Florida is the most dangerous state to ride a bike, says report

According the Wall Street Journal, new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that the Tampa Bay metro area is the most dangerous for bicyclists in the nation — and that within that region, Pinellas County is the deadliest.

The NHTSA stats show that the number of cyclists killed on the road by motor vehicles rose 34 percent from 2010 to 2016; from 2007-2016, the fatality rate for cyclists in Florida was 56 percent higher than the next-highest state in the U.S. Florida, California and Texas account or approximately 40 percent of cyclist fatalities nationwide.

While Florida’s per capita death rate was 6.2 fatalities per 100,000 residents, the Tampa Bay region’s rate was 7, with Pinellas County being named the most lethal portion of the area.

Specialists attribute the high rate of cyclist deaths in the region to a number of factors, including a densely packed population, a comparatively large number of drivers of advanced age, and the constant influx of tourists unfamiliar with the area and local roads.

Last year, 116 cyclists died in Florida, which is the lowest since 2010.

Stay on top of Orlando news and views. Sign up for our weekly Headlines newsletter.

This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2018.