The Analysis of the Factors Influencing the Severity of Bicyclist Injury in Bicyclist-Vehicle Crashes

Elżbieta Macioszek,Anna Granà

doi:10.3390/su14010215

Elżbieta Macioszek, Anna Granà

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010215

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Abstract

Transportation and technological development have for centuries strongly influenced the shaping of urbanized areas. On one hand, it undoubtedly brings many benefits to their residents. However, also has a negative impact on urban areas and their surroundings. Many transportation and technological solutions lead, for example, to increased levels of pollution, noise, excessive energy use, as well as to traffic accidents in cities. So, it is important to safe urban development and sustainability in all city aspects as well as in the area of road transport safety. Due to the long-term policy of sustainable transport development, cycling is promoted, which contributes to the increase in the number of this group of users of the transport network in road traffic for short-distance transport. On the one hand, cycling has a positive effect on bicyclists’ health and environmental conditions, however, a big problem is an increase in the number of serious injuries and fatalities among bicyclists involved in road incidents with motor vehicles. This study aims to identify factors that influence the occurrence and severity of bicyclist injury in bicyclist-vehicle crashes. It has been observed that the factors increasing the risk of serious injuries and deaths of bicyclists are: vehicle driver gender and age, driving under the influence of alcohol, exceeding the speed limit by the vehicle driver, bicyclist age, cycling under the influence of alcohol, speed of the bicyclist before the incident, vehicle type (truck), incident place (road), time of the day, incident type. The obtained results can be used for activities aimed at improving the bicyclists’ safety level in road traffic in the area of analysis.

Highlights

Road traffic safety is an important public health issue in every country on the world.According to the data presented by the European Transport Safety Council [1], Poland belongs to the group of the most dangerous EU countries for bicyclists
On the one hand, cycling has a positive effect on bicyclists’ health and environmental conditions, a big problem is an increase in the number of serious injuries and fatalities among bicyclists involved in road incidents with motor vehicles
When analyzing vehicle driver characteristics, it should be stated that such features as vehicle driver gender and age, the driver of the vehicle under the influence of alcohol, exceeding the speed limit by the vehicle driver turned out to be significant factors that determine the probability of serious and fatal injuries by a bicyclist

Summary

Introduction

Road traffic safety is an important public health issue in every country on the world. According to the data presented by the European Transport Safety Council [1], Poland belongs to the group of the most dangerous EU countries for bicyclists. In Poland, 8 bicyclists are killed per million inhabitants (in 2005, according to CARE/Eurostat data, this indicator amounted to less than 16 bicyclists killed (15.8) per million inhabitants annually [2]). On average in the EU, this indicator is twice as low and amounts to 4.2 [bicyclists/million inhabitants]. The proportion of the number of accidents to the bicycles traffic volume is unfavorable. Bicyclists account for almost 10% of road fatalities, while the share of bicycles in total travel is estimated at only 1–2%

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