Black cyclists face significantly higher risks of fatal accidents compared to their white counterparts, a recent study has found. The research, conducted by Harvard and Boston University, found that Black cyclists are 4.5 times more likely to be killed than white cyclists for every mile ridden, revealing a stark racial divide in cycling safety across the United States. Similarly, Hispanic cyclists and pedestrians also face elevated risks, with 1.7 and 1.5-fold higher chances of being killed, respectively.
The disparities are attributed to a lack of cycling infrastructure in communities of color, where low to middle-income residents predominate. These areas often lack essential safety features such as bike trails, bike lanes, and even basic road shoulders, making cycling unsafe and impractical. The Dangerous by Design 2021 report by Smart Growth America corroborates these findings, stating that the lower a metro area’s median household income, the more dangerous its streets are for pedestrians and cyclists. This situation is exacerbated in low-income communities by the absence of sidewalks, marked crosswalks, and street designs that promote safer, slower speeds.
In Washington D.C., the impact of infrastructure decisions on racial disparities is evident. Historically white areas resisted freeway construction, leading to the redirection of such projects to predominantly Black regions in the Southeast and Southwest. This has resulted in higher pedestrian fatalities in Wards 7 and 8, both historically Black communities with direct feeder roads to I-295, highlighting the intersection of race, income, and urban planning in cycling safety disparities.
See “More Black Cyclists Die Because of Racial Divide” by Taneika Duhaney on the Bicycling website (April 27, 2023)
