Biking is an eco-friendly, cost-effective way to get around — not to mention it’s a great workout. In major cities, the availability of bike-sharing services makes it easy to hop on a bike whenever you need.
But, biking can also be dangerous — the U.S. Department of Transportation reported 743 bicyclists died in accidents involving motor vehicles in 2015, out of 32,719 total traffic fatalities.
We looked into state-by-state data to learn which states were most dangerous for bikers. Here are the top 10 states by death rate per capita for bikers.
10. Rhode Island
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 2.8
Bicycle fatalities last year: 3
Total traffic fatalities: 65
9. Georgia
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 2.8
Bicycle fatalities last year: 28
Total traffic fatalities: 1,179
8. New Hampshire
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 3
Bicycle fatalities last year: 4
Total traffic fatalities: 135
7. Maine
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 3
Bicycle fatalities last year: 4
Total traffic fatalities: 145
6. Louisiana
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 3
Bicycle fatalities last year: 14
Total traffic fatalities: 703
5. South Carolina
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 3.1
Bicycle fatalities last year: 15
Total traffic fatalities: 767
4. Oklahoma
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 3.4
Bicycle fatalities last year: 13
Total traffic fatalities: 678
3. California
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 3.7
Bicycle fatalities last year: 141
Total traffic fatalities: 3,000
2. Arizona
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 4.7
Bicycle fatalities last year: 31
Total traffic fatalities: 849
1. Florida
Bicyclist deaths per million people: 6.8
Bicycle fatalities last year: 133
Total traffic fatalities: 2,407
Whether you’re a seasoned rider or are starting out for the first time, you may want to consider purchasing bicycle insurance — it doesn't make the roads any safer, but could cover your medical bills and bike replacement if you get into an accident. In some cases, your renters insurance may already cover your bike if it gets damaged or stolen. Here’s a guide to how renters insurance personal property protection works with bikes.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis.
Image: andresr
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