Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Report: 88% Of Drivers Who Kill Cyclists Walk Free
By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 22, 2014
Modified May 22, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Andrew Hinderaker / Ghost Bike Project
By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 22, 2014
Modified May 22, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Faced with a dearth of detailed data on cycling fatalities in the U.S., The League of American Bicyclists conducted their own survey of 628 fatalities from February 2011 through February 2013 [PDF]. Their report finds that in 238 of those fatalities, 42% were a result of careless driving, 36% were hit and runs, and 12% were committed by drunk drivers.
This data jibes with what New York City has observed: dangerous driving is responsible for 70% of the pedestrian fatalities.
Of the 94 collisions in which cyclists were deemed to be at fault, 23% were riding the wrong way, 17% failed to yield, and 9% were riding on the sidewalk.
Most of the fatal collisions (44%) occurred on arterial roads with high speed limits. New York State fares better than most when it comes to the number of fatalities per 10,000 commuters.
Only 150 of the 633 reports on the fatalities included information on whether the victim was wearing a helmet, but 57% of the 150 were wearing one.
Unsurprisingly, only 45% of the fatal crashes involved an enforcement action, and just 12% resulted in some criminal sentence. Drivers who killed female cyclists and cyclists between the ages of 20 and 30 were more likely to be punished.
Highway Safety Improvement Funds from the national DOT depend on data. "Without better data it's likely that non-motorized road users, including bicyclists, will continue to lose out on this federal funding source," the report states. "From 2009 to 2013 only 0.4% of available HSIP funds were spent on projects that promoted bicyclist and pedestrian safety—despite the fact that 15% of fatalities during that period were bicyclists and pedestrians."
Tagged
bike lanes
cycling
dot
pedestrian safety
vision zero
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .