A total of 770 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2006. Bicyclist deaths were down 23 percent since 1975 but 23 percent more than in 2003. The decline among female bicyclists (49 percent) was larger than the decline among male bicyclists (18 percent).
Ninety-five percent of bicyclists killed in 2006 reportedly weren’t wearing helmets.
Twenty-four percent of bicyclists killed in 2006 had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent. This percentage is one-third higher than in 1982.
Bicyclist deaths in 2006 occurred most often during June-September and between the hours of 6pm and 9pm.
Deaths among bicyclists younger than 16 have gone down by 84 percent since 1975, while deaths among bicyclists 16 and older have more than doubled.
More than 7 times as many bicyclist deaths in 2006 were males compared with females. At every age more male than female bicyclists were killed and the rates of bicyclist deaths per million people were higher for males than females. The highest rate of bicyclist deaths per million people occurred for 50-54 year-old males.
Many more bicyclists were killed in urban areas than in rural areas in 2006 (71 percent compared with 27 percent). In 1975, bicyclist deaths occurred equally in rural and urban areas.
One-third of bicyclist deaths in 2006 occurred at intersections.
Sixty percent of bicyclist deaths in 2006 occurred on major roads other than interstates and freeways, and 33 percent occurred on minor roads. Forty-six percent of deaths among bicyclists younger than 16 and 62 percent of deaths among bicyclists 16 and older occurred on major roads.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact me today for a free consultation. There is no charge to talk to me and you will be under no obligation to hire me. When I represent a person who has been injured in a bicycle accident, my work is done on a contingency fee basis. That means that I don’t get paid unless and until my client gets money either through settlement or jury trial.
