Analysis of Bicyclist Injuries and Fatalities in The United States: The Need for Effective & Sustainable Prevention Policies

We aim to investigate nationwide and state trends of bicyclist injuries, fatalities, and associated costs amongst adult and pediatric populations to assess the need for effective and strategic interventions. An epidemiologic study was performed investigating the injury and fatality rate of bicyclists from 2010 to 2020. The fatality rate was higher in adults compared to pediatric bicyclists (0.36 vs. 0.12 per population of 100,000, P < .001), but pediatric bicyclists suffered higher rates of injury (246.19 vs. 102.11 per population of 100,000, P < .001). The medical cost of fatalities for adult bicyclists was $139.1 million compared to $9.0 million for pediatric bicyclists. Bicyclist fatality rates are significantly higher per capita for adult bicyclists. States including Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana had the highest bicyclist fatalities per capita for both adults and children.