This paper describes the results of an in-depth research into injuries due to bicycle-wheel entanglements. The first part of the study describes the results of a literature study into spoke related injuries and preventive measures. The second part provides epidemiological data regarding spoke injuries. The third part describes the results of an inquiry into spoke injuries involving children. Questionnaires were sent to parents of bicycle-wheel entanglement victims under thirteen years of age recorded by the Dutch home and leisure accidents surveillance system (PORS) in the year 1988. The main results are: (1) nearly all victims were passengers (98%); (2) only 2% of the victims were cycling themselves; (3) all the passenger victims were injured by entanglement of a foot or ankle between the spokes; (4) none of the involved seats and most of the involved bicycle-wheels were supplied with wheel spoke covers or overcoat guards; (5) the common overcoat guards appeared to be too frail to guarantee effective protection; and (6) parents are neither sufficiently aware of spoke injury risks nor do they have adequate knowledge to avoid this risk. It is recommended that safety criteria are developed for effective spoke guards for bicycle-wheels and seats. This should be combined with an information campaign whose aim is to show parents how to prevent spoke injuries.
Abstract