Florida Is the Most Dangerous State for This Mode of Transportation

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Florida’s roadways are the deadliest in America for cyclists. 

Recently released data shows that the Sunshine State has the highest fatality rate of cyclists involved in roadway crashes at 8.5 percent. 

Of the 9,472 road fatalities reported in Florida over the last five years, 805 involved cyclists.  

The researchers predicted that more densely populated areas would face higher fatality rates, and Florida’s urban areas appeared to be the centers for the fatalities, according to this report. 

However, the data revealed that two of Florida’s rural counties came in as deadliest for Florida cyclists from 2017-2021, namely, DeSoto and Union.

DeSoto County had six cyclists involved in fatal collisions during that span, resulting in an average rate of 17.79 per 100,000 people – the highest rate of any counting

Union County, Florida – one of the smallest counties in the state by square mileage and population – was second deadliest. During the same time frame, Union County had a cyclist fatality rate of 12.24 per 100,000 residents. 

A 2019 AAA report found that Florida bicycle fatalities accounted for 15 percent of all bicycle fatalities in the country. 

Additionally, the AAA study showed that 36 percent of Florida cyclists do not wear helmets, 56 percent of bicyclists ride in traffic, and 21 percent of bicyclists ride against traffic – three-fourths of whom said that they did so because they prefer being able to see approaching automobiles.

A more recent report in June 2022 found that – on average – 18 Floridians are involved in a bicycle crash every day. According to the data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, a person dies as a result of complications from their crash every two days.