Fatality Facts 2023: Bicyclists
Cited in 2 Likelier entries (2 risks, 0 decisions).
Used in 2 entries
For each citing entry, the verbatim excerpt and Likelier's calculation notes (how the source's number was converted to the lifetime-probability framing) are shown below. Click through to read the full claim ledger.
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- Statistic
1,155 US bicyclists killed in 2023 (highest ever recorded); 62% of those killed were not wearing helmets; bicyclist deaths up 86% since their 2010 low
“"A total of 1,155 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2023, the highest number ever recorded." ... "Sixty-two percent of bicyclists killed in 2023 were not wearing helmets."”
Calculation notes
IIHS compiles NHTSA FARS fatality counts for bicyclists. Used here as the corroborating source for the US fatality numerator (roughly 1,100-1,200 cyclist deaths per year) and for the helmet-wearing composition of that fatality pool. The 62 percent unhelmeted fatality share, against an observed helmet-wearing rate in the general US cycling population of roughly 50 percent, implies unhelmeted cyclists are overrepresented in fatalities by a factor consistent with the Olivier-Creighton meta's odds ratio. IIHS also reports that cyclist deaths have roughly doubled since 2010 while cycling exposure has not, which is consistent with infrastructure and driver-behavior drivers dominating any helmet-related trend.
Independence note: IIHS draws from NHTSA FARS, which is a separate dataset from the CDC NEISS ED sample and the peer-reviewed meta-analysis. Used as the US mortality cross-check.
Source date: 2024-12-01 · Accessed: 2026-04-11
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- Statistic
1,155 bicyclists killed in traffic crashes in 2023; about 2% of motor vehicle crash deaths are bicyclists each year; deaths among bicyclists age 20 and older have increased almost fivefold since 1975
“"There were 1,155 bicyclists killed in 2023, and each year about 2% of motor vehicle crash deaths are bicyclists."”
Calculation notes
IIHS uses a slightly different coding methodology than NHTSA FARS, producing a 2023 figure of 1,155 vs NHTSA's 1,166. Both are used as corroboration that the annual US cyclist fatality count from motor vehicle crashes is reliably in the 1,100–1,200 range in recent years. The IIHS trend data also establishes that fatality counts have risen substantially since 2010 (from a low near 620), which means the per-mile rate used may slightly understate current risk if cycling miles have not grown proportionally.
Source date: 2024-12-01 · Accessed: 2026-05-04
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