Many of us in Springfield love to ride bicycles. Whether to commute to work or school, go on errands, for exercise or enjoy being outdoors, riders are passionate about biking as much as the weather allows.
Unfortunately, not every rider gets home safely every time. Bicycle accidents with motor vehicles are a massive problem in Springfield and the rest of the country. However, some cities seem to be especially dangerous for riders, according to data from The League of American Bicyclists.
Five American cities with the highest bike accident death rates
That group collected data for 2017-2021 from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in urban areas across the U.S. and listed what it says are the deadliest cities for fatal bike accidents. Those cities are:
- New Orleans (9.9 bicycle fatalities per 1 million residents)
- Tucson, AZ (8.9)
- Jacksonville, FL (7.9)
- Jackson, MS (7.7)
- Miami (7.7)
All five of these cities experienced huge jumps in deadly bicycle accidents in that period compared with the previous four years. For example, in Jacksonville, fatalities surged 558 percent. Fatal bike wrecks increased by 5 percent as a whole nationwide.
Nonfatal wrecks are a problem, too
Springfield is not mentioned in the study, but that does not mean riders are not injured by negligent motorists here. While some bike accidents are purely accidental, often the driver is to blame. Drivers who speed, run red lights, drive drunk or turn without signaling or watching for riders can cause terrible harm. Even wearing a helmet cannot guarantee you won’t suffer life-changing injuries in a collision with a huge, powerful truck, car or SUV.
These injuries could rob you of your ability to earn an income, care for your children, enjoy time with your spouse and pursue your favorite hobbies. No victim of negligent driving should have to bear the financial burden of the driver’s mistakes on top of these realities. A personal injury claim can help relieve this burden from yourself and your family. If you have questions about how bicycle accident litigation works in Illinois, most personal injury attorneys offer free initial consultations.