(WWJ) - New research collected from a decade's worth of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has revealed that Michigan makes the top ten most dangerous states in the country for bicyclists.
The data. complied by personal injury law firm Dolman Law, showed a state's highest percentage of cyclist deaths according to the population; Michigan earned the rank of eighth most dangerous state with 2.55 deaths per 100,000 people and 255 bicyclist deaths over ten years.
"With its history as the heart of the American auto industry, ridership numbers are middle of the road," the study said. "The Great Lakes State does have a cycling culture, with plenty of scenic routes and nature trails, and also hosts the biggest mountain bike races in America."
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A number of bike safety policies and laws have been implemented in Michigan to protect bicyclists on the road, such as the Safe Passing Law and Complete Streets policy, but the law firm said policies fall short.
"Distracted driving laws only prohibit drivers from using a device in a person’s hand or lap," Dolman Law said. "This means that drivers can still use hands-free devices to text, which can result in crashes due to distracted driving."
According to the research, Florida took the top spot as the nation's most dangerous state for bicyclists. Data collected from 2010 to 2019 revealed a total of 1,341 bicyclists that were killed in Florida. When compared to the state's total population, it averages to 6.18 deaths for every 100,000 people and 162% higher than the national average.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nebraska was named the safest state for bicyclists, reporting only 15 bicyclist fatalities in the last decade which comes out to 0.78 deaths per 100,000 people within the state.
“As local and national governments promote greener solutions and alternative transportation methods, biking is becoming an increasingly popular method of how we get around," a spokesperson from Dolman Law said about the findings. "As more of us take up biking, whether it’s to go to work, for leisure or to spend time with our families, we should pay attention to the safety figures and laws that protect us and our children.
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"However the high number of bicyclist fatalities, which is still growing each year, shows that there is still more work that needs to be done to make traveling safe," the spokesperson went on to say. "While some states have taken comprehensive measures to make bicycling a viable method of transport, others still have a long way to go before bicycling can be a safe option for people of all ages.”
Behind Florida, the states of Louisiana, Arizona, Delaware, South Carolina, California, New Mexico, Michigan, Colorado and Nevada all scored a spot respectively on the law firm's list of top 10 most dangerous states for bicyclists.
