Abstract
In order to maximize the public health benefits of cycling, the negative impacts of cycling, such as the number and types of crashes, should be identified. Single-bicycle crashes, in which other road users are not collided with, are one of the main safety concerns in cycling, but comprehensive knowledge on these crashes is not available due to poor data sources. This study aimed to identify characteristics of commuters’ single-bicycle crashes in Finland. Firstly, insurance data covering 9268 commuter bicycle crashes in 2016 and 2017 were analyzed to find single-bicycle crashes. The insurance data are based on self-reported crashes. In total, 3448 single-bicycle crashes were found with crash descriptions that were informative enough for investigation of their characteristics. According to the results, 62.9% (95% confidence interval +/− 1.6%) of the crashes were related to the infrastructure. In the majority of infrastructure-related crashes, the road surface was slippery. The slippery road surface was typically due to icy or snowy conditions. The lack of proper data complicates the recognition of single-bicycle crashes, and hence policy actions and research projects are needed to develop better data sources for proper investigation of cycling safety.
Highlights
Policy actions and recent national strategies for cycling aim to increase the modal share of cycling in many countries, such as in Austria (Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment andWater Management, Cycling Master Plan 2015-2025, Vienna, Austria, 2015), Finland (Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, National Strategy for Walking and Cycling 2020, Programmes and Strategies April 2011, Helsinki, Finland), and Norway (Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications, National Transport Plan 2014-2023, Oslo, Norway, 2012)
Insurance data, which are based on commuters’ crashes in this study, are a valuable data source to research the characteristics of single-bicycle crashes, because knowledge on these crashes is deficient in Finland and worldwide
It is recommended that public authorities and traffic safety experts utilize data sources other than official crash statistics to study cycling safety
Summary
Policy actions and recent national strategies for cycling aim to increase the modal share of cycling in many countries, such as in Austria (Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment andWater Management, Cycling Master Plan 2015-2025, Vienna, Austria, 2015), Finland (Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, National Strategy for Walking and Cycling 2020, Programmes and Strategies April 2011, Helsinki, Finland), and Norway (Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications, National Transport Plan 2014-2023, Oslo, Norway, 2012). Policy actions and recent national strategies for cycling aim to increase the modal share of cycling in many countries, such as in Austria The public health benefits of cycling, which have been identified in many studies [1,2], entail one of the most important arguments to promote cycling. In countries where cycling is a popular mode of transport, the share of cycling crashes may be significant, which diminishes the health benefits of cycling. An increase in the modal share of cycling is desirable, but at the same time negative impacts (such as crashes) should be acknowledged and reduced. Even though public health should be promoted, the consequences of crashes diminish individuals’ quality of life temporarily or even permanently.
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