Is Bicycling More Dangerous Than Other Modes of Travel?

Although they don’t always make the news, bicycle crashes are a frequent danger in a world dominated by motor vehicles who don’t understand how to share the road. However, as bicycling accidents are so frequent, there are some who knock the lifestyle stating that it is more dangerous than other modes of travel, but is it really?

The NHTSA published their crash facts in 2015 and found that over 800 deaths per year associated with bicycling. However, these fatalities represent less than two percent of all traffic fatalities. For some reason, bicycling seems to be over-represented in crash data, despite the fact that there is no way to measure exactly how long most cyclists are exposed to motor traffic each day, and thus, at risk.

Despite many crash statistic making bicycling out to be significantly more dangerous than it probably is, millions of people around the world engage in this healthy and typically inherently safe activity every day. Furthermore, if drivers were taught how to appropriately share the road with cyclists and major cities took more steps to make their roads friendly for cyclists, millions more people wouldn’t be swayed by the statistics to take up this mode of travel.

Unfortunately, when some look at cycling around town, all they see are the risks. The risks that change drastically depending on the time of day, location, and experience level of the rider. Just like driving a car, accidents can happen while cycling. Some cyclists have been in several throughout their cycling life, but is cycling more dangerous than driving? Probably not, and it is getting safer each day.

If you have taken to cycling and found yourself in an accident, contact us today. Gary Brustin is dedicated to representing the rights of cyclists.