Cyclist Crashes Research Articles

The epidemiology of fatal cyclist crashes over a 14-year period in Alberta, Canada.

BackgroundCycling is a popular recreational activity and a common transportation option; however, cycling-related injuries can be fatal. There are few studies of cycling fatalities in Canada and none in a region as sparsely populated as Alberta.MethodsA chart review was conducted of cyclists involved in fatal crashes. Charts for deaths that occurred between 1998 and 2011 (inclusive) were identified and abstracted onto standardized forms. Personal characteristics and crash circumstances, including motor vehicle involvement, were collected; mechanisms of fatally injured cyclists across age groups were compared. Census data were used to calculate region-specific and provincial age-specific cycling fatality rates.ResultsCharts from 101 deaths over 14 years were reviewed. Events mainly occurred during the summer. There were more fatalities in urban (64 [63 %]) than in rural settings. Collisions with motor vehicles and cyclist-only crashes accounted for 68 and 15 % of cycling fatalities, respectively. Most (87 %) deceased cyclists were male, and the median age was 47 years (inter-quartile range: 25, 58). The population-based fatality rate over the study period was highest among deceased cyclists older than 65. Helmet use was reported in 26 (26 %) cases and increased with age. Alcohol use was detected in 25 (25 %) cases.ConclusionsFatal cycling crashes in Alberta typically involve adults riding on urban roads and collisions with motor vehicles. While helmet legislation has reduced non-fatal cycling head injuries, deaths may be further prevented by physical separation of cyclists and motor vehicles and avoidance of substance use while operating bicycles.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2476-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A52 Trends in inpatient admissions for pedal cycle injuries for the state of California: 2005-2011

Abstract Background In the United States, cycling has grown substantially in popularity in recent years. It is unclear, however, whether pedal cycling safety, such as use of helmets, have kept pace with this rapid growth. We use administrative records of pedal cyclist crashes and hospitalizations to explore trends in injuries and fatalities among pedal cyclists in the state of California. Methods We perform a retrospective analysis of the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), the State Emergency Department Database (SEDD), and the State Inpatient Database (SID) for the state of California in 2005 to 2011. SWITRS contains all motor vehicle crash records reported to law enforcement in California and is maintained by the California Highway Patrol. SEDD/SID provide records on all emergency department (ED) and inpatient admissions in community hospitals for California. Pedal cyclist injury records were selected using Clinical Classification Software codes (External Causes of Injury code 2608 “Pedal Cyclist, not MVT”). We examine patient characteristics related to pedal cyclist injuries including age, gender, insurance status, race, disposition status and all related bodily injuries. Trends in number of bicycle-related injuries on public roads, and ED visits and inpatient admissions (number and per capita) are presented. Cost-to-charge ratios provided by HCUP are used to calculate costs of treatment for injured bicyclists. Results During the 7-year period from 2005 to 2011, there were 275,845 ED visits and 24,281 pedal cyclist-related inpatient admissions in the state of California. Number of ED visits per 100,000 population increased from 95.1 to 122.6 in 2005-11—a 29% increase. Much of this increase was driven by older pedal cyclists. The average age of a cyclist increased by 3.4 years in the study period, and the proportion aged 45 and older increased from 15.9% to 22.1%. For inpatient admissions, this proportion increased from 39.1% to 50.4%. Upper limb fractures and intracranial injuries were the most common types of injuries sustained by hospitalized pedal cyclists. Median inpatient costs of treatment were $11,264 per case, and totaled $59.7 million in 2011. Conclusions In an average week in California, there are about 26.5 million pedal cycling trips. Although pedal cycling is associated with a number of important cardiovascular and other health benefits, our study suggests that injuries have increased substantially as pedal cycling has become more popular. These results call for the need to examine pedal cycling safety efforts, especially among older riders who are at risk for serious injury.

Environmental supports for walking/biking and traffic safety: Income and ethnicity disparities

ObjectiveThe present study investigates the influence of income, ethnicity, and built environmental characteristics on the percentages of workers who walk/bike as well as on pedestrian/cyclist crash rates. Furthermore, income and ethnicity disparities are also explored. MethodsThis study chose 162 census tracts in Austin as the unit of analysis. To explore income and ethnicity differences in built environments, this study examined the associations of the poverty rate, the percentage of white population, and the percentage of Hispanic population to each built environmental variable. Path models were applied to examine environmental supports of walking/biking and pedestrian/cyclist safety. ResultsAreas with high poverty rates had more biking trips and experienced more cyclist crashes, while areas with a high percentage of white population generated more walking trips and fewer pedestrian crashes. Sidewalk completeness and mixed land uses promoted walking to work but increased the crash risk for pedestrians as well. In terms of biking behaviors, road density and transit stop density both increased biking trips and cyclist crashes. ConclusionsEnvironmental designs that both encourage walking/biking trips and generate more safety threats should attract more attention from policy makers. Policies should also be more devoted to enhancing the mobility and health for areas with high poverty rates.

Safer cycling in the urban road environment: study approach and protocols guiding an Australian study

BackgroundMuch of the research into cyclist safety in Australia has focused on behaviour with less focus on the impact of the urban transport environment on cyclist safety. A greater understanding...

Cyclists and open vehicle doors: Crash characteristics and risk factors

A cyclist crash with an open vehicle door can result in serious injury, sometimes fatal, outcomes. However, little is known about the frequency and range of injury outcomes of this crash type or the contributing factors. In this study, the factors associated with cyclist-open vehicle door collisions in Victoria, Australia were investigated using three complementary data sources: (1) police reported crashes (2000–2011); (2) hospital presentations (2000–2010), and (3) a sample of video footage from a naturalistic study of commuter cyclists in Melbourne (2009–2010). A total of 1247 police reported cyclist crashes and 401 hospital emergency department presentations were analysed. As a proportion of all cyclist crashes, cyclist-open vehicle door crashes accounted for 3.1% (hospital) and 8.4% (police). The majority of cyclists injured were: male (police: 67.1%; hospital: 65.8%); adults aged 18years or older (police: 97.5%; hospital: 96.3%), and crashes occurred in speed zones up to 60 kph (police: 93.1%). From the naturalistic cycling study, there were 13 door-related events with a rate of 0.59 events per trip. No collisions occurred and in all cases, a potential collision was avoided by the cyclists’ evasive action. Most drivers did not look in the direction of the cyclist before opening the door. While the number of reported crashes is relatively low, cyclists’ exposure to events with potential for this crash type is high. Potential countermeasures to reduce the risk of this interaction/crash type are discussed and include road environment design improvements and road user behaviour programs.

The built environment and the incidence of pedestrian and cyclist crashes

This study applied negative binomial regressions to understand how the characteristics of the built environment may affect the incidence of crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists. Arterial thoroughfares, big box stores and strip commercial uses were all associated with increased risk for pedestrians and cyclists alike. Unlike earlier studies on pedestrian and cyclist crash risk, however, this study hypothesized that it was the configuration of commercial and retail uses that mattered, rather than the uses themselves. To test this, this study included a variable indicating the number of pedestrian-scaled retail uses in a community in the models. Indeed, while strip commercial uses and big box stores were a safety problem, this variable had a negative, though statistically insignificant, effect on crash incidence, suggesting that road users were modifying their behavior in these environments in a manner that prevented these crashes from occurring. Further, although earlier studies have asserted that population density was a risk factor for pedestrians and cyclists, this study found it to have a positive but weak effect on total pedestrian crashes, and no statistically meaningful effect on pedestrian killed or severely injured (KSI) crashes, nor on total or KSI crashes involving cyclists. Finally, this study found that whereas four-leg intersections were associated with increased numbers of pedestrian and cyclist crashes, three-leg intersections had no effect, or even a negative effect on crash incidence involving pedestrians and cyclists. This finding suggests that three-leg intersections may be a desirable means for increasing local street connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists without simultaneously increasing their exposure to traffic related crashes, injuries or deaths.

Cyclists and drivers in road interactions: A comparison of perceived crash risk

Today's increase in the number of cyclists has triggered a change in the interactions to be handled by road users. However, few studies have investigated crash risk perceived by cyclists interacting with other users, and few have compared cyclists’ and drivers’ perceptions of crash risk in bike–car interactions, the most dangerous situation for cyclists. Our aims here are to study perceived crash risk (no matter the seriousness of the crash) in six common road situations during which cyclist crashes are frequent and also to study cyclists’ and drivers’ perceived risk in bike–car interactions, in comparison to other interaction types (cyclist vs. cyclist and driver vs. driver). We predicted that perceived risk of being involved in a crash during a particular interaction would be greater when in interaction with a car than with a bike, and that drivers would perceive more risk than cyclists would. We also predicted that perceived risk would decrease with drivers’ and cyclists’ experience of their transportation mode and their perceived control over the interaction situation. We ran an online survey on two samples, experienced cyclists (N=336) and non-cyclist car drivers (N=92). Participants evaluated their personal risk – as cyclists or as drivers – of being involved in a road crash if they were in an interaction with a bike or a car for each of six risky road situations. Experience was measured in terms of years of vehicle driving and driven km; perceived control was measured in terms of perceived skill and responsibility for the risky behavior. The results validated our hypotheses: perceived risk was higher for car drivers than for cyclists and for interacting with a car than with a bike. The implications of these results for interventions to improve road safety for both cyclists and car drivers are discussed.

Risk factors for severe injury in cyclists involved in traffic crashes in Victoria, Australia

This study examines the impact of cyclist, road and crash characteristics on the injury severity of cyclists involved in traffic crashes reported to the police in Victoria, Australia between 2004 and 2008. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify predictors of severe injury (serious injury and fatality) in cyclist crashes reported to the police. There were 6432 cyclist crashes reported to the police in Victoria between 2004 and 2008 with 2181 (33.9%) resulting in severe injury of the cyclist involved. The multivariate analysis found that factors that increase the risk of severe injury in cyclists involved in traffic crashes were age (50 years and older), not wearing a helmet, riding in the dark on unlit roads, riding on roads zoned 70km/h or above, on curved sections of the road, in rural locations and being involved in head-on collisions as well as off path crashes, which include losing control of vehicle, and on path crashes which include striking the door of a parked vehicle. While this study did not test effectiveness of preventative measures, policy makers should consider implementation of programs that address these risk factors including helmet programs and environmental modifications such as speed reduction on roads that are frequented by cyclists.

Exploring the impacts of safety culture on immigrants' vulnerability in non-motorized crashes: a cross-sectional study.

Pedestrians and cyclists are a vulnerable group of road users. Immigrants are disproportionally represented in pedestrian and cyclist crashes. We postulate that the mismatch in safety culture between countries of their origin and the U.S.A. contribute to their vulnerability in pedestrian and cyclist crashes. Over time, the differences may disappear and immigrants' traffic behavior gravitates toward those of native-borns. We describe this process as safety assimilation. Using the pedestrian and cyclist crash database in New York City between 2001 and 2003, we examined the effects of foreign-born population, their countries of origin, and time of entry into the USA on census tract-level pedestrian and cyclist crashes. We find that neighborhoods with a higher concentration of immigrants, especially those from Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia, have more crashes. Our results also exhibit a pattern of the hypothesized safety assimilation process. The study suggests a higher level of vulnerability of immigrants to pedestrian and cyclist crashes. We propose that targeted policies and programs need to be developed for immigrants of different countries of origin.

Cycling Crashes in Children, Adolescents, and Adults—A Comparative Analysis

Objective: To compare rates, circumstances, and outcomes of cyclist crashes between children (aged 0–9 years), adolescents (aged 10–19 years), and adults (aged 20 years and over) in Victoria, Australia. Methods: A retrospective analysis of cyclist crashes in police records and the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset during the period 2004–2008. Results: Adolescent cyclists had the highest rates, per 100 000 people, of police-reported (32.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.7–34.5) and hospitalized cyclist crashes (71.6, 95% CI: 68.7–74.4). Police-reported helmet use at the time of the crash was lowest among children (57.1%, 95% CI: 49.5–64.8) compared to 60.2 percent (95% CI: 57.3–63.1) in adolescents and 77.7 percent (95% CI: 76.5–78.8) in adults. This was reflected in the hospital data, which indicated that more than one third of cyclist hospitalizations among children (37.4%) resulted in head injuries compared to around 1 in 4 hospitalized cyclist crashes in adolescents (26.8%) and adults (23.7%). Cyclists emerging off a footpath into the path of a vehicle as well as cyclists struck by vehicles emerging form a driveway were the most frequent types of police-reported crashes involving children (73.9%) and adolescents (48.1%). In contrast, most adult cyclist crashes occurred on the roadway, mainly at intersections. Conclusions: Programs to improve the safety knowledge and behavior of children and adolescent cyclists, particularly focusing on helmet use, should be part of a comprehensive approach that encompasses legislative and environmental changes, including appropriate cyclist facilities and reduced speed limit in residential areas.

Quantification of ventilation characteristics of a helmet

Despite the augmented safety offered by wearing a cyclist crash helmet, many cyclists still refuse to wear one because of the thermal discomfort that comes along with wearing it. In this paper, a method is described that quantifies the ventilation characteristics of a helmet using tracer gas experiments. A Data-Based Mechanistic model was applied to provide a physically meaningful description of the dominant internal dynamics of mass transfer in the imperfectly mixed fluid under the helmet. By using a physical mass balance, the local ventilation efficiency could be described by using a single input–single output system. Using this approach, ventilation efficiency ranging from 0.06 volume refreshments per second (s −1) at the side of the helmet to 0.22 s −1 at the rear ventilation opening were found on the investigated helmet. The zones at the side were poorly ventilated. The influence of the angle of inclination on ventilation efficiency was dependent on the position between head and helmet. General comfort of the helmet can be improved by increasing the ventilation efficiency of fresh air at the problem zones.

Police Action at the Scene of a Traffic Accident

This study examines the impact of cyclist, road and crash characteristics on the injury severity of cyclists involved in traffic crashes reported to the police in Victoria, Australia between 2004 and 2008. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify predictors of severe injury (serious injury and fatality) in cyclist crashes reported to the police. There were 6432 cyclist crashes reported to the police in Victoria between 2004 and 2008 with 2181 (33.9%) resulting in severe injury of the cyclist involved. The multivariate analysis found that factors that increase the risk of severe injury in cyclists involved in traffic crashes were age (50 years and older), not wearing a helmet, riding in the dark on unlit roads, riding on roads zoned 70 km/h or above, on curved sections of the road, in rural locations and being involved in head-on collisions as well as off path crashes, which include losing control of vehicle, and on path crashes which include striking the door of a parked vehicle. While this study did not test effectiveness of preventative measures, policy makers should consider implementation of programs that address these risk factors including helmet programs and environmental modifications such as speed reduction on roads that are frequented by cyclists.