Cycling safety data spans fatal traffic crashes, emergency-department visits, and reported road casualties. The measures below cover the United States and Great Britain, with periods and population definitions kept explicit because none of these datasets measures cycling risk in exactly the same way.
Key Cycling Safety Statistics
The most broadly useful findings include:
- In 2015, 818 pedalcyclists died in U.S. traffic crashes, equal to 2.3% of all traffic fatalities and 2.5 deaths per million residents.
- In 2015, Florida recorded 150 U.S. pedalcyclist traffic fatalities, the highest state total in the cited national table.
- In 2015, Florida’s pedalcyclist fatality rate was 7.4 per million residents, compared with 2.5 nationally.
- In 2015, Vermont’s pedalcyclist fatalities represented 7.0% of all traffic fatalities in the state.
- In 2015, Albuquerque had 5 pedalcyclist traffic fatalities and a rate of 8.94 per million residents among the listed large U.S. cities.
- In 2015, New York City recorded 13 pedalcyclist traffic fatalities, or 5.4% of its 241 traffic fatalities.
- During 2009–2018, an estimated 596,972 bicycle-related traumatic-brain-injury emergency-department visits occurred in the United States.
- During 2009–2018, U.S. children and adolescents age 17 or younger had 32.7 bicycle-related TBI ED visits per 100,000 population.
- During 2009–2018, children age 10–14 had 44.6 bicycle-related TBI ED visits per 100,000 population.
- During 2009–2018, the child and adolescent bicycle-related TBI ED-visit rate fell 48.7% from 2009 to 2018.
- During 2009–2018, male bicycle-related TBI ED-visit rates were three times female rates across all ages in the United States.
- In 2018, 857 adult bicyclists died in U.S. traffic-related crashes, the highest adult count in two decades according to the CDC report.
- In a meta-analysis of injured cyclists across 40 studies, helmet use was associated with 51% lower odds of head injury.
- The same meta-analysis found helmet use was associated with 69% lower odds of serious head injury among injured cyclists.
- In 2023, Great Britain recorded 84 pedal cyclist fatalities, down 7% from 2022 and 23% from 2013.
- In 2023, Great Britain recorded 14,770 reported pedal cyclist casualties, down 6% from 2022 and 24% from 2013.
- In Great Britain during 2019–2023, 58% of pedal-cyclist fatalities occurred on rural roads, compared with 31% of pedal-cycle traffic.
- In Great Britain during 2019–2023, males accounted for 82% of pedal-cyclist killed-or-seriously-injured casualties.
Contents
- U.S. national cycling safety statistics
- State-by-state cycling safety data
- Large-city cycling safety statistics
- Bicycle-related traumatic brain injury statistics
- Helmet evidence and cycling injury outcomes
- Great Britain cycling safety trends
U.S. National Cycling Safety Statistics
The 2015 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration table uses FARS traffic fatalities and resident-population denominators. It does not measure cyclist miles, trips, helmet use, nonfatal injury exposure, or non-traffic crashes.
In the United States, 818 pedalcyclists died in traffic crashes in 2015. That was 2.3% of all 35,092 traffic fatalities, corresponding to 2.5 pedalcyclist fatalities per million residents.
These are observed traffic-fatality counts, not a complete measure of cycling harm.
Florida and California had the largest state totals in the cited table, with 150 and 129 pedalcyclist fatalities, respectively. Florida’s population-based rate was 7.4 per million residents, while Louisiana’s was 7.3 per million; both denominators describe residents rather than cycling exposure.
State-by-State Cycling Safety Data
The following 2015 measures combine counts, shares of all traffic fatalities, and resident-population rates. The metrics should not be read as a ranking of danger per ride or per mile.
| State | Pedalcyclist fatalities | Share of traffic fatalities | Fatalities per million residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 29 | 3.2% | 4.3 |
| Texas | 50 | 1.4% | 1.8 |
| New York | 36 | 3.2% | 1.8 |
| Michigan | 33 | 3.4% | 3.3 |
| Nevada | 10 | — | 3.5 |
| Washington | 14 | 2.5% | 2.0 |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 2.7% | 2.6 |
| New Jersey | 18 | — | 2.0 |
| Oregon | 8 | — | 2.0 |
| Colorado | 13 | — | 2.4 |
| Massachusetts | 9 | — | 1.3 |
Vermont had the highest state share in the national table: pedalcyclist fatalities were 7.0% of all traffic fatalities in 2015. For context, Texas recorded 50 deaths but 1.4% of traffic fatalities and 1.8 deaths per million residents, while Arizona recorded 29 deaths, 3.2%, and 4.3 per million.
Source: NHTSA, 2015 Data: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists. The figures are FARS-reported traffic fatalities with resident-population denominators.
Large-City Cycling Safety Statistics
NHTSA’s 2015 city figures cover cities with populations of at least 500,000. City rates use resident populations, so they do not adjust for commuting, recreational riding, visitors, or bicycle miles.
| City | Pedalcyclist fatalities in 2015 | Rate or share reported |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | 5 | 8.94 per million residents |
| Tucson | 4 | 7.52 per million residents |
| Las Vegas | 4 | 6.41 per million residents |
| Phoenix | 8 | 5.12 per million residents |
| Philadelphia | 7 | 4.47 per million residents |
| Los Angeles | 16 | 4.03 per million residents |
| Chicago | 7 | 2.57 per million residents |
| Dallas | 1 | 0.77 per million residents |
New York City recorded 13 pedalcyclist traffic fatalities, representing 5.4% of its 241 traffic fatalities. San Francisco recorded 4 pedalcyclist fatalities, equal to 10.5% of its 38 traffic fatalities; that percentage is sensitive to the small total-fatality denominator.
Albuquerque had the highest listed large-city rate at 8.94 per million residents, while Dallas had 1 fatality and a rate of 0.77 per million. Small counts can produce volatile rates, and these city measures are not exposure-adjusted.
Source: NHTSA, 2015 Data: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists.
Bicycle-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics
The CDC’s national study used NEISS-AIP estimates of bicycle-related traumatic-brain-injury emergency-department visits during 2009–2018. ED data exclude people treated elsewhere or people who did not seek care, and the available narratives do not consistently identify helmet use, road or path location, or riding exposure.
An estimated 596,972 bicycle-related TBI ED visits occurred in the United States during 2009–2018. The overall estimated rate was 32.7 visits per 100,000 population among people age 17 or younger and 14.6 per 100,000 among adults age 18 or older.
Age-specific estimates show a higher rate among children age 10–14 than among children age 0–4:
- Children age 10–14 had 44.6 bicycle-related TBI ED visits per 100,000 population during 2009–2018.
- Children age 0–4 had 15.3 bicycle-related TBI ED visits per 100,000 population during 2009–2018.
- Male bicycle-related TBI ED-visit rates were three times female rates across all ages during 2009–2018.
The child and adolescent rate decreased 48.7% from 2009 to 2018, while the adult rate decreased 5.5%. The total rate fell at an estimated annual percentage change of 9.80% during 2013–2018, and the rate for people age 17 or younger fell 12.57% annually during that period.
For adults, the trend was segmented: the rate rose 9.32% annually during 2009–2013 and fell 8.00% annually during 2013–2018. These are statistical trend estimates, not causal effects, and changes may partly reflect care-seeking or participation.
In 2018, 857 adult bicyclists died in traffic-related crashes in the United States, the highest adult count in two decades according to the CDC report. This traffic-death measure is distinct from nontraffic bicycle injuries and from ED visits.
Cycling Safety Trends, Helmet Evidence, and Injury Outcomes
A systematic review and meta-analysis included more than 64,000 injured cyclists across 40 meta-analyzed studies. Its results describe associations among cyclists involved in a crash or fall, not population-wide causal effects.
Helmet use was associated with 51% lower odds of head injury, with an odds ratio of 0.49. It was also associated with 69% lower odds of serious head injury, with an odds ratio of 0.31.
The analysis reported a 65% lower odds of fatal head injury associated with helmet use, with an odds ratio of 0.35 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.14–0.88. The association with neck injury was unclear: the odds ratio was 0.96, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.74–1.25.
Separately, evidence summarized by the CDC reported a 20%–55% reduction in bicycle-related head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, associated with helmet-use policies. This is a range from prior studies, not a single national trial estimate.
Source: Elvik, Bicycle injuries and helmet use: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CDC evidence summary.
Great Britain Cycling Safety Trends
The Department for Transport’s 2023 pedal cyclist factsheet covers reported personal-injury road collisions in Great Britain. It does not capture all unreported crashes and should not be interpreted as risk per trip or per mile.
Great Britain recorded 84 pedal cyclist fatalities and 14,770 reported pedal cyclist casualties in 2023. Fatalities were down 7% from 2022 and 23% from 2013, while casualties were down 6% from 2022 and 24% from 2013.
| Great Britain road-user category, 2023 | Fatalities | Reported casualties |
|---|---|---|
| Car occupants | 749 | 72,155 |
| Pedestrians | 407 | 19,156 |
| Motorcyclists | 306 | 16,756 |
| Pedal cyclists | 84 | 14,770 |
Pedal cyclists represented 11% of all reported road casualties and 5% of reported road fatalities in Great Britain in 2023. Across 2019–2023, reported pedal-cyclist casualties averaged 2 deaths and 80 adjusted serious injuries per week; serious injuries are adjusted, and unreported crashes are excluded.
The five-year context also shows differences by road setting and sex. Rural roads accounted for 58% of pedal-cyclist fatalities but 31% of pedal-cycle traffic in 2019–2023, while males accounted for 82% of killed-or-seriously-injured pedal-cyclist casualties.
Two-vehicle collisions between a pedal cycle and a car accounted for 46% of pedal-cyclist fatalities in Great Britain during 2019–2023. That percentage describes the composition of reported fatalities, not the probability of death by vehicle type.