Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Motorcycle Safety

Key points

  • Thousands of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists die on our nation's roads every year.
  • These crash injuries and deaths are preventable.

Pedestrian Safety

People Crossing Street in New York City
Safe roadway environments can help keep prevent pedestrian injury.

Nearly 8,000 pedestrians were killed on our nation's roads in crashes involving a motor vehicle in 2021. 1

You can take steps to keep yourself safe as a pedestrian, like by wearing reflective clothing and crossing streets at a designated crosswalk or intersection whenever possible.

Local and state public health partners, other transportation-related agencies, and communities can work together to keep pedestrians safe in multiple ways, including considering evidence-based strategies that promote driving at safe speeds.23

Keep reading: Pedestrian Safety

Bicycle Safety

A cyclist wearing jeans and sneakers riding a bicycle
Stay safe while riding a bicycle.

Nearly 1,000 bicyclists die and over 130,000 are injured in crashes that occur on roads in the United States every year.1

All bicyclists, regardless of age, can help protect themselves by wearing properly fitted bicycle helmets every time they ride.

Effective interventions to reduce injuries and fatalities to bicyclists include bicycle helmet laws and changes to the environment (e.g., protected bike lanes).2

Keep reading: Bicycle Safety

Motorcycle Safety

A couple on a motorcycle wearing helmets and jackets
Motorcycle helmets can save lives and reduce injuries.

More than 5,500 motorcyclists died4 on our nation's roads in 2020, and more than 180,000 were treated in emergency departments for crash injuries. 5

A universal helmet law is an effective way for states to save lives and costs related to motorcycle crash injuries.6

Keep reading: Motorcycle Safety

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Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). WISQARS — Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2022.
  2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Countermeasures that Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices [PDF – 641 pages]. Tenth Edition. 2020.
  3. Federal Highway Administration. Noteworthy Local Policies that Support Safe and Complete Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks [PDF – 107 pages]. U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC; 2016.
  4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Overview of motor vehicle crashes in 2020 (Report No. DOT HS 813 266). U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC; 2022. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813266. Accessed 25 March 2022.
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Atlanta, GA: CDC; 2022. Available at: www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars. Accessed 25 March 2022.
  6. The Community Guide. Motor vehicle-related injury prevention: Use of motorcycle helmets, universal helmet laws. Available at: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/sites/default/files/assets/MVOI-Motorcycle-Helmets-Laws-Mandating-Use_1.pdf [PDF – 14 pages]. Accessed 5 April 2022.