In the last year, there were 857 pedal cycle deaths. This represents 2.3 percent of the total number of traffic fatalities in the year.
Ninety-nine per cent of the pedalcyclists who died in 2018 were in urban areas, as opposed to only 21 percent in rural areas.
In 2018, alcohol was involved in 37 percent fatal crashes involving pedal cyclists, either as a motor vehicle driver or pedalcyclist.
Twenty-six percent of pedal cyclists killed in the year had blood alcohol levels (BACs), which were.01 grams or more per deciliter.
Age and Sex
In 2018, the average age of pedestrians who were killed by pedal cyclists in accidents was 47. In 2018, the majority (86%) of pedal cyclists who died were men. The majority of fatal pedal cyclists were aged between 50 and 54. Age groups 20-to-24, and 15-19 had the highest rate of pedalcyclist injuries (285 and 268).
In 2018, children under 15 years old accounted for 4 percent (four percent) of all pedal cyclists who were killed. The population-based injury rates for children under 15 were 83.
Alcohol
In 2018, 37 percent of fatal traffic accidents involving pedal cyclists involved alcohol (BAC >.01 g/dL), either by the motor vehicle driver or the pedalcyclist who was killed.
A pedalcyclist’s BAC was.08 or more in 20 percent of fatal crashes.
Estimated 15 percent of fatal crashes involving pedal cyclists involved drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of.08 g/dL and higher. A BAC of.08 is the legal limit.
Impact Point and Vehicle Type
99 percent (795) of the 804 pedal cyclists who died in single-vehicle accidents were killed when the first harmful event in the crash was a collision with a cyclist.
In 2018,
- Most likely, pedal cyclists killed in single-vehicle accidents were struck by the front end of the vehicle.
- In motor vehicle accidents in which a cyclist was killed, light trucks were most often involved.
- In 45 percent of pedal cyclists’ deaths (356 out of 795), the light truck was involved. In 88 per cent (313) of these crashes the pedalcyclist was in contact with the light truck’s front.
- The bus and large trucks had the highest percentages of right-side impact, with 29 and 24 percent respectively. For passenger vehicles, this percentage was only 5 percent. The largest trucks were also responsible for the most rear impacts.
Fatalities by State
Florida had the most pedalcyclist deaths in 2018, followed by California (155) and Texas (69). Each other state had fewer than 30 pedalcyclist deaths. Alaska, Nebraska, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming all had zero pedalcyclist deaths.
This post was written by Kelly-Ann Jenkins of Jenkins Law P.L. Kelly-Ann is a personal injury attorney St Petersburg Florida. The information on this site is not intended to and does not offer legal advice, legal recommendations, or legal representation on any matter. Hiring an attorney is an important decision, which should not be based on advertising. You need to consult an attorney for legal advice regarding your situation.
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