The injury epidemiology of cyclists based on a road trauma registry

Emmanuelle Amoros,Bernard Laumon,Bertrand Thélot,Mireille Chiron

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-653

Abstract

BackgroundBicycle use has increased in some of France's major cities, mainly as a means of transport. Bicycle crashes need to be studied, preferably by type of cycling. Here we conduct a descriptive analysis.MethodA road trauma registry has been in use in France since 1996, in a large county around Lyon (the Rhône, population 1.6 million). It covers outpatients, inpatients and fatalities. All injuries are coded using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Proxies were used to identify three types of cycling: learning = children (0-10 years old); sports cycling = teenagers and adults injured outside towns; cycling as means of transport = teenagers and adults injured in towns. The study is based on 13,684 cyclist casualties (1996-2008).ResultsThe percentage of cyclists injured in a collision with a motor vehicle was 8% among children, 17% among teenagers and adults injured outside towns, and 31% among those injured in towns. The percentage of serious casualties (MAIS 3+) was 4.5% among children, 10.9% among adults injured outside towns and 7.2% among those injured in towns. Collisions with motor-vehicles lead to more internal injuries than bicycle-only crashes.ConclusionThe description indicates that cyclist type is associated with different crash and injury patterns. In particular, cyclists injured in towns (where cycling is increasing) are generally less severely injured than those injured outside towns for both types of crash (bicycle-only crashes and collisions with a motor vehicle). This is probably due to lower speeds in towns, for both cyclists and motor vehicles.

Highlights

Bicycle use has increased in some of France’s major cities, mainly as a means of transport
The percentage of cyclists injured in a collision with a motor vehicle was 8% among children, 17% among teenagers and adults injured outside towns, and 31% among those injured in towns
Cyclists injured in towns are generally less severely injured than those injured outside towns for both types of crash

Summary

Introduction

Bicycle use has increased in some of France’s major cities, mainly as a means of transport. In some of France’s major cities (Paris, Lyon, Lille,...) there has been an increase in cycling, mostly as a means of transport [1]. This is partly associated with local policies, such as the introduction of large self-service bicycle sharing schemes. We need to know more about cyclist road risk, according to the type of cycling: as a leisure or sporting activity or as a means of transport. These three types are fairly common in France and they seem to have different risk patterns [2]. We conducted here a descriptive study of cyclists’ crash characteristics and cyclists’ injuries, by type of cycling

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