With its favorable weather conditions, California tends to get a lot of bikers out on its roads. Unfortunately, the increase in bicycle traffic often translates to an increase in bicycle crashes.
In fact, such a large number of cyclists die in accidents across the state that it is becoming a topic of focus.
A rise in cyclists and deaths
U.S. News discusses the top dangerous states for cyclists, of which California ranks as number six in terms of cyclist fatalities.
Between June 2019 and June of 2020, bicycle traffic saw a huge leap of 26 percent. Unfortunately, as more people began to cycle, more deaths and accidents began occurring right alongside it.
In 2019, there were 846 cyclist deaths across the entire nation. Compared to the lowest death toll on record, which took place in 2010, this is a 35 percent increase. In other words, the fatalities of cyclists are actually rising faster than the increase of actual cyclists.
The most common fatality points
Most fatalities involve head injuries, putting importance once more on wearing a helmet. Urban areas see a higher rate of bicycle crashes, and alcohol is often involved as well. Either the bicyclist or the driver that hits them may be under the influence, with the results often ending up deadly for the cyclist.
Unfortunately, even with precautionary measures, it is impossible to entirely discount the possibility of a crash occurring. This is why it is important to take as many steps to stay safe as one can, to reduce the frequency and also severity of crashes when they do occur.
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