The data on mortality and hospital admissions for children aged 0-14 years were analysed. In 1991, 82 children (1-14 years) died from the consequences of a traffic accident. Most of them died after a bicycle accident. The largest category of hospital admissions (46%) in the age group 0-14 years was the consequence of cycling accidents, out of a total of 2839 traffic accidents in this age group in 1990. Most of the children aged 0-14 years admitted because of bicycle accidents had head and skull injuries. In 69% of the bicycle accidents no motor vehicle was involved. Because of the high frequency of head injuries, wearing a bicycle helmet should be promoted strongly, legal obligation giving the fastest and best results. Several prevention strategies are discussed.
Abstract