41 in 2009. Meanwhile, the number of cyclists under 16 who were killed in traffic collisions has declined---from 28 percent in 2000 to just 13 percent in 2009.
• By far the majority of those killed in auto crashes in 2009 were male---83 percent. The largest group of those killed were between 45 and 54 (20 percent). And male cyclists' fatality rate was seven times higher among men than among women.
• Florida had the highest rate of per-capita cyclist fatalities, while five states—Washington, D.C., Main, Rhode Island, South Dakota Vermont, and West Virginia---had none. It's hard to draw conclusions from that information which states are safest and least safe for cyclists, though---high cycling rates, which increase cyclists' safety, could account for low fatalities in D.C., while the fact that few people cycle in South Dakota could be the reason for the low fatality rate there. And Florida may have a relatively low rate of cyclists, inhospitable infrastructure, and lots of drivers. The data doesn't speak to any of those (obviously very relevant) factors.
However, it does include some other interesting data:
• The vast majority of cyclists killed in 2009 were in urban areas---most likely cycling for transportation than doing recreational rides in the countryside.
• Not too surprisingly, cyclists were much more likely to be killed during the evening commute hours and at night---48 percent of cyclists killed in 2009 were hit between 4pm and midnight (just 9 percent were killed between midnight and 4 in the morning).
• The average age of cyclists killed in auto collisions has steadily increased---from 35 in 2000 to 41 in 2009. Meanwhile, the number of cyclists under 16 who were killed in traffic collisions has declined---from 28 percent in 2000 to just 13 percent in 2009.
• By far the majority of those killed in auto crashes in 2009 were male---83 percent. The largest group of those killed were between 45 and 54 (20 percent). And male cyclists' fatality rate was seven times higher among men than among women.
• Florida had the highest rate of per-capita cyclist fatalities, while five states—Washington, D.C., Main, Rhode Island, South Dakota Vermont, and West Virginia---had none. It's hard to draw conclusions from that information which states are safest and least safe for cyclists, though---high cycling rates, which increase cyclists' safety, could account for low fatalities in D.C., while the fact that few people cycle in South Dakota could be the reason for the low fatality rate there. And Florida may have a relatively low rate of cyclists, inhospitable infrastructure, and lots of drivers. The data doesn't speak to any of those (obviously very relevant) factors.
