Finding Bicycling Data and Statistics

State and national bicycling data

Below are some reliable sources of state and national bicycling data:

Crash data

Exposure/use data

Local bicycling data

Your local city planning agency or public works department may have information related to the bicycling network, inventories of bicycling facilities, and possible measures of bicycling activity. If you are looking for local pedestrian and bicycle crash statistics, try these sources:

  • Police Department
  • Hospital/Emergency Room
  • Local or State Department of Transportation (DOT)
  • Department of Public Health or Other Sources

Police department

First, check with your local police department for crash records involving bicyclists. In addition to crash statistics, the police may be able to recommend other local sources of data. One thing to consider, however, is that police reports often represent a fraction of the total bicycling crashes in an area.

Hospital/emergency room

Another good source of bicycling crash data is the emergency room of the local hospital or health care facility. These records will help supplement the data found in police reports. Contact the hospital for help finding the appropriate department for crash statistics.

Local or state department of transportation

A third source for crash data is the state or local Department of Transportation. Start by contacting your state DOT and asking for a source of bicyclist crash statistics. Also ask for any local organizations or agencies that might be involved in bicycle safety research in the region or community.

Department of public health or other sources

Other local sources of crash data can include Departments of Public Health, neighborhood safety advocates, university programs, and town transportation planning boards. Even if these sources do not have crash statistics, they may know of other agencies that collect such information.