This is the most dangerous state to ride your bike. How do Idaho stats compare?

Bicyclist deaths are on the rise nationally, and four of the most dangerous cities to ride a bicycle are in Florida, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Tampa Bay topped the list.

National data show there were 840 bicyclist deaths in 2016, an increase of 35 percent since 2010, the Journal reported. That’s the most recent data available.

Oregon ranked 10th on the list of states with the highest rate of bicyclist deaths (2.3 deaths per 100,000 people). The four other western states on the list were: Arizona (3rd), California (5th), New Mexico (7th) and Nevada (9th).

While Idaho didn’t make that list of the 10 most dangerous states and was not ranked by the Wall Street Journal, 2016 wasn’t a good year for bicycle crashes and deaths in the state, according to Idaho Transportation Department data.

Bicycle crashes in Idaho were up almost 12 percent in 2016, state data show. It was also a bad year for fatalities — six people died, more than the previous three years combined (2013, three deaths; 2014, two deaths; 2015, zero deaths). More than 50 suffered serious injuries in those 2016 crashes.

The economic cost of Idaho’s 310 bicycle crashes in 2016 was $110 million, ITD estimates.

Katy Moeller: 208-377-6413

This story was originally published September 25, 2018 at 12:36 PM.