Compared to other large cities, New York City has some of the most disproportionate rates of male and female bicyclists. New York bicycle accident lawyers suspect that this has much to do with the high accident risks facing cyclists in the city.
According to the New York Times, male bicyclists in New York outnumber females 3 to 1. The difference in male and female bicyclists has remained steady over the years, even as other large cities around the country have succeeded in narrowing the gender gap when it comes to bicycling. For instance, cities like San Francisco and Washington DC have managed to see more balance in male and female bicycling populations. Portland has managed to significantly decrease the gender gap in bicycling.
Not only is New York City home to fewer female bicyclists, but the gender gap between male and female bicyclists increases in areas with heavy vehicle traffic. According to experts, one of the reasons why most women in New York City prefer to stay off bicycles is because most women here see bicycling as too dangerous.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, out of the 10 largest cities in the United States, New York City had 12 bicycling accident fatalities in the year 2009. It also ranked fifth out of the top 10 largest cities in the country in per capita deaths in bicycling accidents.
The truth is that other cities have simply succeeded in making their streets safer for bicyclists in New York has.