Bicycle accidents produce a measurable burden across fatal traffic crashes, emergency-department visits, traumatic brain injuries and local police reports. The figures below focus mainly on the United States and identify the period, population and definition for each measure.
Key Bicycle Accident Statistics
The most broadly useful figures include:
- Nearly 1,000 bicycle-crash deaths per year were cited by the CDC for the United States in its 1984–1988 helmet-guidance context.
- An estimated 120,000 emergency-department visits per year involved nonfatal crash-related bicycle injuries in the United States in the CDC estimate.
- 596,972 estimated bicycle-related traumatic-brain-injury ED visits occurred in the United States during 2009–2018.
- 18.8 bicycle-related TBI ED visits per 100,000 people was the U.S. rate across 2009–2018.
- 356,630 estimated pedal-cyclist injury ED visits occurred in the United States in 2020, compared with 328,903 in 2019.
- Pedal-cyclist traffic fatalities rose 10%, from 859 in 2019 to 948 in 2020 in the United States.
- 966 pedal-cyclist fatalities were reported in 2021, the highest reported since 1975 in the cited NHTSA series.
- The bicycle-related TBI ED-visit rate fell 27.7% from 2009 to 2018 in the United States.
- People aged 10–14 had a TBI ED-visit rate of 44.6 per 100,000 across 2009–2018, the highest listed age-group rate.
- Males represented 75.2% of estimated bicycle-related TBI ED visits across 2009–2018.
- 83.0% of bicycle-related TBI ED visits ended in treatment and release across 2009–2018.
- 13.9% of bicycle-related TBI ED visits ended in hospitalization or transfer across 2009–2018.
- 37% of nonfatal pedal-cyclist injuries occurred in traffic in the United States in 2020.
- 37% of 2020 pedal-cyclist injuries had insufficient location documentation, limiting traffic-versus-nontraffic comparisons.
- 34.1% of bicyclist injuries occurred between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. in District of Columbia data covering 2017–2023.
- August, June and July together accounted for 35.5% of District of Columbia bicyclist injuries in the same data coverage.
- Head injuries accounted for 62% of bicycle-related deaths in the CDC’s historical helmet-guidance review.
- A Seattle case-control study estimated a 74%–85% reduction in bicycle-related head-injury risk from helmets in 1989.
Contents
- Bicycle accident scale: deaths and emergency injuries
- Bicycle accident trends from 2009 to 2021
- Bicycle crash statistics by age and sex
- Bicycle injuries, traumatic brain injury and outcomes
- Where and when bicycle accidents happen
- Bicycle accident prevention and helmet statistics
Bicycle Accident Scale: Deaths and Emergency Injuries
The CDC’s older helmet guidance cited nearly 1,000 bicycle-crash deaths each year in the United States, using a 1984–1988 context. It also cited an estimated 120,000 annual emergency-department visits for nonfatal crash-related bicycle injuries; these are historical estimates, not current totals. CDC, Injury-Control Recommendations: Bicycle Helmets
The same CDC source noted that bicycle trips made up 1% of U.S. trips, while bicyclists represented 2%–3% of people who died in motor-vehicle crashes on U.S. roads. Those percentages have different denominators and should not be interpreted as a single fatality rate. CDC, Injury-Control Recommendations: Bicycle Helmets
The more recent CDC surveillance series separates traumatic brain injuries from all bicycle injuries:
- During 2009–2018, CDC estimated 596,972 bicycle-related TBI ED visits in the United States, an overall rate of 18.8 per 100,000 population.
- CDC estimated 328,903 pedal-cyclist injury ED visits in 2019 and 356,630 in 2020, an 8% increase in the weighted estimate.
- Overall nonfatal injury-related ED visits fell 15% in 2020 versus 2019, while pedal-cyclist visits rose; the confidence intervals for the bicycle estimates overlap.
These CDC NEISS-AIP figures are weighted national estimates from a probability sample of hospitals, not a census of crashes. TBI visits, all nonfatal injury visits and traffic fatalities measure different populations. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Bicycle-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Children and Adults — United States, 2009–2018; CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Nonfatal Pedal Cyclist Injuries Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, United States, 2019–2020
Bicycle Accident Trends from 2009 to 2021
The trend depends on whether the measure is a TBI ED-visit rate, a broad nonfatal injury estimate or a traffic-fatality count. The following figures should therefore be read as separate series.
| Measure | Earlier period/value | Later period/value | Definition and geography |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBI ED-visit rate | 18.8 per 100,000 in 2009 | 13.6 per 100,000 in 2018 | U.S. bicycle-related TBI ED visits |
| Total TBI rate trend | — | 27.7% decrease, 2009–2018 | CDC-reported crude-rate comparison |
| Pedal-cyclist traffic fatalities | 859 in 2019 | 948 in 2020; 966 in 2021 | U.S. traffic fatalities |
| Total TBI annual trend | — | 9.80% annual decline, 2013–2018 | U.S. Joinpoint estimate |
From 2013–2018, the total bicycle-related TBI ED-visit rate declined at a significant 9.80% annual percentage change. The CDC describes a rate trend, not the risk of an individual crash. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Bicycle-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Children and Adults — United States, 2009–2018
Traffic fatalities moved differently: pedal-cyclist deaths rose 10%, from 859 in 2019 to 948 in 2020, then reached 966 in 2021. The 2021 count was the highest reported since 1975 in the cited NHTSA series. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Nonfatal Pedal Cyclist Injuries Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, United States, 2019–2020
April 2020 also showed a larger bicycle share of injury-related ED visits: 2.2%, compared with 1.2% in April 2019. For people under 18, the share was 6.0% versus 2.1%; for adults aged 18 or older, it was 1.5% versus 1.0%, and for adults aged 50 or older, 1.7% versus 0.8%. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Nonfatal Pedal Cyclist Injuries Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, United States, 2019–2020
Bicycle Crash Statistics by Age and Sex
Across 2009–2018, children and adolescents had higher bicycle-related TBI ED-visit rates than adults in the CDC estimates. Rates are per 100,000 population and concern TBI visits, not all bicycle accidents.
| Population | TBI ED visits per 100,000, 2009–2018 |
|---|---|
| Ages 10–14 | 44.6 |
| Ages 15–17 | 36.4 |
| Ages 5–9 | 35.2 |
| Ages 0–4 | 15.3 |
| Adults aged 18 or older | 14.6 |
Males accounted for 75.2% of estimated bicycle-related TBI ED visits, compared with 24.8% for females. The corresponding population rates were 28.8 per 100,000 for males and 9.2 per 100,000 for females. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Bicycle-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Children and Adults — United States, 2009–2018
The trend also differed by group. Among males, the TBI ED-visit rate increased 3.30% annually during 2009–2013 and decreased 9.61% annually during 2013–2018; among adults aged 18 or older, it increased 9.32% annually during 2009–2013 and declined 8.00% annually during 2013–2018.
Children and adolescents aged 17 or younger had a 12.57% annual decline during 2013–2018. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Bicycle-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Children and Adults — United States, 2009–2018
District of Columbia police data provide a local, non-national comparison. Across the report’s 2017–2023 coverage, males represented about 77.4% of bicyclist-involved crashes; ages 26–30 represented 17.8%, ages 31–35 14.8%, and ages 21–25 12.8%.
The report notes that 8.3% of crash ages were unknown and that 2023 observations were partial through April 30. District of Columbia FY 2024 Highway Safety Plan
Bicycle Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injury and Outcomes
Among estimated U.S. bicycle-related TBI ED visits during 2009–2018, 83.0% ended in treatment and release, while 13.9% ended in hospitalization or transfer. The corresponding rates were 15.6 treated-and-released visits per 100,000 population and 2.6 hospitalized-or-transferred visits per 100,000. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Bicycle-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries Among Children and Adults — United States, 2009–2018
The historical CDC helmet review gives additional context on injury type, but its evidence comes from older literature and should not be treated as a current surveillance estimate:
- Head injuries accounted for 62% of bicycle-related deaths, 33% of bicycle-related ED visits and 67% of bicycle-related hospital admissions in the 1984–1988 evidence context.
- Nearly 90% of bicycle-related head-injury deaths were attributed to motor-vehicle collisions, while motor-vehicle collisions caused less than 25% of nonfatal bicycle-related head injuries treated in EDs.
- The review estimated that 7% of brain injuries were bicycle-related, with definitions that may differ from current surveillance.
In the District of Columbia, reported bicyclist injuries during 2019–2023 totaled 2,564, or about 49% of 5,210 bicyclist-involved crashes. This is a police-reported injury share, not a clinical injury rate, and the report combines FARS through 2020 with Metropolitan Police Department data for later years. District of Columbia FY 2024 Highway Safety Plan
Where and When Bicycle Accidents Happen
The CDC’s 2020 location categories do not describe bicycle travel exposure. They divide weighted nonfatal pedal-cyclist injuries into traffic, nontraffic and insufficiently documented location categories.
| 2020 injury location category | Share of U.S. nonfatal pedal-cyclist injuries |
|---|---|
| In traffic | 37% |
| Not in traffic | 27% |
| Insufficient documentation | 37% |
The nontraffic category includes driveways and off-road locations, while the 37% unspecified category prevents a precise traffic-versus-off-road comparison. CDC, Emergency Department Visits for Nonfatal Pedal Cyclist Injuries Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, United States, 2019–2020
The District of Columbia report supplies a local timing profile for 2017–2023 coverage. The largest time block was 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 34.1% of injuries, followed by noon to 4 p.m. at 20.7% and 8 a.m. to noon at 20.2%.
- Wednesdays accounted for 16.5% of injuries, while Thursdays and Tuesdays each accounted for 15.8%.
- August, June and July together accounted for 35.5% of injuries.
- Ward 2 accounted for 30.5% of injuries, Ward 6 for 19.1% and Ward 1 for 11.9%.
These local figures are observed police data, not national rates, and the 2023 observations are partial through April 30. District of Columbia FY 2024 Highway Safety Plan
Bicycle Accident Prevention and Helmet Statistics
The CDC’s historical helmet review reported a Seattle case-control estimate that bicycle helmets reduced bicycle-related head-injury risk by 74%–85% in 1989. This concerns head injury, not every crash or every injury outcome, and it is a study-specific historical estimate. CDC, Injury-Control Recommendations: Bicycle Helmets
The same review modeled a counterfactual increase in helmet use from 10% to 100% for the United States. It estimated an average of 500 fatal bicycle-related head injuries and 151,400 nonfatal bicycle-related head injuries could be prevented each year under that scenario; these were not observed intervention results. CDC, Injury-Control Recommendations: Bicycle Helmets
A community campaign cited by the CDC recorded helmet-use changes and an associated injury outcome:
| Campaign measure | Period | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet use | 1988–1990 | Increased from 14% to 33% |
| Helmet use | 1990–1993 | Increased from 33% to 60% |
| Bicycle-related head injuries among children aged 5–14 | 1990–1993 | Decreased approximately 67% |
The campaign evaluation involved a specific HMO population and was longitudinal rather than a randomized trial, so its findings are not nationally representative. CDC, Injury-Control Recommendations: Bicycle Helmets