By Charles Pekow — Cyclist casualties saw a sharp increase in 2023. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its final figures for the year, reporting that cyclist fatalities rose by 4 percent compared to 2022, while injuries climbed by 8 percent.
NHTSA recorded 1,166 cyclist deaths in 2023, representing 2.9 percent of all traffic fatalities, up from 1,117 in 2022. The agency also estimated 49,989 cyclists were injured, compared with 46,195 the previous year.
Photo by Néo Rioux. Stock media in the public domain at Pexels.com
The death rate for male cyclists was more than seven times higher than for females, and the injury rate was five times higher. Alcohol was a factor in many cases: in 34 percent of fatal crashes, either the cyclist or the driver had been drinking, and 22 percent of deceased cyclists had alcohol in their system.
Most of the fatalities—81 percent—occurred in urban areas.
The NHTSA figures apply to “pedalcycles,” a category that includes traditional bicycles, e-bikes, unicycles, and tricycles. Full data is available at: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813739
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