Chicago has dedicated bike routes to help keep cyclists safe and out of the way of passing drivers.The United States also saw the highest jump in pedestrian deaths during the time period, at 39.2 percent, and a 34.8 percent increase in cyclist deaths. In contrast, Norway saw a 37.5 percent drop in pedestrian deaths during this same period, while Israel saw cyclist deaths cut in half.
The increase in deaths in the United States appears to be tied to two main factors — more cars on the road due to a better economy, and distracted driving, said Fred Wegman, chair of the International Road Traffic Data and Analysis Group, a division of the Transport Forum.
“Distracted driving is more prevalent and prominent in the United States than in other countries,” said Wegman.
The study found the United States also had one of the highest rates of road deaths per capita, with 11.6 out of 100,000 people losing their lives to motor vehicle crashes, compared with rates of 2 to 5 deaths per 100,000 in countries such as the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, Germany, Spain and Australia.