Bicyclist deaths and fatality risk patterns

While there are almost 1,000 bicyclist deaths in the United States every year, there has been little formal analysis of the fatal risk patterns of bicyclists. In large part, this is because there has been little information available on riding exposure. The purpose of this article is to determine and quantify the relative risks of death for bicyclists according to age, gender, and daylight conditions. Relative risks are estimated by comparing data on the characteristics of fatally injured bicyclists with estimates of riding exposure from a recent national survey of bicyclists in the United States. The results suggest substantially higher fatality risks for males, for bicyclists over the age of 44, and for bicyclists who ride after dark. Discussion of the results includes implications regarding differences in the fatal and nonfatal injury risks associated with bicycle use.