North American cyclists are anywhere from 7-70 times as likely as car occupants to be hurt, per trip taken, say researchers in the University of British Columbia research program, Cycling in Cities. Yet getting more people onto their bikes is one of the top two ways to make cycling safer, they add.
The good news, they say, is that Canada’s cycling injury rates are falling and that it’s safer here than in the U.S. But European countries, including Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands all have much lower injury rates. In fact, a North American cyclist is 30 times as likely to be seriously injured and three times as likely to be killed as a cyclist in the Netherlands.
Why the big differences? The researchers point to two main reasons – cycling infrastructure and the “safety in numbers” theory. European countries are much more likely to have dedicated cycling routes, separating bikes from cars and often from pedestrians. Plus they have a lot more cyclists – so vehicles are more used to seeing them and sharing the road when they must.
The researchers are also studying injury reports from emergency rooms in the cities of Toronto and Vancouver to see how environmental risks vary, and finding some interesting differences. In Toronto, cyclists end up in the emergency room most often after crashing on a streetcar track, whereas in Vancouver, a collision with a car is the most common reason.
The bottom line is, riding your bike is good for you, good for the environment, and in busy cities often a faster way of getting from Point A to Point B. Advocating for a better cycling environment is one way we could all ride more confidently. In the meantime, lower your risk of injury by following the SMARTRISK messages: wear a properly fitted, certified helmet, avoid distractions such as listening to music over headphones and look first to avoid traffic.
See http://www.cher.ubc.ca/cyclingincities for more information on Cycling in Cities.
