The National Highway Traffic Safety Administraton has published its annual recap of cyclist fatalities for 2009. Some key stats:
- 630 bicyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes — about 2% of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities
- 51,000 bicyclists were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes — about 2% of all people injuried in traffic crashes during 2009
- The majority of fatal crashes (70%) took place in urban areas
- 67% of fatalities occurred outside of intersections
- 72% of fatalities occurred during daylight hours
- The average age of cyclists killed was 41 while the average age of injured cyclists was 31
- Most crash victims were male
- About one-fourth of all cyclists killed in 2009 were legally drunk; alcohol-involvement involving either the motorist or the bicyclist was reported in 40% of all fatal crashes
In Minnesota, there were 421 total traffic fatalities, with cyclist fatalities representing 2.4% of that total (10 deaths).
Read the full report: 2009 Traffic Safety Facts – Bicycle Fatalities (PDF)
There is a very good recap of this report available from Biking Bis.
