Hawaii Bike Accident Statistics

Feb 27, 2013

Every year, thousands of bicyclists are injured and an unlucky few die as a result of traffic accidents. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that 743 American bicyclists met their end after an accident in 2013 alone. While these deaths were just 2.3% of the total traffic accident fatalities, the vulnerability of riding a bike in between speeding car traffic becomes all too apparent.

To help you understand more clearly just how common bicycle accidents can be, here is a list of Hawaii bicycle accident statistics as well as U.S. bicycle accident statistics for you to consider:

Note: Statistics shown correspond to the most recent available data

2008–2012 Hawaii Bicycle Accident Statistics

Between 2008 and 2012 13 bicyclists were killed in accidents throughout Hawaii
77% (10) of the deaths happened on Oahu
85% (11) were males
Only two victims were wearing helmets; the helmet use of four was unknown
1,456 bicyclists were injured in 2013
Kauai County had the highest rate of injuries
The number of injured Hawaiian bicyclists has increased since 2008
92% of Hawaiian bicyclists involved in accidents required emergency treatment
31% of Emergency Department cyclist patients were between 5 and 14 years old
66% of patients had fractures that included 16% skull fractures and 20% leg fractures
Over one-third (37%) of ED patients incurred traumatic brain injuries

2013 U.S. Bicycle Accident and Fatalities Statistics

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) estimates that 48,000 bicyclists were injured in motor vehicles crashes
As stated above, 743 cyclists died as a result of collisions with motor vehicles
2013 cyclist deaths increased 1% from 2012, which had 734 deaths
Since 2010, cyclist fatalities have increased by 19%
24% of bicyclists who died in accidents had blood alcohol levels (BAC) above 0.01
20% of killed bicyclists had BACs above 0.08, the legal limit for being considered “drunk” or “under the influence”
Alcohol was involved in 29% of all motor vehicle to bicycle crashes, either because of the vehicle driver or the bicyclist having BACs above 0.08

Profiles of the Average Bicyclist Killed in a Traffic Accident in 2013

Males riders accounted for 87% of all fatalities and 83% of all injuries
91% of males killed were between 55 and 59 years old
The average age of all cyclists killed in accidents was 41
The average age of injured cyclists was 31
These ages have steadily increased since 2004
7% of cyclists killed and 11% of those injured were children under the age of 15
20–24 year old cyclists have the highest rate of injuries at 376 per million people

Common Times and Places of Fatal Bicycle Accidents in 2013

68% occurred in an urban area, while 32% happened in a rural one
The majority of deaths (57%) occurred outside of an intersection
The highest rate of fatalities (22%) occurred between just after sunset between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
May to October had the highest chance of fatalities, with rates up to 41% higher than the average
61% of fatalities occurred in heavy traffic areas considered “major roads”
States with the highest bicyclist fatalities:
- California — 141
- Florida — 133
- Texas — 48
Florida has the highest rate with 6.8 fatalities per million residents

Helmet Use in Fatal Bicycle Accidents

Between 2010 and 2013, 1,812 bicyclists who died in accidents were not wearing helmets
65% of cyclists killed in traffic accidents from 2010 to 2013 were not wearing helmets
This number could be higher considering that in 20% of cases the helmet use status was unknown
In 2013, 464 (63%) bicyclists died while not wearing a helmet compared to 127 (17%)
Research estimates that helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 50% and the chances of face, neck or head injuries by 33%

Davis Levin Livingston has years of experience representing bicycle victims of traffic accidents. We help victims seek the fair compensation they deserve with our bicycle injury attorneys.

Categories: