Bicyclist Fatalities in New York City

Abstract

New York City has over 700 miles of bicycle lanes and over half a million residents use a bicycle several times a month. We searched the electronic death certificate database on all bicycling fatalities between April 2006 and August 2012 to study the autopsy findings, toxicological results, and the epidemiological patterns. Of the 146 bicyclists studied, most were male (n=134). The main ethnic group was white (n=48). Recreational use accounted for 40 fatalities. A survival interval occurred in 72 bicyclists (two hours to 33 years). Manhattan had the highest number of bicyclist fatalities per 100 000 population (2.65). Most fatalities occurred during the summer (n=62), or on a Saturday (n=28). Fifty-five cases reported clear weather. The most frequent motor vehicle involved was a four-door sedan (n=34). Fifteen decedents were documented to be wearing a helmet. Postmortem examination included 116 autopsies and 30 external-only examinations. All causes of death were due to blunt trauma and all manners of death were accident. The most commonly injured body region was the head (n=121). Fractures most commonly involved the skull (n=89). Toxicological analysis detected ethanol (n=22), cannabinoids (n=15), cocaine (n=11), and methadone (n=3). Similar to fatalities in motor-vehicle-only collisions, bicyclists also die from blunt injuries and drug/ethanol intoxication is not unusual. The overwhelming male predominance may be a reflection of a higher number of male bicyclists and/or related to increased risk taking among males. This information may be useful for public health considerations when looking for ways to prevent these deaths.