California Bicycle Accident Statistics

Safe bicycle rides are a right for all people in California. Unfortunately, careless and reckless drivers cause far too many collisions to ever proclaim California as a truly safe place for cyclists. Our Latino and Hispanic populations are at particular risk when they pedal out on local roads. Victims can suffer frightening impacts and endure devastating injuries.

California’s Abogados de Acero has seen the devastating effects these accidents have on victims and their families and friends. We thought a visual reminder of the dangers we all face on local streets could help get all drivers to slow down and watch out for bicyclists.

United States and California Bicycle Accident Statistics

According to The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) the U.S. has recorded somewhere around 880 deadly bicycle accidents a year recently. In 2020, about 17% of those victims were Latino or Hispanic riders.

  • The NHTSA documented 163 fatalities of Latino or Hispanic cyclists in 2020.
  • The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) cites an international study to illustrate how the risks can be elevated for some Latino and Hispanic Families. The study documents how injury risks for pedestrians and bicyclists were 20% to 30% higher among the children of physical labor workers than those of intermediate and high-level salaried employees.
  • Sadly children are often the most vulnerable to dangerous motorists. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), about 300 children are killed in the U.S. each year in bicycle accidents and more than 400,000 young victims go to hospital emergency rooms.
  • S. News and World Report finds that California is sixth on a list of most deadly states for bicyclists when considering population. Florida came in number one.

Overall, the number of deadly bicycle accidents has been rising across the country. The NHTSA data shows that the number of crashes has been trending upward, even before the pandemic. There were 965 fatal cycling accidents in 2021, compared to 806 back in 2017. We await 2022 and 2023 official accident data to see if the heartbreaking trend continues.

965 bicyclists lost their lives in the United States in 2021.

California has the most residents of any state. It’s no surprise that our roadway accidents make up a large part of the U.S. accident totals each year.

When researching all bicycle accidents on California streets, California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) shows how statewide incidents have been down when compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Perhaps the addition of protected bike lanes and redesigned intersections is having a positive impact.

TIMS reports that there were 8,888 California bicycle accidents involving any level of injury or a death in 2022. That was up from 2021 numbers. Hopefully, the 2023 figures, to be released sometime in 2024, will show another downturn.

California recorded almost 9,000 bicycle accidents involving a fatality or an injury in 2022.

Unfortunately, the rate of fatalities hasn’t slowed down and seems to be rising to tragic heights. 196 California bicyclists lost their lives in 2022. That figure was up about 30% from 2021.

California recorded 196 bicycle accident fatalities in 2022.

California Bicycle Accidents Involving Hispanic Victims

California also has the largest Latino-Hispanic population of any state. It’s easy to see why so many local bicycle impacts involve Latino or Hispanic victims. Looking at the accident figures involving Latino-Hispanic victims for cities in two different parts of California can give us a better idea of the scale of the risks for bicycle riders.

Around half of all residents in Los Angeles County identify as Latino or Hispanic. In 2022, TIMS data showed there were 1,983 bicycle accidents involving serious injuries in the County. According to their research, a shocking 1,253 of the victims of those crashes were Latino-Hispanic.

L.A. County recorded 1,253 serious bicycle accidents in 2022. Those accidents resulted the tragic loss of at least 25 lives.

Latino-Hispanic residents make up around 55% of the population in Fresno County. TIMS figures showed that the County recorded 141 bicycle accidents in 2022 involving serious injuries. At least 89 of the victims suffering injury were Latino-Hispanic. Sadly, at least 7 Latino-Hispanic victims lost their lives in these accidents.

Fresno County recorded 89 serious bicycle accidents in 2022. At least 7 victims lost their lives.

Asking for Safer Bicycle Rides in California in 2024 and Beyond

We can all wish for safe travels in 2024, but it takes a team effort to improve on our shocking accident rates documented each year. Drivers must put down their cell phones and pay attention to everyone around them. That’s crucial to the survival of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Latino and Hispanic cyclists and their loved ones can seek support after a rider is struck by a car. Immigration and citizenship status do not affect your ability to demand assistance with paying hospital bills and supporting your family while you are out of work. The California bicycle accident lawyers with Abogados de Acero offer a free case consultation to all victims. Contact them today to schedule a free case review.