Lumberton has a relatively low population, with only about 16,600 residents. Most of these residents drive to work or school. According to the Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission (SETRPC), only 1.27% of Hardin County residents commute by foot or bicycle. SETRPC also notes that Hardin County has no bicycle facilities.

However, SETRPC has plans to build a bicycle network in Lumberton, Silsbee, and other towns in the area. The City of Beaumont also promotes a bike tour route that includes Lumberton, Silsbee, Kountze, and Big Thicket National Preserve. Until the network materializes, cyclists face risks while using Lumberton’s roads or the highway running to the national preserve.

Lumberton Bicycle Crash Statistics

Lumberton’s bicycle crash numbers are so small that they provide very little information about long-term trends. According to a query on Texas’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS), over the ten years spanning 2014 through 2023, the city only had eight bicycle accidents.

These accidents happened in the following years:

  • One crash in 2015
  • Two crashes in 2016
  • Two crashes in 2017
  • Three crashes in 2019

Six years had no crashes: 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. On the one hand, the most recent four years had no accidents. You could infer that Lumberton is safe for cyclists with a streak that long and that the crashes from 2015 through 2019 were an outlier.

On the other hand, the number of crashes increased steadily from 2015 through 2019. From this, you could assume the city has gotten more dangerous for cyclists over time and the recent time without any bicycle crashes was the true outlier.

Unfortunately, there is no way to know if either trend represents the future of bicycle accidents in Lumberton, TX. The sample size is too small, and there is not enough data to predict what may happen.

Bicycle Crash Outcomes in Lumberton, Texas

The eight bicycle crashes over the past ten years caused the following:

  • One fatally injured bicyclist
  • One seriously injured cyclist required ambulance transport from the accident scene
  • Two cyclists with minor injuries that produced visible wounds without disabling the rider
  • One possible injury that caused pain or other symptoms without visibly injuring the rider

Three riders escaped their crashes without suffering any injuries. This means drivers in Lumberton injured or killed 62.5% of the cyclists they hit. Conversely, only one motorist was injured in these crashes, accounting for 12.5% of the drivers.

Dangerous Times To Ride in Lumberton

Bike crashes in Lumberton happened during the day between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. There is a two-crash bump between noon and 1 p.m. and another two-crash bump between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Other times of the day, including the morning and afternoon commutes, had only one crash. Since the sample size is so small, this might or might not represent a pattern.

All of the bike collisions between 2014 and 2023 occurred on Monday, Friday, or Saturday. Specifically, half of the crashes happened on Friday. However, there is no easy explanation for this pattern since only two crashes occurred in the evening when darkness and intoxication increase the likelihood of accidents.

Bicycle Crash Locations

The small number of crashes shows a significant geographic pattern. All eight collisions occurred on just three roads. Chance Road was the most dangerous road for riders, with four bike collisions. Two of these collisions happened at the intersections with the other two dangerous roads.

Three bike crashes happened on US-287/US-69/LHS Drive, including one at the intersection with Chance Road. Two additional accidents occurred on US-96/Main Street, including one just south of the Chance Road intersection.

Thus, the crashes happened on roads forming a rough H shape. US-287/US-69/LHS Drive and US-96/Main Street form the legs, and Chance Road connects them.

Common Causes of Bike Collisions in Lumberton

According to a CRIS query, bicycle crashes over the past ten years happened for diverse reasons, including the following:

Lane Drift

Lane drift happens when a driver drifts onto the shoulder and hits a cyclist. A common scenario involves a driver overtaking a cyclist. The driver crowds the rider, sideswiping them or causing a near miss that causes them to swerve into the curb or off the road.

Inattentive or Distracted Driving

Inattentive driving happens when a driver fails to focus on the road or traffic hazards around them. This could happen because of fatigue, emotional upset, or driving on autopilot. Distracted driving occurs when drivers try to multitask while driving. Eating, talking, and texting can distract a driver.

Both of these driving behaviors can endanger other road users. Cyclists and pedestrians face heightened risks because their small size and slow speed can make it difficult for unfocused drivers to notice them.

Speeding

Vehicles travel much faster than bicycles. When drivers speed, they can come upon a rider more quickly than they expect. Equally importantly, speeding drivers have less time to avoid a bicycle once they spot it.

Failing To Yield

Two crashes happened when drivers failed to yield to bicycles while pulling into traffic. Specifically, drivers exiting a driveway or parking lot to enter the road hit a bicycle as it rode in front of them. Since bicycles on a roadway have the same right of way as cars, the drivers in these crashes were at fault.

Bicycle Infrastructure in Lumberton, TX

Lumberton has no bicycle infrastructure. In other words, riders in Lumberton must ride on the shoulder or sidewalks because the city has no bikeways. Some parks in Beaumont have multi-use trails reserved for non-motorized traffic. But riders must take roads and highways without bike lanes to reach them from Lumberton.

Lumberton also lacks a fixed-route bus system. In many cities, bicyclists can use public buses to extend their range. But Lumberton does not offer this option.

Riding Your Bike Safely in Lumberton

Bicycle crash statistics suggest that you have a relatively low risk of getting hit by a car while riding your bike in Lumberton. But you should still exercise caution. Lumberton lacks bike lanes, multi-use paths, and other types of bikeways. As a result, you must rely on drivers to share the road safely with you as you navigate Lumberton roads.