NHTSA: Fatal Cycling Accidents Jump 9% in 2011
California streets are becoming more dangerous for cyclists, according to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There were 677 bicyclist deaths in 2011, which is a 9 percent jump from the 623 cyclists killed in 2010. Cyclist deaths accounted for 2 percent of the traffic fatalities nationwide but were 4 percent of all California traffic accident fatalities.
Men are far more likely to be involved in a serious bicycle accident than women. Males accounted for 78 of all bicycle accident injuries in 2011 and 85 of all bicycling accident deaths.
Young males between the ages of 16 and 20 were more likely to be injured in a cycling accident but males between ages 45 and 54 were more likely to be killed.
Alcohol was another major contributing factor in fatal pedestrian accidents. Federal researchers say that 37 percent of all fatal accidents in 2011 involved alcohol.
"In 31 percent of the crashes, either the driver or the cyclist was reported to have a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher," federal researchers said. "Lower alcohol levels (BAC .01 to .07 g/dL) were reported in 6 percent of the crashes."
