California Bicycle Accident Statistics
Bicycle accidents send hundreds of victims to emergency rooms in California every year with serious and sometimes fatal injuries. Sadly, a higher number of vehicles are striking bicyclists now than ever before in California. Taking a look at statewide and national bicycle accident statistics can help shed light on this growing concern.
Bicyclist Deaths in California Have Increased in the Last 10 Years
In 2023 (the most recent year data is available), 145 bicyclists in California were struck and killed in traffic accidents, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). This was about a 20.8 percent decrease from 183 fatalities in 2022.
Combined, 1,106 bicyclists and pedestrians died on California roads in 2023. While this represented a 9 percent decrease from 2022, it is a 56 percent increase from 2014 – causing major concern for the safety of California’s most vulnerable road users.
The most populous county in California, Los Angeles County, reported 2,072 total bicyclists injured and killed in accidents in 2022. Of these victims, 176 were children under the age of 15. One of the OTS’s safety goals is to increase bicycle helmet law compliance in children ages 5 to 18.
Cyclists Around the Nation Are At Risk
Los Angeles attorneys handling injury cases emphasize that bicyclists are not only at risk in California, though the Golden State does see a higher number of bicycle accident deaths than other states annually. Bicyclist safety is also a concern nationwide. In the last five years, the annual average of bicyclist deaths in the U.S. has been 883 people per year.
According to the National Safety Council, the number of bicycle accident deaths increased 53 percent in the last 10 years. However, the number of nonfatal injuries has decreased by 29 percent. The majority of bicyclist deaths occurred in motor vehicle crashes (937), while 440 were caused by other incidents.
Get Legal Help After a Bike Accident
Contact a Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Typical Bicycle Accident Injuries
When a motor vehicle strikes a bicycle, the effects can be disastrous for the cyclist. The force of the impact can send the cyclist into the road, where he or she may suffer serious impact injuries or be run over by another car.
Common types of injuries suffered include:
- Broken bones
- Soft-tissue injuries (e.g., muscle sprains and strains)
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Facial and dental trauma
- Spinal cord injuries
- Permanent paralysis
- Internal injuries and organ damage
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Road rash and lacerations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports an estimated 120,000 emergency department visits for injured bicyclists annually. Despite making up only about 1 percent of all trips in the U.S., cyclists account for 2-3 percent of people who die in motor vehicle accidents.
When and Where Are California’s Bicyclists Most in Danger?
Bicyclist deaths tend to escalate in the warmer summer months, beginning in July and remaining high until the end of October. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that just over half (56 percent) of bicyclist deaths occur in nighttime conditions, including dawn and dusk.
Bicycle accidents occur most often anywhere there is high traffic volume. Driver errors are often behind these collisions, with speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving being the top culprits. Trends show the highest number of fatal bicycle accidents in urban areas (69 percent) and non-intersection locations (62 percent).If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident in California recently, don’t hesitate to contact Rose, Klein & Marias, LLP, for a free consultation about your recovery options. You aren’t just a statistic to us, but a real person who deserves justice.