Our Dangerous Roads

[Kirk007]

In 2009, "630 cyclist died, ... 51,000 were injured. Male riders are seven times more likely to end up a fatality than a female cyclist, and four time more likely to be injured. to 70% of fatalities occurred in urban areas, with 67% killed in non-intersection road accidents. Interestly just shy of of one quarter (24%) of cyclists who died recorded a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL or higher., so we should not point the figure solely at other road users."

The rest of the story is here: http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/two-cent-us-road-deaths-are-cyclists.html

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . how many of these injured and killed were "serious" cyclists like us. Not sure if that could even be quantified, though.

If you follow the newspapers here locally, people riding bicycles are hit by cars more often than you might think. But being an active member of the local "serious" cycling community, word travels fast when one of our own is involved--and not many are.

I've seen gangbangers around town riding in just about every crazy way you can imagine and it's not a big surprise when some of them end up as hood ornaments.

BBD

[torquer]

Are the rates per mile traveled trending up or down?
More riders translate to more total accidents/fatalities, but that doesn't mean you're more likely to be hurt each time you ride.

FWIW, auto fatalities are generally trending downward, thanks to safer cars, road design and less tolerance of drunk-driving. Countervailing forces are more miles traveled, greater congestion, and distractions (cell phones etc.)
Probably similar competing factors for cycling injuries.

[Kirk007]

BB Dave, I wondered that as well. Indeed when I saw the use of the word "cyclist" it immediately took me back to that old discussion re cyclist vs bike rider :)

Certainly in Eugene and Seattle the anecdotal evidence (i.e my recollection of newspaper reports) is that the majority of accidents are urban and often involve commuters or folks engaged at the time in transportation (sometimes late at night from bars etc.) rather than sport riding. That doesn't answer the question of "serious" riders vs the rest of the riding community, but I do know of two colleagues in Seattle, both whom I think we would all put in the "cyclist" category who have permanent injuries (brain and spinal cord) as a result of accidents caused by collision or bad road conditions such as unsafe gaps in concrete etc. City riding seems much more hazardous than it did a decade ago, when I last lived here.