In-depth understanding of single bicycle crashes in Sweden - Crash characteristics, injury types and health outcomes differentiated by gender and age-groups

Abstract

IntroductionTo study in-depth characteristics of single bicycle crashes and type of injuries considering gender and age differences. MethodsHospital reported bicycle crashes identified in the Swedish national database STRADA were combined with self-reported detailed information regarding crash circumstances and injury outcomes. Gender and age-group differences were investigated using univariate statistics and Pearson Chi- Square test. ResultsA total of 616 cyclists injured in single bicycle crashes between 2013 and 2017 were included. Participants (49% women) had a mean age of 58 years (ranged 15–89 years), most rode a comfort bike (54%) and cycled several times a week (81%). The most common crash type was skidding on ice or snow (26%). This crash type was significantly more common among women than men (30% versus 21%). Women more than twice as often lost balance at low or no speed (13% versus 5%). While men's injuries were located more than twice as often at shoulder and upper arm (28% versus 11%), women injured more than four times as often the lower leg and ankle (30% versus 7%). Differences regarding age-groups could be observed as an exponential increase of hip and upper leg injuries with increased age (9, 19 and 38%). Older cyclists were more often injured while losing balance at no or low speed and while getting on or off the bicycle. ConclusionsConcrete countermeasures to prevent injuries in single bicycle crashes can be suggested and directed to different target groups, i.e. women or men or younger or elderly.