Below is a release from Bader Scott Law Firm regarding the most dangerous counties in America for cyclists. According to their recent analysis, seven of the ten most dangerous counties for cyclists in the U.S. are in Florida.
The research by personal injury law firm Bader Scott, which analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focused on the top 200 most populous counties in America and the number of road crashes in each where a pedal cyclist was killed between 2017 and 2021.
It shows that Pasco County in Florida is the most dangerous county for cyclists. With a population of 561,897, Pasco County recorded 40 cyclist deaths from 2017 to 2021. This translates to a cyclist fatality rate of 7.12 per 100,000 people, the highest in the study.
Sarasota County, also in Florida, ranks second, with 24 cyclist deaths in a population of 434,005, resulting in a fatality rate of 5.53 per 100,000 people.
Following closely is another Florida location, Manatee County, with 21 cyclist fatalities among its 399,705 residents, marking a rate of 5.25 per 100,000 people.
The fourth most dangerous county for cyclists is the first one outside of Florida – East Baton Rouge in Louisiana, where 23 cyclist deaths occurred between 2017 and 2021 among its population of 456,781, resulting in a death rate of 5.04 per 100,000 people.
In fifth place is Pinellas County in Florida, which recorded 48 cyclist deaths among its population of 959,103, yielding a fatality rate of 5.00 per 100,000 people. Orleans Parish, Louisiana, ranks sixth with 19 deaths among 383,998 residents, equating to a rate of 4.95 per 100,000.
Volusia County, Florida, in seventh place, saw 27 cyclist fatalities among its 553,561 residents, resulting in a rate of 4.88 per 100,000. San Joaquin County, California, follows in eighth, with 37 deaths among 779,227 people, a rate of 4.75 per 100,000. In ninth place is Marion County, Florida, with 17 deaths among 375,906 residents, translating to a rate of 4.52 per 100,000.
Bader Scott spokesperson Seth Bader commented: “This data highlights the concentration of cyclist safety issues in certain areas, especially Florida, considering that seven of the top ten most dangerous counties for cyclists are in the state. Across the 200 counties that were included in the study, a total of 2,745 cyclist deaths were recorded over the five year period, while nationally the figure is 4,450 fatalities, which is 17 people every week.”
• Florida’s Pasco County Leads as Most Dangerous for Cyclists with Highest Fatality Rate
• Study of Top 200 Most Populous U.S. Counties Reveals Seven Florida Counties in Top Ten
The top 20 most dangerous counties for cyclists in America
| Rank | County | State | Cyclist deaths | Population | Cyclist deaths per 100k people |
| 1 | Pasco | Florida | 40 | 561,897 | 7.12 |
| 2 | Sarasota | Florida | 24 | 434,005 | 5.53 |
| 3 | Manatee | Florida | 21 | 399,705 | 5.25 |
| 4 | East Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 23 | 456,781 | 5.04 |
| 5 | Pinellas | Florida | 48 | 959,103 | 5.00 |
| 6 | Orleans | Louisiana | 19 | 383,998 | 4.95 |
| 7 | Volusia | Florida | 27 | 553,561 | 4.88 |
| 8 | San Joaquin | California | 37 | 779,227 | 4.75 |
| 9 | Marion | Florida | 17 | 375,906 | 4.52 |
| 10 | Hillsborough | Florida | 66 | 1,459,773 | 4.52 |
| 11 | Charleston | South Carolina | 18 | 408,317 | 4.41 |
| 12 | Duval | Florida | 41 | 995,560 | 4.12 |
| 13 | Lee | Florida | 29 | 760,820 | 3.81 |
| 14 | Brevard | Florida | 23 | 606,603 | 3.79 |
| 15 | Stanislaus | California | 20 | 552,880 | 3.62 |
| 16 | Osceola | Florida | 14 | 388,664 | 3.60 |
| 17 | Broward | Florida | 67 | 1,944,376 | 3.45 |
| 18 | Polk | Florida | 24 | 725,041 | 3.31 |
| 19 | Brazoria | Texas | 12 | 372,040 | 3.23 |
| 20 | Collier | Florida | 12 | 375,760 | 3.19 |
END
Methodology The study analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focusing on cyclist deaths per 100,000 people in each of the top 200 most populous counties in America from 2017 to 2021. This approach provides an adjusted view of the risk to cyclists, taking into account the population size of each county.
