The 20 Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists [+Death Totals]

Commuters looking to reduce their environmental footprint may want to think twice about safety before hopping on a bike. How dangerous is cycling? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of cyclist deaths has been rapidly increasing over the past several years.

In 2017 alone, there were 783 total cyclist fatalities nationwide, a 25% increase since 2010.

In this article, we look at 77 cities to find the 20 most dangerous U.S. Cities for cyclists. The genesis of this article started with two simple questions: Which cities were most dangerous for cyclists and why?

Increases in fatal bicycle accidents have occurred alongside increases in bike-share programs and the number of total cyclists commuting to work. In 2017, there were nearly 800,000 commuters nationwide who rode their bicycles to work, representing 0.5% of all commuters. While the share of bike commuters has remained steady in recent years, the fatality rate per 100,000 bike commuters is at a ten-year high.

Although cyclist fatalities have been on the rise nationwide, the risk varies widely by location.

Between 2014 and 2017, California, Florida, and Texas, were responsible for about 41% of all cyclist fatalities in the U.S., despite accounting for only 27% of the population.

When comparing fatality rates (per commuter or per resident), the places with the worst bike accidents are clustered in the Southeastern U.S. Despite warmer weather, these states also report below-average rates of bike commuters, possibly the result of dangerous riding conditions. These states also have some of the worst bike crashes during a time period that affects many cyclists: daylight saving time switches.

With the rise of bike-share programs and an increased emphasis on more environmentally friendly modes of transportation, cycling is likely to continue growing in popularity, especially in major cities.

To identify which cities have the worst cycling crashes, our researchers here at CarInsurance.org analyzed fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the period 2014-2017, as well as population data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

They ranked cities by the number of bike fatalities per 100,000 bike commuters. Only cities with at least one cyclist fatality per year and at least 100,000 residents were included in the analysis. Consistent with the findings at the state level, 13 of the 20 most dangerous cities for cyclists are in Florida, California, or Texas.

Traffic deaths involving cyclists can increase car insurance rates for the entire area, even for drivers who haven’t been involved in those types of accidents, which may be confusing.

Even if you live in one of the most dangerous states for cyclists, you can still find the best rates for your area using our FREE online quote comparison tool. Enter your ZIP code to get started.

In addition to the ranking, we’ll cover how dangerous biking is in the city, the worst cities to cycle in, and the best countries to cycle in (this last part in the frequently asked questions section).

Now, keep reading to discover the full list of the most dangerous places in a bicycle in America.

What are the top 20 most dangerous cities for cyclists?

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #20 – Miami, Florida

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 193
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 9.0
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 16
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 2,073
• Population: 443,007

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #19 – Phoenix, Arizona

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 201
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 6.5
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 41
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 12%
• Number of bike commuters: 5,090
• Population: 1,574,421

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Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #18 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 204
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 14.1
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 10
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 1,225
• Population: 177,175

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #17 – Modesto, California

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 239
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 4.8
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 4
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 419
• Population: 210,166

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #16 – San Antonio, Texas

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 243
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 2.2
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 13
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 8%
• Number of bike commuters: 1,340
• Population: 1,461,623

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #15 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 250
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 2.4
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 6
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 601
• Population: 629,191

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Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #14 – Lafayette, Louisiana

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 251
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 13.8
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 7
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 696
• Population: 126,476

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #13 – Arlington, Texas

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 262
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 2.6
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 4
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 382
• Population: 388,225

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #12 – Charlotte, North Carolina

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 267
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 2.7
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 9
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 11%
• Number of bike commuters: 843
• Population: 826,060

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #11 – Bakersfield, California

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 293
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 6.0
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 9
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 768
• Population: 372,680

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #10 – Lakeland, Florida

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 299
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 9.6
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 4
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 25%
• Number of bike commuters: 335
• Population: 104,165

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #9 – Memphis, Tennessee

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 309
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 2.7
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 7
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 567
• Population: 654,723

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #8 – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 319
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 8.8
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 8
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 627
• Population: 227,549

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Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #7 – Stockton, California

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 327
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 7.4
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 9
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 688
• Population: 304,358

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #6 – Chula Vista, California

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 358
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 4.7
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 5
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 349
• Population: 264,101

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #5 – Pompano Beach, Florida

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 417
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 16.3
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 7
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 420
• Population: 107,542

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #4 – Dayton, Ohio

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 459
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 7.1
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 4
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 25%
• Number of bike commuters: 218
• Population: 140,939

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #3 – San Bernardino, California

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 578
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 8.1
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 7
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 14%
• Number of bike commuters: 303
• Population: 215,252

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #2 – Abilene, Texas

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 1,116
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 10.2
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 5
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 112
• Population: 122,762

Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Cyclists #1 – Cape Coral, Florida

• Annual bike fatalities per 100K commuters: 1,333
• Annual bike fatalities per 1M residents: 5.8
• Total bike fatalities (last 4 years): 4
• Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet: 0%
• Number of bike commuters: 75
• Population: 173,679

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Full Results for All U.S. Cities

Take a look at the table below to see bicycle accident statistics by states’ major cities.

City & State	Annual Bike Fatalities (per 100K Commuters)	Annual Bike Fatalities (per 1M Residents)	Total Bike Fatalities (Last 4 Years)	Share of fatalities where cyclist wore a helmet	Number of Bike Commuters	City Population	Rank
Cape Coral, Florida	1333.3	6.0	4	0%	75	173,679	1
Abilene, Texas	1116.1	10.0	5	0%	112	122,762	2
San Bernardino, California	577.6	8.0	7	14%	303	215,252	3
Dayton, Ohio	458.7	7.0	4	25%	218	140,939	4
Pompano Beach, Florida	416.7	16.0	7	0%	420	107,542	5
Chula Vista, California	358.2	5.0	5	0%	349	264,101	6
Stockton, California	327	7.0	9	0%	688	304,358	7
Baton Rouge, Louisiana	319	9.0	8	0%	627	227,549	8
Memphis, Tennessee	308.6	3.0	7	0%	567	654,723	9
Lakeland, Florida	298.5	10.0	4	25%	335	104,165	10
Bakersfield, California	293	6.0	9	0%	768	372,680	11
Charlotte, North Carolina	266.9	3.0	9	11%	843	826,060	12
Arlington, Texas	261.8	3.0	4	0%	382	388,225	13
Lafayette, Louisiana	251.4	14.0	7	0%	696	126,476	14
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	249.6	2.0	6	0%	601	629,191	15
San Antonio, Texas	242.5	2.0	13	8%	1340	1,461,623	16
Modesto, California	238.7	5.0	4	0%	419	210,166	17
Fort Lauderdale, Florida	204.1	14.0	10	0%	1225	177,175	18
Phoenix, Arizona	201.4	7.0	41	12%	5090	1,574,421	19
Miami, Florida	193	9.0	16	0%	2073	443,007	20
Spokane, Washington	189.1	6.0	5	40%	661	212,982	21
Jersey City, New Jersey	187.3	4.0	4	0%	534	265,932	22
Wilmington, North Carolina	186.6	11.0	5	0%	670	115,261	23
Jacksonville, Florida	182.7	4.0	15	7%	2052	867,313	24
Wichita, Kansas	181.2	3.0	4	0%	552	389,054	25
Las Vegas, Nevada	179.4	3.0	8	13%	1115	621,662	26
Santa Ana, California	177.1	7.0	10	0%	1412	334,493	27
Riverside, California	176.8	5.0	7	29%	990	321,570	28
Garden Grove, California	173.9	6.0	4	0%	575	174,812	29
Saint Louis, Missouri	166.9	6.0	8	13%	1198	314,867	30
Clearwater, Florida	163.8	11.0	5	0%	763	112,794	31
Springfield, Missouri	159.5	6.0	4	0%	627	165,785	32
Reno, Nevada	158.4	6.0	6	17%	947	239,732	33
Tampa, Florida	153.6	10.0	14	7%	2278	368,087	34
Louisville, Kentucky	149.8	3.0	7	14%	1168	615,478	35
Gilbert, Arizona	148.4	4.0	4	25%	674	232,176	36
Virginia Beach, Virginia	140.4	4.0	8	13%	1425	450,057	37
Mesa, Arizona	138.9	6.0	11	18%	1980	479,317	38
Fort Worth, Texas	128.9	1.0	4	0%	776	835,129	39
Indianapolis, Indiana	123.9	3.0	10	0%	2018	853,431	40
Grand Rapids, Michigan	120	6.0	5	0%	1042	195,355	41
Orlando, Florida	117.4	4.0	4	0%	852	269,414	42
Sacramento, California	116	10.0	20	5%	4310	489,650	43
Detroit, Michigan	113.1	3.0	8	0%	1768	679,865	44
Houston, Texas	110.1	3.0	24	4%	5451	2,267,336	45
Durham, North Carolina	109.1	4.0	4	0%	917	257,232	46
Anaheim, California	99.8	3.0	4	0%	1002	349,007	47
Huntington Beach, California	97.5	7.0	6	0%	1539	200,415	48
Colorado Springs, Colorado	95.3	3.0	5	40%	1311	450,000	49
Savannah, Georgia	92.7	9.0	5	40%	1349	145,094	50
Saint Petersburg, Florida	92.1	6.0	6	0%	1628	256,031	51
Buffalo, New York	83.5	4.0	4	0%	1197	259,574	52
Fresno, California	82.1	3.0	6	17%	1826	519,037	53
San Jose, California	77.3	3.0	14	0%	4527	1,023,031	54
Columbus, Ohio	73.9	3.0	9	11%	3043	852,144	55
Sunnyvale, California	71.1	7.0	4	0%	1407	151,565	56
Los Angeles, California	69.3	4.0	58	12%	20912	3,949,776	57
New Orleans, Louisiana	66.9	10.0	15	7%	5604	388,182	58
Albuquerque, New Mexico	61.4	4.0	9	0%	3663	556,718	59
Tucson, Arizona	51.3	7.0	14	14%	6826	530,905	60
Charleston, South Carolina	48.9	8.0	4	0%	2044	131,204	61
Gainesville, Florida	44.3	10.0	5	20%	2821	129,394	62
New York, New York	38.8	2.0	74	12%	47701	8,560,072	63
Ann Arbor, Michigan	38	8.0	4	0%	2635	119,303	64
Milwaukee, Wisconsin	37.5	2.0	4	0%	2664	599,086	65
Austin, Texas	33.9	2.0	9	0%	6636	916,906	66
Denver, Colorado	30.9	4.0	10	10%	8083	678,467	67
San Diego, California	28.5	1.0	8	25%	7011	1,390,966	68
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	27.5	2.0	15	0%	13641	1,569,657	69
Chicago, Illinois	27.4	2.0	24	4%	21900	2,722,586	70
Boston, Massachusetts	20	2.0	6	0%	7500	669,158	71
Oakland, California	16.7	2.0	4	0%	5994	417,442	72
Minneapolis, Minnesota	15.9	4.0	6	33%	9433	411,452	73
Seattle, Washington	14.2	3.0	8	25%	14096	688,245	74
San Francisco, California	14.2	3.0	11	46%	19317	864,263	75
Portland, Oregon	10.3	4.0	9	33%	21781	630,331	76
Washington, District Of Columbia	7.7	2.0	5	20%	16314	672,391	77

Which is the most dangerous place for a bicyclist?

Just how dangerous is biking in the city? In our study, our experts found that Cape Coral is the most dangerous place for bicyclists with 1,333 bicyclist deaths per 100,000 residents. One number that jumps out from Cape Coral is the percentage of bicyclists that wear helmets: 0. That could contribute to higher bicyclist deaths, which makes Cape Coral known for the most dangerous roads for cyclists.

Which US city has the most cyclists per capita?

Portland, Oregon, has the most cyclists per capita, with 6.3% of commuters getting to work via bicycle.

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 Where do most bicycle fatalities occur?

What is the most dangerous place for a bicyclist on the road? Most bicycle fatalities occur in urban areas, with 75% of all bicycle fatalities occurring in urban areas compared to 25% occurring in rural areas. Therefore, urban areas are the most dangerous places for bicyclists to be on the road.

 How many cyclists die each year in the US?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 850 total cyclists died in traffic accidents in 2018. This represented an increase of 6% compared to 2017.

How dangerous is cycling?

A National Travel Survey showed that, on average, there was one bicyclist fatality per nine million bike rides and that the risk of any injury was just 5% per 1,000 hours of cycling.

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What is the bike capital of the world?

The Netherlands is known as the bike capital of the world with 20 million bicycles per population of 17 million people.

Which city is known as the City of Cycles?

Pune, a city in India, was known as the City of Cycles for a number of years before vehicles and motorcycles slowly took over the city. Today, although there have been government initiatives to promote biking, Pune is among the highest cities in India for vehicles per capita.

Which country is the most bicycle-friendly?

Denmark is seen by some as the country that is the most bicycle-friendly, making it one of the safest cycling cities. It has huge networks of bike trails that go where even cars can’t and allow tourists and locals alike to explore the country while gaining exercise at the same time.

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What do these most dangerous cycling cities have in common?

One disturbing fact about the data regarding pedestrian deaths and cyclist fatalities is that they disproportionately impact minority groups. According to the Dangerous by Design study, Hispanic and African American drivers, on average, drive fewer miles and walk more than other driver groups. Walking is a critical mode of transportation for these groups; nearly 20 percent of African-American households and 14 percent of Latino households live without a car. African Americans walk on an average of 26 percent more trips than white people, and Hispanics walk on an average of 45 percent more trips than white folks. Whites made only 9.4% of trips on foot in 2008, African Americans made 11% of trips on foot, Hispanics made 13.1% of trips on foot. (Source) These groups also experience far more pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Therefore the answer to “how dangerous is cycling?” can depend on demographics.

Methodology: How were the 20 most dangerous cities for cycling determined?

Cyclist fatality statistics were obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the period 2014-2017.

Population statistics, including total city population and age distribution, as well as cyclist commuting rates, were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

The cities in this analysis were ranked according to the cyclist’s fatality rate.

Cyclist fatality rates were calculated as the average number of cyclist fatalities in the city for the period 2014-2017 per 100,000 estimated cycling commuters in 2017.

All cities included in the final list had a population of at least 100,000, as well as at least one cyclist death per year.

A closer look at the data yields additional insights into the worst bike accidents. For example, adults over 45 are more likely to be involved in a fatal cycling accident than younger people. More specifically, nearly 60% of cycling fatalities between 2014-2017 involved victims over the age of 45.

Furthermore, more than 60% of fatal bike accidents occur outside of intersections on open roads. In 38% of fatal bike accidents, the motorist was at fault. By contrast, the cyclist was deemed to be at fault only 31% of the time. In the remaining cases, the fault was unknown or was not reported.

Despite the rising rate of fatal bicycle accidents, there are many things that can be done at the individual level to improve cycling safety. According to NHTSA, bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by 85%.

Interestingly, only about 16% of cyclists involved in fatal accidents were known to be wearing helmets. For cyclists, wearing a helmet and adhering to traffic rules (such as riding in the same direction as motor vehicles or in existing bike lanes) can reduce the risk of collision or bicycle-related injuries. In addition, reducing distractions such as texting can make cycling a safer mode of transportation. Bicycle safety is always a huge priority.

Before making any final decisions about your insurance company, it is important to learn as much as you can about your local insurance providers, and the coverage they offer. Call your local insurance agent to clear up any questions that you might have. Questions to consider asking include, “What is the best coverage plan for me/my family/my situation?” “What are the minimum coverage requirements in my state and what form of coverage do you recommend?” “Do you guys offer any bundle discounts if I take out both my auto insurance and home insurance with you?” and “What is the average rate of insurance quotes you guys offer?”

Before making any big insurance decisions, use our free tool to compare insurance quotes near you. It’s simple, just plug in your zip code and we’ll do the rest!

Cycling deaths can cause car insurance rates to rise, even if you weren’t involved in the accident. Get the best car insurance rate by entering your ZIP code into our FREE online quote generator.

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