Galveston has a reputation for bike-friendliness. A long-term bike plan completed in 2018 added bicycle lanes to many of the area’s major roads. The city also has a multi-use path that runs along the side of the island that faces the Gulf of Mexico.

Unfortunately, bike infrastructure does not necessarily guarantee bike safety. Drivers still crash into cyclists on Galveston’s roads. These bicycle accidents result in dozens of annual injuries and occasional deaths. Understanding how and when these crashes occur can help cyclists plan their travels to reduce their risk of serious or fatal injuries.

Galveston’s Bicycle Crash Statistics

According to the Texas Crash Records Information System (CRIS), Galveston had 294 collisions between motor vehicles and bicycles over the ten years from 2014 through 2023. This averages to about 29 bicycle accidents per year in the city. This number only includes collisions within the city limits. It excludes crashes in Galveston Island State Park and other state lands.

For comparison, Galveston had 15,588 collisions between two or more motor vehicles over the same period. This translates to roughly 1,500 annual multi-vehicle crashes. Similarly, the city had about 258 pedestrian accidents between 2014 and 2023, or about 26 incidents per year.

Excluding single-vehicle accidents gives you the following breakdown of collisions in Galveston:

  • 96.6% multi-vehicle collisions
  • 1.8% vehicle-bicycle collisions
  • 1.6% vehicle-pedestrian collisions

Although most crashes in Galveston involve two or more vehicles, bicycle-car collisions still pose a significant threat to the safety of bicyclists. For effective legal representation, contact a Galveston bicycle accident attorney.

Bicycle Crash Injuries and Outcomes

According to CRIS, bicycle collisions in Galveston over the past ten years caused the following:

  • Six fatal injuries
  • 33 serious injuries that required an ambulance
  • 85 minor injuries that caused visible but non-incapacitating wounds
  • 109 complaints of pain or other symptoms without visible injuries

Another 61 cyclists walked away from their crashes without any injury. Over 79% of cyclists hit by vehicles in Galveston since 2014 suffered injury or death.

Dangerous Times To Ride in Galveston

Bicycle crashes follow a familiar pattern during the day. You see a small jump in bike collisions during the morning commute and at lunchtime. The highest peak happens between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Roads in Galveston get crowded during the afternoon commute. Riders have less space, creating the conditions for a crash.

When you chart bicycle crashes by the day of the week, you get a more noisy outcome. Wednesday has the fewest collisions, and Tuesday has the highest number. However, you can see a broad pattern. Weekdays have more crashes than weekends, but not by much. Saturday had almost the same number of crashes as Friday, and the numbers dipped on Sunday.

Over a year, the months with the most crashes are in April and July. This pattern makes sense because spring break usually happens in April and tourist season peaks in July. When traffic congestion increases, the interactions between cars and bicycles increase as well.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Galveston, TX

Bicycle crashes happen for only a few reasons. Most of the collisions caused by drivers occur when they fail to see the bicyclist. Conversely, most of the collisions resulting from cyclist actions happen when they dart into traffic or do something else unexpected. 

According to CRIS, the most common contributing factors to bicycle collisions include:

Inattentive or Distracted Driving

When drivers do not pay attention, they can hit other road users. Since 2014, 28 distracted or inattentive drivers collided with bicycles, making this the most common cause of bike collisions in Galveston.

Distracted driving happens when drivers multitask while on the road. Distractions take your hands, eyes, or mind off driving. 

Some common forms of distracted driving include:

  • Eating or drinking
  • Talking to passengers or on a cell phone
  • Texting
  • Using a navigation system
  • Adjusting the radio

Inattentive driving is a related but distinct problem. Inattention happens when the driver is unfocused on driving. 

The following issues can cause inattentive driving:

  • Experiencing strong emotions, like sadness or anger
  • Feeling drowsy
  • Driving on auto-pilot

Inattentive or distracted drivers cannot spot road hazards in time to react to them. For example, at a modest 35 miles per hour, a car travels over 100 feet during a brief two-second distraction. When a driver glances at their cell phone or dozes off, they can hit a cyclist.

Disobeying Signs and Signals

Another common cause of bike accidents in Galveston happens when cyclists run stop signs or red lights. Over the past ten years, 26 bike crashes resulted from these causes. Intersection collisions can produce serious injuries to the head, limbs, and neck because they usually involve side-impact collisions.

Passing Unsafely

Unsafe passing is a common cause of collisions. Even when a cyclist uses a bike lane, drivers may get too close while overtaking them. A mild sideswipe that does not even damage the vehicle can send a bicycle off the road. Even a near-miss can cause a rider to swerve and crash.

Bicycle Infrastructure in Galveston, Texas

Galveston passed its first bicycle infrastructure plan in 2013. After completing the plan in 2018, it has developed plans to build additional bikeways. 

The existing infrastructure includes:

  • Painted bike lanes reserved for cyclists
  • Signs reminding drivers of shared roadways
  • Multi-use paths that prohibit any motorized vehicles

Galveston does not use another common bikeway called a protected bike lane. This bikeway uses barriers to separate cyclists from motor traffic. These can protect riders from cars drifting into bike lanes when overtaking them.

Even without protected bike lanes, Galveston has the infrastructure to give riders access to most of the city. For areas of the city not serviced by bikeways or for longer trips, bicyclists can take their bikes onto Island Transit buses. The buses have complimentary bike racks for fare-paying passengers.

Riding Your Bicycle Safely in Galveston

Galveston has relatively good bicycle crash statistics. The city only averages about 29 bike collisions per year. These accidents have a high likelihood of injuring the rider but rarely cause death. Importantly, the city has worked hard to improve its infrastructure. Additional bikeways should keep riders even safer as they navigate Galveston’s roads.