Many bicyclists each and every year are injured on Massachusetts roadways. In fact, many bicycle accidents in Massachusetts cause fatal injuries. And the number of fatal injuries stemming from Massachusetts bicycle accidents is staggering. I found the following on Wrong Diagnosis which provides some chilling statistics about fatal bicycle accidents:

Cyclist deaths: Related Death Statistics

• Males represented 88% of all bicycle fatalities in the US 2003 (Traffic Safety Facts, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA, 2003)
• Females represented 12% of all bicycle fatalities in the US 2003 (Traffic Safety Facts, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA, 2003)
• Over 20% of cyclists who died in traffic accidents were aged 5-15 years in the US 2003 (Traffic Safety Facts, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA, 2003)
• Cyclists represented nearly 1% of all traffic deaths in the US 2003 (Traffic Safety Facts, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA, 2003)
• 40% (17,013) of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related in the US 2003 (Traffic Safety Facts, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA, 2003).

I exhort you to wear a helmet and to use caution when you are operating a bicycle on the roadways of Massachusetts.