Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

Where are Cyclists Getting Injured? Wherever There Are More Cars

Car drivers are moving around in their 3,000-pound steel cages again and, as a result, cyclists injuries were up 7 percent last month, according to NYPD statistics.

The 506 injuries to bike riders citywide between June 14 and July 12, versus 473 over the same period last year, shows what happens when car traffic increases: there are more cycling injuries, which, like car traffic, have been down by double-digits for most of the year.

The borough-by-borough numbers show an uncanny link between driving and cyclist injuries:

    • The overall increase was the worst in The Bronx, where injuries to cyclists struck by vehicles were up 41 percent last month — which makes complete (and horrifying) sense, given that the total vehicle miles traveled in the borough were up 38 percent over the same period.
    • In Queens, cyclist injuries were up 13 percent last month — and VMTs were up 23 percent.
    • In Staten Island, cyclist injuries were up 22 percent — and VMTs were up 50 percent.
    • In Brooklyn, injuries are up only 1 percent — but also as a result of more driving (VMTs were up 15 percent).
    • And in Manhattan, cyclist injuries are down 7 percent — but total miles driven was also down 3.5 percent.
Here it is in chart form.
Here it is in chart form.
Here it is in chart form.

The number of injuries last month also follows another disturbing pattern: there are more injuries in areas with poor bike infrastructure.

In The Bronx, six of the borough's 12 precincts account for 71 percent of the 86 cyclist injuries that occurred last month.

The borough has very little bike infrastructure — and almost none on roadways in the precincts in question: 48th, 45th, 46th, 49th, 40th and 52nd.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

E-Bike Fans and Foes Agree: Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit Won’t Make Streets Safer

A public hearing about the mayor's proposed speed limit devolved into a debate about e-bike licensing, naturally.

July 15, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Wet Wet Wet Edition

New York City experienced its second rainiest hour in history. Plus more news.

July 15, 2025

Civic Panel Dings Adams For Cutting Bike and Bus Lanes Out of Fifth Av. Redesign

Mayor Adams's scaled down redesign of Fifth Avenue isn't a "real solution" to safety issues on the packed retail corridor, Manhattan Community Board 5 said.

July 14, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: E-Bike Regulations Edition

Monday is a big day for the future of e-bikes in the Big Apple. Plus more news.

July 14, 2025

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025
See all posts