Don't like reading studies? Check out this 3:25' video explaining the research and conclusions. (If only all research was summarized this way!)
WHY CITIES WITH HIGH BIKING RATES ARE SAFER FOR ALL ROAD USERS
In a study published in the Journal of Transport & Health,
which analyzed 13 years of data from 12 large US cities, researchers
investigated over 17,000 fatalities and 77,000 severe injuries. (Why
Cities with High Bicycling Rates are Safer for all Road Users: http://bit.ly/2KGADSS)
Their results suggest that more bicyclists is not the reason these
cities are safer for all road users. Better safety outcomes are instead
associated with a greater prevalence of bike facilities--particularly
protected and separated bike facilities--at the block group level and,
more strongly so, across the overall city. Higher intersection density,
which typically corresponds to more compact and lower-speed built
environments, was strongly associated with better road safety outcomes
for all road users. A companion video explains the paper and findings: http://bit.ly/2QqcWTw