Interactive Map | Bicycle Accident Fatalities in Arizona 2016 – 2020

The state of Arizona provides the best conditions for bicycle riders and enthusiasts. With clear skies, warm weather, and beautiful landscapes, it is an ideal place for cyclists. Unfortunately, with a large number of motor vehicles sharing the roads with bicycles and the low safety measures for bike lanes, fatal bicycle accidents are bound to happen.

At Begam Marks & Traulsen, we are concerned by the rising numbers of bicycle accident fatalities in Arizona and want to advocate for the safety of bicycle riders. With the help of the data visualization firm 1Point21 Interactive, we analyzed the last 5 years of Arizona bicycle accident fatalities data covering the period 2016 to 2020 gathered from the Arizona Department of Transportation. 

To visualize our findings and for a better experience to our readers, we’ve created an interactive map that pins every single bicycle accident fatality that has taken place in the State of Arizona between the years 2016 and 2020.

Interactive Map: Arizona Bicycle Accident Fatalities 2016 – 2020

The interactive map above offers a number of features: you could zoom in and out of the map to take a closer look at a particular location, hovering over any of the points would show you additional data relating to each of the incidents. The points colored in Red indicate a fatal bicycle accident and the points colored in Dark Red (Maroon) indicate a fatal bicycle accident where a hit-and-run was involved.

Data Findings

After analyzing all the data, we came across a few interesting findings, including:

Crash Types

 

 

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for bicycle riders to get involved in a hit and run crash. The road is full of drivers that may be distracted by numerous different factors and some of them won’t stop to check on a hit bicycle rider after crashing into them. Out of the total 112 fatal bicycle accidents we’ve analyzed, 13 incidents were hit and run accidents.

Cities

 

Given the large disparity in terms of population between cities in Arizona, Phoenix took the lion’s share with 25% of all bicycle accident fatalities in the state of Arizona. The cities of Tucson, Mesa, and Gilbert came in second, third, and fourth respectively (after redacting accidents in unspecified cities).

Age Groups

Upon taking a closer look at the age groups involved on both sides of these fatal bicycle accident we notice a trend; people over the age of forty are almost 3 times more likely to be struck in a fatal bicycle accident. Additionally, people under the age of 21 are the least likely to be involved on both sides of a fatal bicycle accident.

Sex

When looking at the sex of both bicycle riders struck and motor vehicle drivers we can clearly see that the overwhelming majority of fatal accidents involved males on both sides. Females accounted for about 19% of bicycle riders and about 27% of vehicle drivers involved in a fatal bicycle accident.

Helmet Use

The biggest takeaway from looking at the use of safety devices when it comes to bicycle riders is that many are not. The majority of fatal bicycle accidents that have taken place in the state of Arizona between the years 2016 – 2020 have involved a pedal cyclist not wearing a helmet. This further proves how essential it is to use helmets and other safety devices while riding a bicycle to ensure the safety of yourself and others around you.

Every Bicycle Accident Fatality in Arizona 2016 – 2020

Year County City Cyclist Sex Cyclist Age
2020 Pinal Apache Junction Male 61
2020 Pinal Apache Junction Male 50
2020 Maricopa Buckeye Male 58
2020 Maricopa Glendale Male 3
2020 Maricopa Phoenix Male 25
2020 Maricopa Phoenix Male 60
2020 Navajo Snowflake Male 60
2020 Maricopa Tempe Male 33
2020 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 86
2020 Pima Unspecified Pima County Female 61
2020 Cochise Unspecified Cochise County Male 58
2019 Maricopa Chandler Male 62
2019 Maricopa Gilbert Female 15
2019 Maricopa Glendale Male 60
2019 Maricopa Mesa Male 67
2019 Maricopa Mesa Male 12
2019 Maricopa Mesa Male 4
2019 Maricopa Phoenix Female 54
2019 Maricopa Phoenix Male 54
2019 Maricopa Phoenix Male 43
2019 Maricopa Phoenix Female 42
2019 Maricopa Phoenix Male 30
2019 Maricopa Phoenix Male 23
2019 Yavapai Prescott Valley Male 71
2019 Maricopa Surprise Male 34
2019 Maricopa Tempe Male 66
2019 Pima Tucson Male 67
2019 Pima Tucson Male 58
2019 Pima Tucson Male 25
2019 Pima Tucson Male 22
2019 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 67
2019 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 55
2019 Cochise Unspecified Cochise County Female 52
2019 Pima Unspecified Pima County Male 51
2019 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Female 17
2019 Yuma Unspecified Yuma County Male 77
2018 Maricopa Chandler Male 24
2018 Maricopa Gilbert Female 40
2018 Mohave Kingman Male 40
2018 Maricopa Mesa Female 61
2018 Maricopa Mesa Male 16
2018 Maricopa Phoenix Male 62
2018 Maricopa Phoenix Male 41
2018 Pima Sahuarita Male 15
2018 Maricopa Scottsdale Male 61
2018 Navajo Show Low Male 41
2018 Cochise Sierra Vista Male 71
2018 Maricopa Tempe Male 59
2018 Pima Tucson Male 73
2018 Pima Tucson Male 87
2018 Pima Tucson Male 54
2018 Pima Tucson Female 34
2018 Pima Unspecified Pima County Male 81
2018 Yuma Unspecified Yuma County Male 68
2018 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 47
2018 Pinal Unspecified Pinal County Male 39
2017 Pinal Apache Junction Female 58
2017 Mohave Bullhead City Male 34
2017 Maricopa Chandler Male 74
2017 Maricopa Gilbert Male 71
2017 Maricopa Gilbert Female 33
2017 Maricopa Glendale Male 61
2017 Pinal Maricopa Male 46
2017 Maricopa Mesa Male 67
2017 Maricopa Mesa Male 46
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 57
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 77
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 76
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 61
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 52
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 51
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Female 43
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 36
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 31
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 31
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 24
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 22
2017 Maricopa Phoenix Male 13
2017 Pima Sahuarita Male 61
2017 Maricopa Scottsdale Male 74
2017 Maricopa Tempe Male 28
2017 Pima Tucson Male 25
2017 Pinal Unspecified Pinal County Female 75
2017 Pima Unspecified Pima County Male 73
2017 Graham Unspecified Graham County Female 54
2017 Yavapai Unspecified Yavapai County Female 52
2016 Maricopa Buckeye Female 16
2016 Pinal Casa Grande Female 20
2016 Maricopa Chandler Female 65
2016 Maricopa Gilbert Male 73
2016 Maricopa Gilbert Male 28
2016 Maricopa Mesa Male 81
2016 Maricopa Mesa Male 61
2016 Maricopa Phoenix Male 66
2016 Maricopa Phoenix Male 35
2016 Maricopa Phoenix Female 33
2016 Maricopa Phoenix Male 26
2016 Maricopa Phoenix Male 21
2016 Maricopa Tempe Male 50
2016 Pima Tucson Male 58
2016 Pima Tucson Male 65
2016 Pima Tucson Male 34
2016 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 49
2016 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 85
2016 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 78
2016 Pima Unspecified Pima County Female 72
2016 Pima Unspecified Pima County Female 70
2016 Pima Unspecified Pima County Male 68
2016 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 63
2016 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 47
2016 Pinal Unspecified Pinal County Male 44
2016 Maricopa Unspecified Maricopa County Male 43

 

Safety Tips for Cyclists

Bicycles aren’t going anywhere. In fact, the coronavirus pandemic that hit the US in early 2020 has been a strong factor in the large increase of bicycle riders across the country. To ensure the safety of everyone, people need to work together to prevent accidents by spreading awareness to bicycle safety.

Here are a few Do’s & Don’ts for bicycle riders:

DO Wear A Helmet. A helmet can be the difference between surviving a bicycle accident and sustaining a traumatic brain injury.

DO NOT Be Unpredictable. Drivers on the road expect certain behaviors from other drivers and bicycle riders around them. Try not to make any sudden changes of speed or direction when surrounded by others on the road.

DO Ride Defensively. As a bicycle rider, you need to continuously anticipate hazards and act accordingly, use hand signals, and be extra cautious of your surroundings.

DO NOT Assume Others Will Notice You. Since bicycles don’t even compare to motor vehicles in size and weight, it could be rather difficult to see a bicycle rider on the road sometimes. Try to use brightly colored clothing or a vest, and make sure your bicycle has reflectors and lights.

DO Educate Yourself. Actively learn about bicycle safety measures such as the most common reasons for bicycle accidents to happen so that you could avoid them.

DO NOT Wear Headphones While Riding. Wearing headphones or earphones that cover both ears is extremely dangerous while riding a bicycle. Not only will you not hear any approaching danger, you also won’t know if anything is going wrong in your bicycle that might cause you to crash.