The Scottish Government

« Previous | Contents | Next »

Listen

CHAPTER TWO: WHO IS INVOLVED IN CYCLING ACCIDENTS ?

This chapter explores the characteristics of those most likely to be involved in a cycling accident.

2.1 GENDER

There are many more males than females involved in cycling accidents that result in a presentation to a hospital. Overall, some 75% of the casualties were male.

Table 1 : Cycling casualties by gender

This gender imbalance could be seen across all age groups and whilst the difference was not quite so marked amongst young children aged 10 or under, it was still quite detectable (59% male compared to 41% female).

Table 2 : Cycling casualties by gender by age

After the age of 11 the difference between males and females becomes even more marked, but particularly amongst the 16-18 age group where 91% of casualties were male.

It may be that cycling is not undertaken to the same extent by teenage girls and women than it is for teenage boys and men. A separate study of the gender profile of cyclists ¹ shows that 55% of cyclists are male and 45% are female and that male cycle journeys tend to be longer.

The following graph (Figure 1) examines the ratio of male to female cycle accidents by time of day. It is evident from this that there are differences in accident patterns by gender and the extent of these seems to support the view that cycle usage patterns vary by gender.

Figure 1: Cycling casualties by time of day by gender

Note: Excludes casualties where time of accident is unspecified

Although there are very few accidents between midnight and 6.00pm, all casualties as a result of accidents that occur between these hours are male. There is also a high ratio of males to females in the later part of the day between 9.00pm and midnight.

The ratio is least marked between 6.00am and 9.00am, and 6.00pm to 9.00pm, when the proportion of female cycling casualties rises to 29% and 30%.

At no time of day does the proportion of female accidents come near the 55:45 ratio of male to female cyclists. In other words, male cycling is consistently more prone to accident.

2.2 AGE PROFILE OF CASUALTY

Casualties resulting from cycle accidents are most likely to happen in childhood. Over half of the sample of casualties were children under the age of 16 (54%). This age group only accounts for 13.8% of the population over the age of 5 within Lothian and Borders.

Table 3: Age profile of casualty

It is likely than there are more cyclists among the child population than amongst the adult population. The following table compares the age profile of cycling accident casualties with the age profile of Scottish cyclists ². ³There are many more cycling casualties than cyclists amongst the younger age groups. Over half of all casualties were in the 5-14 age group which accounts for approximately 35% of cyclists.

Table 4: Age profile of cycling casualties compared to cyclists

This suggests that the ages of 11-14 are the most risky for cyclists in Scotland followed closely by those in the 5-10 year old age range. Of the adult age groups 19-24 year olds are at greatest risk of accident and risk declines thereafter with age.

Summary of key findings

• There are many more males than females involved in cycling accidents that result in presentation to a hospital by a ratio of 3:1. The gender imbalance occurs across all age groups although is less marked in children under the age of 10.

• The ratio of casualties is greater than the ratio of male to female cyclists suggesting that whilst there are more male cyclists they are also more prone to accident.
• Casualties resulting from cycling accidents are more likely in childhood and 54% of all the casualties in this study were under the age of 16 with the 11-14 age group being the most at risk.

« Previous | Contents | Next »