Safe Cycling: Comparing Risk Perception With Observed Risk

It might be a surprise to some that bicycling injury rates are higher in countries where cycling for transportation is less common. Canada is on the list of countries that underuse bicycling as a mode of transportation. Joining us are our neighbors down south, Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It is likely that the reason bicycles are not the average Canadian's preferred method of transportation due to the lack of route infrastructure.

This blog aims to analyze a case-crossover study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health, with a particular focus on the study's results for the City of Toronto. The conductors concluded that "the lower risks on quiet streets and with bike-specific infrastructure along busy streets support the route-design approach used in many northern European countries. Transportation infrastructure with lower bicycling injury risks merits public health support to reduce injuries and promote cycling".