Bicycle Crashes, Injuries, Fatalities – Texas (2010 – 2016)

Bicycle Crash Locations

Not surprisingly, crashes that happen on higher-speed roads are more likely to result in fatalities.  While two-thirds of bicycle crash injuries occurred on city streets (likely because bicyclists spend the most time riding on city streets versus other roadway types), the largest percentage of bicycle crash fatalities (33%) occurred on U.S. and state highways (which represent only 15% of injuries).  Interstate highways and farm-to-market roads similarly account for larger percentages of bicyclist fatalities compared to injuries.

Note: click on graphs to enlarge

Safety outreach in a state as big as Texas can be daunting — where does one start to get the safety message out.  Bicycle crash data shows us the top counties in need of education: Harris, Travis, Dallas, Bexar and Tarrant counties top the list for bicycle crashes in the state.  By focusing outreach and safety awareness efforts in the high frequency counties, in addition to current efforts in other areas, we can all make an impact in our state and improve safety for cyclists and motorists alike.

Bicycle Crashes, Injuries, Fatalities

• From 2010 to 2016, there were 16,807 crashes in Texas involving bicycles, resulting in 9,769 injuries, 5,646 possible injuries and 362 fatalities.
• Over one-quarter (11 percent) of cyclists involved in crashes are younger than 15; another 13 percent are between 16 and 25.
• Not wearing a helmet is shown to increase risk of fatality in a bicycle crash (2010–2016).

Note: click on graphs to enlarge

Bicycle Crash Locations

Not surprisingly, crashes that happen on higher-speed roads are more likely to result in fatalities.  Two-thirds of bicycle crash injuries occurred on city streets, likely because bicyclists spend the most time riding on city streets versus other roadway types. However, the largest percentage of bicycle crash fatalities (33 percent) occurred on U.S. and state highways (which represent only 15 percent of injuries).  Interstate highways and farm-to-market roads similarly account for larger percentages of bicyclist fatalities compared to injuries.

Safety outreach in a state as big as Texas can be daunting — where does one start to get the safety message out? Bicycle crash data shows us the top counties in need of education: Harris, Travis, Dallas, Bexar, and Tarrant Counties top the list for bicycle crashes in the state.  By focusing outreach and safety awareness efforts in high-risk counties and maintaining current efforts in other areas, we can all make a positive impact in our state and improve safety for cyclists and motorists alike.

Texas Department of Transportation Crash Records Information System

For more information on bicycle statistics visit the Texas Department of Transportation’s public data access portal for Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S) at https://cris.dot.state.tx.us/public/Query/#/public/welcome