While California’s favorable climate makes riding a bike to get around appealing, the state of many of the roads in Los Angeles County makes this particular area especially dangerous to bike in. A new bike safety report for 2023 details how many bike deaths took place in Los Angeles County in 2022 and what contributed to each.
Per Bike LA, 26 cyclists lost their lives within Los Angeles County lines in 2022. Many of the county’s fatal bike crashes shared similar elements in common.
Where Los Angeles County ranks nationally
Los Angeles currently has one of the highest collision-death rates in the United States. This remains true despite county officials taking steps to work toward zero traffic fatalities. Many of the bike deaths that took place in Los Angeles County also occurred in high-traffic areas and along major corridors.
What is causing bike deaths in Los Angeles County
Most bike fatalities that take place in Los Angeles County result from motorists traveling at high rates of speed. When posted speed limits increase, traffic fatalities typically increase as a result. A lack of adequate bike lanes is another key issue throughout much of the county, with the lack of bike lanes forcing cyclists to ride in higher-traffic areas. Other factors that often contribute to bike deaths in Los Angeles County include a lack of sufficient street lighting and roadways having multiple lanes. Often, more than one of these issues contributes to the same accidents.
It is worth noting, too, that 85% of the cyclists who died on Los Angeles County roads in 2022 were riding on roadways that lacked bike lanes.
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