Bike Ped Fatality Data from PBIC
In 2019* there were 6,205 pedestrians, 846 bicyclists, and 287 other non-motorists (e.g. persons riding micromobility devices) killed in crashes with motor vehicles in the United States. Together these road users account for a growing share of total US traffic fatalities: in 2010, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorists represented 15.5 percent of total traffic fatalities, and in 2019 they accounted for 20.3 percent of fatalities.
Non-motorist fatalities increased by 43.6 percent in the ten-year period between 2010 and 2019. During that same time period, total traffic fatalities increased by 9.4 percent.
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2021, September 02). Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): 2005-2018 Final File and 2019 Annual Report File (ARF). Version 4.0. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from https://cdan.dot.gov/query.
At a national level, the majority of pedestrian fatalities (73.3 percent) and bicyclist fatalities (62.0 percent) occur at non-intersections.
Lighting conditions are a major factor in pedestrian fatalities: 75.1 pedestrian fatalities nationwide occur in dark conditions. By contrast, 48.0 percent of bicyclist fatalities occur in dark conditions. Time of day plays a role in this as well. The hours from 6:00pm to 9:00pm tend to account for more pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities than other times of day.
Though there is not an official accounting of total crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists or injuries sustained by these road users at the national level, there are estimates each year from the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS). Studies have shown that pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities represent only the “top of the iceberg” with respect to all crashes involving these modes. Furthermore, research has demonstrated consistent underreporting of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, so as many as 44-75 percent of pedestrian crashes and 7-46 percent of bicyclist crashes may be missing from police-reported crash data. In a recent study examining North Carolina pedestrian crash characteristics, investigators found that for each pedestrian fatality, 17 pedestrians were reported to have been involved in a non-fatal motor vehicle crash and 24 pedestrians were treated for their injuries in an emergency department setting.
Where to Find Data
- National data about traffic fatalities and other trends can be found in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Encyclopedia and periodic fact sheets published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for pedestrians and bicyclists.
- Reach out to contacts in your State to learn more about data availability and trends in your area of the country.
- Toward a Shared Understanding of Pedestrian Safety: An Exploration of Context, Patterns, and Impacts provides background context on pedestrian safety issues and risks, crash patterns and contributing factors, and resulting impacts.
Bike-Walk Alliance of NH
2 Whitney Rd., Suite 11
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603-410-5848 | email: info@bwanh.org
