A new study recently released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
shows that Florida is the most dangerous state for bicycle riding. The CDC found that Florida had the highest number of bicyclist deaths per capita. National trends showed that the number of bicyclist deaths on roadways has been shrinking between 1975 and 2012, but Florida still had the highest number of fatalities and the second lowest percent decrease through the years.
The Average Annual Age-Adjusted Cyclists Mortality for Florida from 2008 to 2012 was 0.57. The next closest states were Delaware at 0.38 and Louisiana at 0.33. The report finds that cyclists are twice as likely as vehicle occupants to die on U.S. roads.
According to 2014 crash data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 4,542 crashes involving bicycles in Florida in 2014, 117 of which resulted in fatalities. There were 334 crashes and seven fatalities in Palm Beach County alone.
Some attributing factors leading to cyclists death include the growing prevalence of bicycling, road design and engineering, traffic law enforcement, driver and cyclist behavior, helmet use and traffic volume. This is in addition to distracted drivers (texting, talking on phone, speeding) and those drivers who fail to yield, run red lights and or stop signs, etc.
Safety needs to be addressed through education and compliance. There are things that local governments can do to help improve the road for bicyclists including improving bicycle infrastructure, initiating traffic calming measures and creating and establishing education initiatives for motorists and cyclists. Knowing the laws that apply to bicyclists and following safe cycling practices will go a long way in helping keep cyclists safe.
For some additional safety tips on bicycle safety, please visit our website where you can download a free Cycling Safety guide.
