Early Analysis Shows Bicycle Accident Fatality Rate Increased During COVID-19
While the COVID-19 Pandemic is not over and it may be a little longer before 2020 bicycle accidents and injuries data are fully analyzed, we have enough information now to know that more bicyclists were killed in accidents in the early part of the pandemic as a percentage of total traffic accidents. Everyone remembers the almost empty streets that marked the stay-at-home orders in the early days of the pandemic. With so few cars on the road during those months, it makes sense that car accidents dropped dramatically. The rate of bicycle accidents and corresponding injuries, on the other hand, increased during the pandemic shutdowns. As we begin to analyze the numbers, the picture becomes clearer.
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Read MoreYour Bicycle Accident Questions Answered
Cities such as Bellingham, Washington have a fairly high number of cyclists co-existing with motor vehicles on its roads. Sadly, every year, hundreds of bicyclists are struck by drivers and often end up badly injured. According to iihs.org, 843 bicyclists were killed in bicycle accidents with motor vehicles in 2019. The good news is that this was a three percent decrease from the 868 bicyclist deaths that occurred in 2018, but overall cyclist deaths have increased 36 percent since reaching their lowest point in 2010.
When you factor in the size difference alone, it’s easy to see why cyclists are at a much higher risk for injury and death when they are involved in a crash with a car or truck. Injured cyclists deserve justice and maximum compensation for their injuries. In this article we will answer some of the most common questions about bike accidents involving motor vehicles.
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Do Bike Lanes Reduce Bike Accidents?
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Active Transportation Annual Safety Report, Washington pedestrian and bicycle deaths doubled over four years between 2013 and 2017. This amounted to 60 deaths in 2013 and 122 in 2017 (pedestrians shouldered most of the increase in fatalities). Pedestrian and bicycle accident injuries went up 31 percent during these years, from 351 in 2013 to 461 in 2017.
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