Transportation
Stat of the Day: Bicycle Fatalities Rose 8.7 Percent From 2010 to 2011
The vehicle fatality rate dropped, though.
Bicycle deaths jumped nearly 9 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to data [PDF] released today by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. The total fatalities for cyclists rose from 623 to 677, an increase of 8.7 percent. But injuries to cyclists were down by nearly the same degree, falling from 52,000 to 48,000, a decline of 7.7 percent.
Meanwhile, the vehicle fatality rate fell 1.9 percent to 1.1 per 100 million miles, the lowest rate ever recorded. Total vehicle miles traveled dropped 1.2 percent.