INJURIES TO BICYCLISTS

FROM A MONOGRAPH BY THE JOHNS HOPKINS INJURY PREVENTION CENTER SPONSORED BY THE SNELL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

Each year in the United States: more than 900 bicyclists are killed 20,000 are admitted to hospitals 580,000 receive emergency room treatment

For the population as a whole, there are approximately: 1.8 billion bicycle trips 300 injuries per million trips 1 death in every 2 million trips (0.5 per million)

Helmets are needed because head injuries in bicyclists are noted by: 65,000 emergency room cases and 7,700 hospital admissions annually about 40% of bicyclists admitted to hospitals an estimated 70% to 80% of fatally injured bicyclists

Bicyclists hospitalized with head injuries are 20 times as likely to die as those without.

Bicyclist injury rates per million trips are highest at age 5-15.

Bicyclist death rates per million trips are highest above age 50.

56% of fatally injured bicyclists are age 20 or older.

Death rates for male bicyclists age 20-54 have substantially increased in recent years.

Compared with females, males: make 2.5 times as many bicycle trips. Are 2.4 times as likely to be killed per trip have a death rate per 100,000 population that is 6 times as high.

The death rate per million trips is 8 times as high from 10 pm -1 am as from 9 am -1 PM.

Motor vehicles are involved in 90-92% of bicyclist deaths and 12% of injuries.

One third of bicyclist fatalities occur on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher.

Two-thirds of fatally injured bicyclists are tested for alcohol; 32% of those tested have been drinking.

Bicyclist death rates per trip or per person mile greatly exceed the rates for car occupants.