BICYCLE RIDING AND ACCIDENTS AMONG YOUTHS. A SUMMARY REPORT

THIS IS A BRIEF, NONTECHNICAL CONDENSATION OF A LONGER REPORT AVAILABLE FROM THE SAME SOURCE. IN 1970 A SAMPLE OF 500 YOUTHS WAS MONITORED IN RALEIGH, N.C.. ACTUAL MILAGE EXPOSURE WAS MEASURED WITH CYCLOMETERS FOR BIKES AND RIDERS. MORE THAN 60,000 MILES OF BIKE RIDING WERE REPORTED AND STUDIED. ACCIDENTS AND MISHAPS, BOTH REPORTED AND UNREPORTED, WERE ANALYZED. DURING THE STUDY PERIOD THERE WERE NO FATALITIES. AMONG THE 10 PRINCIPAL FINDINGS WERE THE FOLLOWING: (1) FOR THE ENTIRE SAMPLE, ACCIDENT RATES DO NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY WITH TYPE OF BIKE; NOR IS THERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE TYPES OR LOCATIONS OF INJURIES SUFFERED. (2) FALLS ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 70% OF ALL ACCIDENTS. (3) MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS CITED AS THE ACCIDENT CAUSE IN 13% OF ALL ACCIDENTS, WITH FAILURES OF FRAME, CRANK, HANGAR, AND SPROCKETS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT. (4) THE OVERALL ACCIDENT RATE WAS 1.58 PER 1000 MILES.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 21 Pp, 9 FiG, 3 TAB, 5 PHOT
• Corporate Authors:

  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  Highway Safety Research Center
  Chapel Hill, NC  United States  27599
• Authors:
  • Campbell, B J
  • Foley, J P
  • PASCARELLA, E A
• Publication Date: 1971-7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycles; Crashes; Design; Safety
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221470
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 20 1971 12:00AM