According to statistics provided by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, there were 47 bicyclists killed in our state in 2014. On top of that, more than 5,600 bicyclists were injured that year. That’s a hefty number to consider. In terms of deaths, even one bicycle-related death is one too many.
A large proportion of those bicyclists were in the 25-to-29 age range and in the 60-to-64 age range. The rest of the fatalities were scattered from age 5 to 74. In the majority of those cases, the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet. While adults are not required to wear a helmet while on a bicycle, those under the age of 14 have to wear one as law.
Unfortunately, as statistics show, even when someone does wear a helmet, it may be no match for the actions of a negligent motor vehicle driver. Many bikers are very experienced and use all types of safety equipment, but are still unable to avoid being hit by a driver.