A total of 153 cyclists were killed between 2007 and 2012, the majority of them in accidents with a motor vehicle involved. The most important measures for reducing the number of cyclist fatalities are increased helmet use and the prevention of collisions by means of segregation, safe bicycle crossings/overpasses, emergency brakes and/or an external air bag on cars, and, for lorries, a warning system alerting drivers to the presence of cyclists in the “dead angle”. During the same period more than 44,000 cyclists were so badly injured that they were admitted to A&E departments. It should be pointed out that the number of injured cyclists as stated here must be taken as a minimum, because we do not have data from all hospitals and health centres. About 90 percent of all cycling accidents in which cyclists are seriously injured happen in urban areas, probably because this is where cycle traffic is most intense, mostly in the morning and in the afternoon/evening. Eight of every ten cyclists seriously injured sustained their injuries in single-bicycle accidents, and just over one-tenth in bicycle-motor vehicle accidents. The underlying causes of single-bicycle accidents usually have to do with maintenance and operation, and these factors account for nearly half of all single-bicycle accidents resulting in serious injury. Given what are judged to be the underlying causes of bicycle accidents, improved ice removal and winter tyres for bikes are considered to be the measures with the biggest potential for reducing the number of cyclists seriously injured, as well as the use of a cycle helmet and a protective jacket and trousers. Other important accident prevention measures are the removal of loose grit, good surface maintenance and adjusted kerbstones, followed by segregated cycle paths, safe bicycle crossings/overpasses and the removing of fixed objects on and beside the cycle path. Many serious injuries to cyclists can also be avoided by fitting bicycles with ABS brakes or suchlike, stabilising the bike at low speeds and when mounting and dismounting, having proper lighting and reflectors for better visibility, and carrying out bicycle inspections to remedy defects before they have time to cause an accident. The analyses presented in this report are based on the data entered by hospital A&E departments in STRADA (Swedish TRaffic Accident Data Acquisition) supplemented with information from the Swedish Transport Administration’s in-depth studies concerning cyclist fatalities during the same period. This work was undertaken on behalf of the Swedish Transport Administration, for the purpose of collating facts to do with bicycle accidents, the aim being to identify possible ways of reducing the number of cyclist seriously injured. (Author/publisher)
Abstract