RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Severity of urban cycling injuries and the relationship with personal, trip, route and crash characteristics: analyses using four severity metrics
JF BMJ Open
JO BMJ Open
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP e006654
DO 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006654
VO 5
IS 1
A1 Peter A Cripton
A1 Hui Shen
A1 Jeff R Brubacher
A1 Mary Chipman
A1 Steven M Friedman
A1 M Anne Harris
A1 Meghan Winters
A1 Conor C O Reynolds
A1 Michael D Cusimano
A1 Shelina Babul
A1 Kay Teschke
YR 2015
UL http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/1/e006654.abstract
AB Objective To examine the relationship between cycling injury severity and personal, trip, route and crash characteristics.Methods Data from a previous study of injury risk, conducted in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, were used to classify injury severity using four metrics: (1) did not continue trip by bike; (2) transported to hospital by ambulance; (3) admitted to hospital; and (4) Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations with personal, trip, route and crash characteristics.Results Of 683 adults injured while cycling, 528 did not continue their trip by bike, 251 were transported by ambulance and 60 were admitted to hospital for further treatment. Treatment urgencies included 75 as CTAS=1 or 2 (most medically urgent), 284 as CTAS=3, and 320 as CTAS=4 or 5 (least medically urgent). Older age and collision with a motor vehicle were consistently associated with increased severity in all four metrics and statistically significant in three each (both variables with ambulance transport and CTAS; age with hospital admission; and motor vehicle collision with did not continue by bike). Other factors were consistently associated with more severe injuries, but statistically significant in one metric each: downhill grades; higher motor vehicle speeds; sidewalks (these significant for ambulance transport); multiuse paths and local streets (both significant for hospital admission).Conclusions In two of Canada's largest cities, about one-third of the bicycle crashes were collisions with motor vehicles and the resulting injuries were more severe than in other crash circumstances, underscoring the importance of separating cyclists from motor vehicle traffic. Our results also suggest that bicycling injury severity and injury risk would be reduced on facilities that minimise slopes, have lower vehicle speeds, and that are designed for bicycling rather than shared with pedestrians.