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CHAPTER FOUR: WERE OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED?

This chapter examines the extent to which other vehicles were involved in the cycling accident.

For the greater proportion of this sample of bicycle accident casualties, no other vehicle was involved in their accident (72%).

In 11% of cases another bicycle was involved and a similar proportion involved a car (10%). The involvement of a car rose to 25% if only those accidents which occurred on road are considered.

Table 7: Other vehicles involved

4.1 RELEVANCE OF GENDER AND AGE

Of the females involved in an accident a slightly higher proportion involved a car than males (12% compared to 10%) and a higher proportion involved another bicycle (15% compared to 10%).

Children under the age of 16 were much less likely than adults to have an accident which involved a car (6% compared to 15%) suggesting that parental restrictions on the use of busy roads might have some impact. Children were by contrast much more likely than adults to be involved with a collision with another bicycle (16% compared to 5%).

Table 8: Other vehicles involved by adult / child

A more detailed analysis by age band reveals that it is the 19-44 age group who are at greatest risk of a cycle accident involving a car. Twenty four per cent of 19-24 year old casualties reported an accident involving a car.

An examination of only those accidents that involved a car or another bicycle by month shows that the proportion of accidents involving cars does tend to increase in the winter months but remains relatively low during the summer. Despite the proportion falling, the actual number of accidents involving cars does rise as the total number of casualties rises over the summer months.

By contrast the proportion of accidents that involved another bicycle increases in the summer but is very low in the winter. This would seem consistent with the differing opportunities for leisure-based cycling.

Figure 7 : Share of accidents by other vehicle involved

Note: Figures add to more than 806 because of multiple coding.

Although only 7% of all cycle accidents recorded in this study occurred between 6.00am and 9.00am in the morning a very high (33%) proportion of them involved a car.

Nineteen per cent of all accidents involving another bicycle occur between the hours of 6.00pm and 9.00pm, consistent with the hours that children are more likely to be out playing on their bicycles.

4.2 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING A CAR

In total 81 casualties in this study had been in an accident involving a car. Of this number just over a fifth (22%) occurred between 6.00am and 9.00am in the morning. Nearly a third (30%) occurred between 3.00pm and 6.00pm in the late afternoon. These times tend to coincide with the main commuting hours.

Of the 81 casualties, 72% were male and 28% were female. The majority of accidents involving a car were experienced by adults (67%), with the 25-44 age group accounting for 42% of all accidents involving a car.

The three months of July, August and September together accounted for 38% of all accidents involving a car. These months are associated with a higher incidence of cycling rather than greater inherent risk.

4.3 ACCIDENTS INVOLVING ANOTHER BICYCLE

There were 92 accidents involving another bicycle in the sample. Of these, 68% were male and 32% female. The majority of accidents involving another bicycle were experienced by children (76%). Forty-four per cent involved children aged 5-10.

Accidents with another bicycle mostly occurred over the summer months. Accidents from April to September accounted for 89% of all accidents involving another bicycle.

The weekend accounted for 35% of all accidents involving another bicycle. Again, this might be attributed to increased leisure cycling at this time of the week.

Over a third (38%) of accidents involving another bicycle occurred between 6.00pm and 9.00pm. Another common time for these accidents to occur was between 3.00pm and 6.00pm (29%).

Summary of key findings

• The majority of accidents for which casualties presented to hospital, involved no other vehicles (72%).
• 11% of casualties said their accident involved another bicycle.
• 10% of casualties said their accident involved a car.
• Children under the age of 16 were much less likely than adults to have an accident which involved a car ( 6% compared to 15%).
• Those in the 19-24 age band are at greatest risk of a cycle accident involving a car.

• The proportion of accidents involving a car increases over the winter months although remains low in actual terms due to the reduced incidence of total cycling accidents at this time.
• Although only 7% of accidents occur in the early morning a very high proportion of them (33%) involve a car.
• Children are much more likely to be involved in a collision with another bicycle than adults ( 16% compared to 5%).
• Accidents involving other bicycles are largely confined to the summer months.

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