Cyclist fatalities are relatively rare in highly-motorised countries. Evidence suggests cyclist crashes are underreported in national statistics particularly in the case of single-vehicle or non-fatal crashes. Some studies provide details of injury distributions and contact points of cyclists with impacting vehicles. Cyclists are normally grouped with pedestrians and motorcyclists within a homogenous group of vulnerable road users. However evidence suggests there may be key differences which need to be identified in order to increase the effectiveness of engineering solutions. Road engineering measures and cyclist training currently provide the main methods for casualty reduction. Bicycle helmet properties are also being investigated. Areas for further knowledge include a fuller assessment of the protection offered by helmets and investigation into potential improvement in design; a better understanding of cyclist kinematics and interaction with vehicle fronts; further analysis to evaluate the travel speed of the bicycle, especially the influence on head trajectory and the role of injuries sustained from interaction with vehicles and secondary impacts with roads and roadside furniture; and investigation into conflicts with synergy with pedestrian impacts.
Abstract