Bicycle Crashes in DC

 

The District of Columbia keeps all kinds of statistics on crashes - who was involved, where they happened, etc...but the statistics have numerous well-known flaws, especially where it pertains to cyclists.

Not all traffic accidents are reported, and even fewer involving bicycles are. Most accidents reported involve an injury of some sort, but the smaller accidents often don't get into the system.

The forms police officers use are not designed to gather important information about bicycle accidents - like was the rider wearing a helmet. In DC, officers still use a single paper form for all accidents and so to add even one line increases the complexity. In some other cities, officers fill out a digital form. Responses to earlier questions determine the later questions to be asked. (So if the police officer answered "Yes" that one party was a cyclist, then it will ask all of the bicycle questions. Otherwise it will skip them)

Also police officers often fill in the closest intersection to determine where the accident occurred, even if it was on a bike trail. Or if the accident was midblock (like where a parking garage exit is). So that throws all of the geodata out of whack.

Still, there are some good data in the reports they create. Here's one map from the report using 2000-2002 data. Here are the intersections with 5 or more crashes from 2000-2002:

Looking at the map 14th Street seems to be the location of more crashes than any other street.