Injuries to
Pedestrians and Bicyclists:
An Analysis Based on Hospital Emergency Department Data
FHWA-RD-99-078
Contact: Carol Tan Esse at Carol.Tan
Esse@fhwa.dot.gov
Abstract
Traditionally, the U.S. DOT has relied on State motor vehicle
crash data as their primary source of information on events causing
injury to pedestrians and bicyclists. These data have often been referred
to as "the tip of the iceberg," however, because they are
limited almost entirely to motor vehicle-related events that occur
on public roadways. Specifically, they exclude: (1) many bicycle-motor
vehicle and pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes that occur in non-roadway
locations such as parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks, and (2)
bicyclist and pedestrian falls or other non-collision events that
do not involve a motor vehicle, regardless of whether they occur on
a roadway or in a non-roadway location.
This report presents a descriptive analysis of data collected prospectively
at eight hospital emergency departments over approximately a 1-year
time period in three States: California, New York, and North Carolina.
Information was gathered on 2,509 persons treated for injuries incurred
while bicycling or walking. Results show that 70 percent of the reported
bicycle injury events and 64 percent of the reported pedestrian injury
events did not involve a motor vehicle. In addition, 31 percent of
the bicyclists and 53 percent of the pedestrians were injured in non-roadway
locations such as sidewalks, parking lots, or off-road trails. Alcohol
was a factor in one-fourth of the pedestrian-motor vehicle injury
events and 15 percent of the bicycle-motor vehicle injury events for
those age 20 and older. The emergency department data were also examined
in conjunction with statewide hospital discharge and motor vehicle
crash data in an attempt to better define the overall scope and magnitude
of the pedestrian and bicyclist injury problem.