Why Biking Doesn't Mean Dying

This blog post from Grist looks at the often unjustifiable fear associated with biking. Author Alan Durning discusses injury rates and offers advice on how cyclists can pedal their way through cities without being killed.

2 minute read

October 11, 2007, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"Biking is safer than it used to be. It's safer than you might think. It does incur the risk of collision, but its other health benefits massively outweigh these risks. And it can be made much safer. What's more, making streets truly safe for cyclists may be the best way to reverse Bicycle Neglect: it may be among communities' best options for countering obesity, climate disruption, rising economic inequality, and oil addiction."

"The alternative -- inaction -- perpetuates these ills. It also ensures the continued victimization of cyclists and pedestrians."

"In fact, the best published estimates I've found -- developed by Rutgers University researchers John Pucher and Lewis Dijkstra -- suggest that per trip, bike riders face about three times as much risk of dying as car and light truck riders. Because car trips tend to be longer than bike trips, Pucher and Dijkstra estimate that the safety gap stretches to tenfold when it's calculated per mile traveled."

"That's a substantial gap, if Pucher and Dijkstra are right. But how big is the risk, really? In the United States, for every billion kilometers of cycling, they say, roughly 100 bikers die from collisions. For every billion kilometers of driving, roughly 10 drivers and passengers die from collisions. From 1999 to 2004, in the entire United States with its approximately 300 million residents, an average of 784 people died each year in bike accidents. That's a consequential number but it's no pandemic -- nothing like the more-than-40,000 deaths from auto accidents each year. It's reason for care but not for alarm."

"The same published estimates indicate you're at much greater risk of getting hit by a car when you're walking than when you're cycling. Per mile traveled, according to Pucher and Dijkstra, more than three times as many pedestrians die from auto collisions as do cyclists. Yet few people think walking is too perilous to attempt."

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 in Grist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

2 hours ago - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

3 hours ago - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

5 hours ago - Houston Public Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA