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Safety: Statistics + Common Crashes
Australian Transport Safety Bureau data indicates that between 2000 and 2005, the number of cyclist deaths has ranged from 26 to 46 per year (about 2 or 3% of total deaths in road crashes in Australia). More meaningful Australian data on cycling crashes is difficult to access due the lack of exposure data for cycling, differences in police and hospital data records, lack of data retained by road traffic authorities and the fact that many cycling accidents occur off-road.
The Effectiveness of Helmets in Reducing Head Injuries and Hospital Treatment Costs: A Multicentre Study (AUS)
06th May 2013
This study published in the Medical Journal of Australia on the 13 May 2013, reports on the relationship between helmet use and head injury severity. The data was taken from hospitals in metropolitan sydney and involved a retrospective cohort of both pedal cyclists and motorcyclists. It found that patients identified with severe head injury, inhospital costs (AUD) were around three times higher in non-helmeted patients (median, $72 000) compared with helmeted patients (median, $24 000).
2011 Bicyclists & Other Cyclists Traffic Safety Fact Sheet (USA)
29th Apr 2013
The U.S. National Traffic Safety Highway Administration has released a fact sheet that details the numbers of cyclists killed and injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2011.
On-road bicycle facilities and bicycle crashes in Iowa, 2007–2010 (USA)
19th Feb 2013
This reserach, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention in January 2013, examined the impact of on-road bicycle facilities on crash risk. The results suggest that intersections with an on-road bicycle facility are more protective against crashes than those without, that bicycle-specific pavement markings are more protective against crashes than bicycle signage and that increased street width increases the risk of a bicycle-motor vehicle crash.
Injured Cyclist Profile: An in-depth South Australian study (Australia)
15th Jan 2013
This project examined the circumstances surrounding crash involvement for a group of 61 bicycle riders involved in a collision with a motorised vehicle who were admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital between January 1 2008 and December 31 2010. Medical records, police crash data, and forensic data related to mandatory testing for alcohol and drugs were collected for the research. The report was published by the University of Adelaide's Centre for Automotive Safety in January 2013.
Road Traffic Crashes in NSW 2011 (Australia)
03rd Jan 2013
In December 2012, Roads and Maritime Services released the NSW Annual Statistical Statement detailing the Road Traffic Crashes in NSW in 2011. The report contains crash statistics for the year ended 31 December 2011. It includes information about fatalities, injuries and crash types. In 2011, 10 bicycle riders were killed and 992 were injured in NSW.
Cyclist Crash Facts 2012 (New Zealand)
03rd Jan 2013
In December 2012 New Zealand's Ministry for Transport published Cyclist Crash Facts 2012. The report contains cyclist crash statistics for the year ended 31 December 2011. It includes information about fatalities, injuries and crash types.
Cyclist Fatalities 2010 (USA)
03rd Jan 2013
In July 2012, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a fact sheet detailing cyclist fatalities and injury statitstics for 2010. In 2010, 618 pedalcyclists were killed and an additional 52,000 were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the USA. Pedalcyclist deaths accounted for 2 percent of all USA motor vehicle traffic fatalities, and made up 2 percent of all the people injured in traffic crashes during the year.
Risk factors for causing road crashes involving cyclists: An application of a quasi-induced exposure method (EU)
03rd Jan 2013
This Spanish research, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention in March 2013, explored the factors related with the risk of crashes involving cyclists. The research concludes that for bicycle riders being aged from 10 to 19 years, being male, consuming alcohol or drug and not wearing a helmet use were associated with a higher risk of crash. Bicycles with brake defects and bicycles ridden by two occupants were at higher risk.
Serious childhood community injury in NSW 2009-10 (Australia)
17th Dec 2012
This report, published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in December 2012, provides summary data on hospitalised injury of children and young people (aged 0-17 years) in NSW from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010. Falls were the most commonly reported cause of hospitalised injury (39% of cases), transport injuries were also common (14%). For males, the majority of hospitalised transport injury cases occurred on a pedal cycle (37%) followed by a motorcycle (34%). In contrast, females were more likely to have been in a car (29%) or on an animal or animal-drawn vehicle (22%).
Cycling safer than driving for young people (UK)
07th Dec 2012
Researchers from University College London have found that cycling is safer than driving for young males, with 17 to 20 year old drivers facing almost five times greater risk per hour than cyclists of the same age. The research was published in the journal PLoS ONE in December 2012.
Profile of CTP Claims Involving Pedestrians (Australia)
04th Dec 2012
This paper, published by the NSW Motor Accidents Authority, provides an overview of car accidents involving pedestrians, highlighting the severity of most injuries sustained. This report is based largely on the MAA’s claims database as at March 2002. It aims to profile pedestrian claims in terms of incidence, cost, age, and injuries. In the first section pedestrian claims are compared with claims lodged by other road users including pedal cyclists. The remainder of the report focuses more closely on the pedestrian claims.
Hospital separations due to injury and poisoning 2009-10 (Australia)
30th Nov 2012
This report, published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in November 2012 is the eighth in a series on hospitalisations due to injury and poisoning in Australia. It covers the 2009-10 financial year. A total of 421,065 injury cases required hospitalisation during the 12 months. The leading causes of hospitalised injury were unintentional falls, followed by transport accidents. Males were than four times as likely to be hospitalised as a result of a pedal cycle accident as females. Fifty-nine per cent of injured pedal cyclists were involved in a non-collision transport accident.
Trends in hospitalised childhood injury 1999-07 (Australia)
22nd Nov 2012
This report, published in November 2012 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, provides summary data on trends in hospitalised childhood injury for 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2007. Information is provided for three age groups (0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 year-olds) for each year. Falls were the main cause of hospitalised injury and transport-related injuries were also common. For all age groups, pedal cycles were the most frequent mode of transport involved in a transport injury.
Bicyclists’ Injuries and the Cycling Environment Study (Canada)
26th Oct 2012
This University of British Columbia Cycling in Cities study examined the association between bicyclists’ injuries and the cycling environment (e.g., route types, intersection types). It found that the lower risks on quiet streets and on busy streets with bike-specific infrastructure support the route-design approach used in many northern European countries. Transportation infrastructure with lower bicycling injury risks merits public health support to reduce injuries and promote cycling.
Traffic Management and Infrastructure - Lessons from In-depth Crash Investigation (Australia)
23rd Oct 2012
This report, published by Austroads in October 2012 discusses infrastructure and traffic management issues identified in an examination of approximately 700 crash investigations conducted in metropolitan and rural areas of South Australia. The report recommends that segregation should be provided for cyclists on arterial roads where kerbside parking cannot be effectively eliminated and that a study into the interaction between cyclists and vehicles in wide kerbside traffic lanes should be conducted.
Risk factors for severe injury in cyclists involved in traffic crashes in Victoria (Australia)
03rd Oct 2012
This research report, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention in November 2012, examines the impact of cyclist, road and crash characteristics on the injury severity of cyclists involved in traffic crashes reported to the police in Victoria, Australia between 2004 and 2008.
Characteristics of, and insurance payments for, injuries to cyclists in Tasmania, 1990–2010 (Australia)
03rd Oct 2012
This research report, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention in November 2012 describes the characteristics and costs of injuries to cyclists resulting in a 3rd party insurance claim in Tasmania. Cycling injuries made up 2.0% of claims but accounted for 3.4% of the total costs and were among the road user groups with the highest mean costs per claim.
Hospital Separations Due to Injury and Poisoning 2008-09, 2007-08 and 2006-07 (Australia)
14th Sep 2012
In September 2012 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released three reports Hospital separations due to injury and poisoning, Australia for 2008-09, 2007-08 and 2006-07. The reports provide data about injuries resulting in admission to Australian hospitals. In 2008-09 the second most common cause of hospitalised injury was transport accidents. The majority of pedal cycle accidents occurred to young children aged 0–14. Males had four times as many pedal cycle accidents as females.
Monash Alfred Cyclist Crash Study (Australia)
30th Jul 2012
The Monash Alfred Cycle Crash Study is a pilot collaborative research study of Alfred Health and Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC). Its objective is to provide an in-depth analysis of bicycle crash causation and injury outcome to informthe development of effective countermeasures. This summary of the research findings was published in July 2012.
Road Deaths Australia-2011 Statistical Summary (Australia)
08th Jun 2012
This annual bulletin contains calendar year (2011) counts of fatal road crashes and road crash deaths. It also includes rates of deaths per population, per registered vehicle and per vehicle-kilometre-travelled. Data are sourced from the road traffic or police authorities in each jurisdiction, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and BITRE.
The Pedal Study: Factors Associated With Bicycle Crashes and Injury Severity in the ACT (Australia)
27th Mar 2012
This report, published in July 2011, summarises the findings of a study which examined the characteristics of bicycle crashes in different cycling environments in the ACT and investigated the type and severity of injuries associated with the type of clothing worn. The objective was to inform strategies to reduce bicycle crashes and the severity of the associated injury.
Road fatalities map (USA)
02nd Dec 2011
This searchable and zoomable interactive map was published by transport data mapping specialists ITO World in November 2011. It shows information about virtually every fatality that occurred on roads in the United States as a result of a collision involving a motor vehicle between between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2009. For each incident you will be able to see the person's age, sex and the year in which the crash took place.
Road Casualties Map (UK)
28th Nov 2011
This searchable and zoomable interactive map was published by transport data mapping specialists ITO World in November 2011. The map was compiled using 10 years of road casualty statistics from 2000-2010 for Great Britain. Information is provided showing those killed, seriously injured and slightly injured as well as mode of transport. For fatalities additional information is available giving the person's age (or age band), gender and the year in which the crash took place.
Medical Conditions as a Contributing Factor in Crash Causation (Australia)
15th Sep 2011
This Austroads Research Report was published in September 2011. The study aimed to understand the extent to which a pre-existing medical condition or acute medical event was a contributing factor in crash causation. The study involved examination of the circumstances surrounding drivers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians involved in casualty crashes on public roads in South Australia who were admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital over the three year period from January 2008 to December 2010.
Analysis of police collision files for pedal cyclist fatalities in London, 2001 - 2006 (UK)
12th Sep 2011
This report was released in October 2009 by M Keigan, R Cuerden and A Wheeler on behalf of Transport for London. The study describes the in-depth characteristics of 92 pedal cyclist fatalities in London between 2001-2006. The study examined what caused the collision and whether it could be prevented, and what factors contributed to the fatal injury and whether that could have been prevented.
Road Deaths Australia - 2010 Statistical Summary (Aus)
01st Aug 2011
This report by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport was released in July 2011. It presents annual summaries of data for Australian road fatalities to the period ended December 2010, including cross-tabulations of deaths by age, sex, road user type and jurisdiction.
CARRS-Q State of the Road: Bicycle Safety Fact Sheet 2011 (Australia)
17th Mar 2011
This fact sheet was published by the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety in 2008 and updated in May 2011. The document provides information about cycling injuries and fatalities in Australia and Queensland, provides safty tips for riders and outlines CARR-Q's work in the area.
Transport Safety Performance in the EU: A Statistical Overview (EU)
04th Jan 2011
This report, published by the European Transport Safety Council in 2003, analyses of the risk of death on travel modes within the EU. Risk comparisons for the EU show that the fatality risk for motorised two-wheelers is the highest of all modes, being on average 20 times higher than for car occupants. Also cycling and walking have on average a 7 to 9 times higher fatality risk per distance travelled than car travel.
Collisions involving pedal cyclists on Britain's roads: establishing the causes (UK)
24th Sep 2010
In 2009 the UK Transport Research Laboratory published a report investigating the key causal factors relating to accidents involving cyclists. The work involved an international literature review and a detailed analysis of cyclist casualties in Great Britain, drawing on both national and in-depth databases of road collisions and cycling.
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool (USA)
24th Sep 2010
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT) is free crash typing software intended to assist pedestrian/bicycle coordinators, planners and engineers to improve walking and bicycling safety. The tool enables users to develop a database of details associated with crashes between motor vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists. After developing a database of crash information, PBCAT users can analyze the data, produce reports, and select counter measuresto address the problems identified by the software.
South Australian Cyclists - Fatalities and Injuries (Australia)
24th Sep 2010
This South Australian Transport web page publishes five year summary information about the number of bicycle riders killed and injured on South Australian roads.
Bicycling injuries and mortality in Victoria, 2001 - 2006 (Australia)
24th Sep 2010
This academic study, published in 2009, finds that the incidence of serious bicycling injury has risen over recent years, highlighting the need for targeted prevention programs. Accurate data on cycling participation, use of injury prevention strategies, and injury profiles would assist in reducing bicycle-related injury.
NSW Crash Statistics (Australia)
24th Sep 2010
Roads and Maritime Services maintains statistical reports about traffic crashes in NSW. The documents include a daily road toll, monthly bulletin, and annual statistical statement. All include statistics about pedal cyclists killed and injured.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau Publications
24th Sep 2010
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau have published a series of publications and resources relating to cycling safety statistics including Deaths of cyclists due to road crashes, Serious injury due to land transport accidents, Cycle Safety: A national perspective and Road Fatality Statistics.
ABC Cycling Data and Indicators Guidelines (Australia)
24th Sep 2010
This report, by the Australian Bicycle Council, was released in 2000. The Guidelines recommend reporting on 19 items of base cycling data and 30 cycling indicators. The base data and indicators have been organised under five categories of which the fifth is safety (including crashes).
Bicycle and motor vehicle crash characteristics (Australia)
24th Sep 2010
This report, by Watson, L.M.& Cameron, M.H., 2006, Monash University Accident Research Centre, describes the characteristics of crashes involving bicycles and motor vehicles and was based on data on police reported crashes in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia during 2000-2004.
