Bicyclist Fatalities in New York City: 1996–2005

Abstract

Findings suggest the merits of multipronged efforts to prevent crashes and to improve bicyclist safety in NYC and in other dense, urban environments. Motorists and bicyclists should be made aware of the risks of alcohol use and the benefits of helmet-wearing. Road users should pay attention to traffic control measures and travel at safe speeds. Interventions that control traffic at intersections and on multilane streets, that dedicate and demarcate routes for motorists and cyclists, and that improve visibility, especially for large vehicles, warrant consideration.

Bicyclist deaths and striking vehicles in the USA

“…This information was accrued from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) website, a population-based database that includes individual data on vulnerable road users and covers all fatal crashes involving a motor vehicle on public roadways throughout the USA. The FARS website is public, freely available and validated in past research 18 32 33. One nuance of the FARS database is the exclusion of deaths where no motor vehicle was involved, such as when a bicyclist collides with a stationary object.…”

“…Protective infrastructure such as changes in major roads and multi-use trails are generally acknowledged to increase bicyclist safety 2 18–22. In addition, dedicated cyclist paths, street lighting, paved surfaces and reduced road grades can improve safety for bicyclists, as can prohibitions against alcohol drinking by bicyclists 18 21 23–26. The shortfall in scientific data, however, has contributed to ongoing debates around implementation despite ongoing bicyclist deaths in the USA and beyond 27…”

“…Most bicycling deaths involve a striking motor vehicle, yet the scientific literature provides almost no information about the motor vehicles involved in collisions with bicyclists 18 28. No rigorous data about the type, size, price or other rudimentary features of the motor vehicles most commonly involved in a bicyclist death are available to our knowledge.…”

Severe street and mountain bicycling injuries in adults: a comparison of the incidence, risk factors and injury patterns over 14 years

“…RESEARCH epidemiology of less severely injured cyclists, 9,10,[12][13][14][15][16][17]19 this retrospective cohort study analyzed only patients with severe multisystem injuries (ISS ≥ 12). This was affirmed by an overall median ISS of 17, ICU admission rate of 26.4%, surgical intervention rate of 33.3% and mortality of 6.6%.…”

“…4 Conversely, mountain biking injuries accounted for only 1.6% of all severe trauma patient admissions in this area from 1992 to 2002 (about 1-6 injuries per 100 000 patients per year). 5 Although observational studies of bicycling injuries are common, [3][4][5][6][7][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] to our knowledge, our study is the first to compare the overall major trauma epidemiology of street and mountain bicycling in detail. Few reports have discussed experience with severe bicycling-related multisystem injuries that require emergent surgical intervention or intensive care unit (ICU) admission.…”