Letter: Children's bicycle safety education does not reduce injuries (original) (raw)
2019
Increasing the number of people bicycling is often proposed as a solution for addressing environmental and climate-related challenges. Strategies to support more bicycling have traditionally included building bicycle infrastructure, enforcing traffic laws, and educating people about bicycling. Additionally, many cities across California are pursuing Vision Zero, the goal to eliminate traffic death and serious injury in the next decade. In San Francisco, for example, Vision Zero strategies include creating safe streets, safe people and safe vehicles. 1 It also seeks to include training on "bicycle education, safety, and laws to adults" as a strategy for helping adults learn to bicycle more safely. 2 With more than 44 of the 50 largest U.S. cities offering adult bicycle education classes, educational programs are becoming increasingly popular. 3 While studies show that infrastructure such as protected bicycle lanes is effective in encouraging bicycle use, the effectiveness of educational programs in improving bicycling, encouraging bicycle use, and replacing auto trips remains to be determined. 4 Key Research Findings There is little empirical research on the effectiveness of bicycle education among adults and no studies evaluating classroom-based education. The review of the scientific and gray literatures (e.g., government reports, white papers) on the effects of bicycle safety training in adult populations identified seven studies in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. All studies examined on-bicycle training courses only. However, classroom-based courses can be implemented at a fraction of the cost of on-bicycle training courses. 5 The methods and interventions
School based bicycle safety education and bicycle injuries in children: a case-control study
Injury Prevention, 1998
Objectives-To evaluate possible benefits of a school based bicycle safety education program ("Bike Ed") on the risk of bicycle injury in children. Methods-A population based case-control study was undertaken in a region of Melbourne, Australia. Cases were children presenting at hospital emergency departments with injuries received while riding bicycles. Controls were recruited by calling randomly selected telephone numbers. Data were collected by personal interview. Results-Analysis, based on 148 cases and 130 controls aged 9 to 14 years, showed no evidence of a protective eVect and suggested a possible harmful eVect of exposure to the bicycle safety course (odds ratio (OR) 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98 to 2.75). This association was not substantially altered by adjustment for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and exposure, measured as time or distance travelled. Subgroup analysis indicated that the association was strongest in boys (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.8), younger children, children from families with lower parental education levels, and children lacking other family members who bicycle. Conclusions-It is concluded that this educational intervention does not reduce the risk of bicycle injury in children and may possibly produce harmful eVects in some children, perhaps due to inadvertent encouragement of risk taking or of bicycling with inadequate supervision.
Bicycle Safety Education for Children From a Developmental and Learning Perspective
When children ride bicycles in and near traffic, they engage in a complicated task of combining motor skills and cognitive skills. In addition to developing bicycle-handling skills, bicycle safety education programs teach children how to ride safely in and near traffic. However, to what extent are bicycle education programs effective in improving safe, bicycle-riding behavior and reducing injuries? The purpose of this literature review is two-fold. First, this report describes the nature of children and adolescents’ bicycle injuries in addition to understanding the types of programs that exist and their effectiveness. Second, this report explores the psychological domains related to riding a bicycle in childhood and adolescence such as motor skill development, cognitive development, brain development, and risk-taking and social influences. Understanding how each of these interacts with children’s abilities to learn and ride a bicycle safely in traffic allows researchers and safety practitioners to design more effective bicycle education programs to teach children and adolescents how to safely negotiate traffic as bicyclists.
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2017
School-based cycling education programs aim to improve cycling safety and participation amongst children. Available research suggests that typical programs, which focus on bicycle manoeuvring skills, have limited effects on behaviour observed on a track or planned route. The current study uses theoretically more valid, naturalistic cycling data, to evaluate Safe Cycle, a program that incorporates hazard and self-awareness training. Soon after Safe Cycle was delivered at treatment schools, research bicycles instrumented with a rearward-and a forward-facing camera were loaned to six children from treatment schools and six children from (waitlist) control schools. In each group half the children were in Year 6, and half were in Year 7/8. Each child was instructed to ride the research bicycle instead of their own bicycle for the 1-2 weeks that they had a research bicycle. Video data were reduced using a purpose-designed coding scheme that identified whether participants performed specific safety-relevant behaviours in appropriate circumstances. While the participants controlled their bicycles well, gave way appropriately to traffic at intersections, and stopped at red lights, participants frequently removed one or both hands from the handlebars, and seldom signalled turns, conducted overshoulder-checks when changing lanes, or looked in multiple directions at intersections (except when crossing a road). While aspects of design and small sample sizes limited evaluation findings, this research demonstrated the feasibility and potential of naturalistic data to support cycling education program evaluation. Further, the study substantially extended available naturalistic study of children's cycling behaviour to highlight behaviours which might be targeted by cycling safety initiatives.
Evaluation of a bicycle skills training program for young children: a randomized controlled trial
Injury Prevention, 1998
Objective-To evaluate the eVectiveness of a skills training program in improving safe cycling behavior, knowledge, and attitudes in young children. Methods-Grade 4 children from six elementary schools in East York (a borough of Metropolitan Toronto) participated. The intervention-playground based instruction on bicycle handling skills by certified instructors-was randomly allocated to three schools. Altogether 141 children participated: 73 in the intervention group and 68 in the control group, with follow up evaluations available on 117 (83%). The primary outcome was safe cycling behavior (straight line riding, coming to a complete stop, and shoulder checking before a left turn). A self report questionnaire collected data on knowledge and attitudes. Baseline assessments were made in June, with follow up evaluations in September, 1995. Results-The prevalence of safe cycling behaviors at follow up in the intervention and control groups respectively, were: straight line riding (90% v 88%; p=0.782), coming to a complete stop (90% v 76%; p=0.225), and shoulder checking (0% v 2%; p=1.000). Over time (from baseline to follow up) children in both groups were more likely to maintain straight line riding, less likely to ride on the sidewalk, and less likely to consider that a car had more right to the road. Conclusions-This brief skills training program was not eVective in improving safe cycling behavior, knowledge, or attitudes among grade 4 children.
An evaluation of the effects of a school-based cycling education program on participation and safety
2015
Cycling education programs for children could play a role in promoting both cycling participation and cycling safety. Cycling education programs for children exist in many countries – mostly in school settings – but few evaluations have used rigorous research designs to assess a range of outcomes. Safe Cycle is a program that incorporates typical content (bike handling skills, traffic manoeuvres) and also hazard and self-awareness training - an important inclusion for more comprehensive programs. To evaluate Safe Cycle online surveys were conducted at treatment schools (n=108) and (waitlist) control schools (n=28) before, immediately after, and approximately 14 weeks after, the program was delivered at treatment schools. Actual riding behaviour was measured naturalistically using instrumented research bicycles at treatment (n=6) and control schools (n=6). Delivery processes were considered via relevant survey questions and interviews with teachers (at treatment schools only). Becaus...
Improving bicycle safety: The role of paediatricians and family physicians
Paediatrics & child health, 2004
Cycling is a complex activity requiring motor, sensory and cognitive skills that develop at different rates from childhood to adolescence. While children can successfully ride a two-wheeled bicycle at age five or six, judgment of road hazards are poor at that age and matures slowly until adult-like judgment is reached in early adolescence. Safe cycling depends on the care, skills and judgment of cyclists and motorists; roadway design that promotes safe coexistence of bicycles and motor vehicles; and the use of safety devices, including bicycle helmets, lights and reflective tape. Whereas, research into optimal roadway design and educational programs for drivers to improve road safety has yielded contradictory results, the benefits of bicycle helmet use and programs to enhance their use have been clearly shown. This paper has the following objectives for paediatricians and family physicians: To understand the relationship between bicycle safety and children's motor and cognitive ...
Understanding what would make children want to attend a bicycle safety training program
2013
This qualitative study targeted a heterogeneous sample of 9 to 12 year olds in the London, Ontario, Canada area. The purpose of this study was to understand children's perspectives in regards to bicycle safety and risk perception. Gender differences of these perceptions were compared. Five semi-structured focus groups (n=14, 10 boys and 4 girls) and six interviews (n=6, 3 boys and 3 girls) were conducted (n=23; 16 boys and 7 girls). Ongoing thematic analysis was used during data collection to review and interpret the collected discussions. As a result, this study determined that girls take fewer unnecessary risks and are more affected by fear appeal and safety-related messages being delivered by a role model. Alternatively, boys are much more inclined to ignore the warnings and take a risk if there is potential to have fun. Boys seem more affected by an entertaining message delivered by a credible source, emphasizing the possibility to learn how to better ride a bicycle, without mention of safety. In conclusion, a social marketing campaign for children's bicycle safety training that differs for boys and girls is suggested.
Evaluating a bicycle education program for children: Findings from
2016
Many cities are developing policies that promote cycling due to the positive environmental, economic, and health benefits. Promoting bicycle usage amongst school-aged children is particularly important as it is one way to encourage more active lifestyles. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an on-and off-bicycle education program for school-aged children in Montreal, Canada with the goal of understanding how education influences children's and parents' cycling behavior and attitudes. Using qualitative measures and descriptive statistics this paper analyses pre-and post-program survey results from children who participated in the program and their parents. Results show that children's knowledge of bicycle safety increased and that participants made significant improvements in knowing bicycle-specific street signs and hand signals. Children also became more confident: before the program 75% of children stated that riding a bicycle was not difficult for them and after, this increased to 92%. Students' parents also reported improvements in their children's cycling abilities, and 55% stated that they would allow their children to participate in an organized "cycle-to-school" program. In addition, half of the parents included in the post-program survey stated that their behaviors and/or attitudes towards cycling had positively changed as a result of their child's involvement in the bicycle education program. To encourage cycling in any region, bicycle educators and advocacy groups need to develop school-based bicycle education programs as well as "cycle-to-school" programs. While city planners should consider implementing policies that encourage the development of bicycleinfrastructure and traffic calming measures, especially near schools in order to encourage parents to allow their children to bicycle to school.
Evaluating a Bicycle Education Program for Children: Findings from Montreal, Canada
2016
Promoting bicycle usage amongst school-aged children is one way to encourage more active lifestyles. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an on- and off-bicycle education program for school-aged children in Montreal, Canada with the goal of understanding how education influences children’s and parents’ cycling behavior and attitudes. Using qualitative measures and descriptive statistics this paper analyzes pre- and post-program survey results from children who participated in the program and their parents. Results show that children’s knowledge of bicycle safety increased and that participants made significant improvements in knowing bicycle-specific street signs (before: 83%, after: 92%) and hand signals (before: 68%, after: 96%). Children also became more confident: before the program 75% of children stated that riding a bicycle was not difficult for them and after, this increased to 92%. Students’ parents also reported improvements in their children’s cycling abilities, and 5...
BMC Public Health, 2016
Background: Cycle accidents are a common cause of physical injury in children and adolescents. Education is one strategy to reduce cycle-related injuries. In the UK, some children undertake National Cycle Proficiency Scheme [NCPS] training (now known as Bikeability) in their final years of primary school. It aims to promote cycling and safe cycling behaviours but there has been little scientific evaluation of its effectiveness. Methods: The sample (n = 5415) were participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who reported whether or not they had received NCPS training. Outcomes were self-reported at 14 and 16 years: cycling to school, ownership of cycle helmet, use of cycle helmet and high-visibility clothing on last cycle, and involvement in a cycle accident. An additional outcome, hospital admittance due to a cycle accident from 11 to 16 years, was also included for a subsample (n = 2222) who have been linked to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data. Results: Approximately 40 % of the sample had received NCPS training. Trained children were more likely to cycle to school and to own a cycle helmet at both 14 and 16 years, to have worn a helmet on their last cycle at age 14, and to have worn high-visibility clothing at age 16, than those who had not attended a course. NCPS training was not associated with self-reported involvement in a cycle accident, and only six of those with HES data had been admitted to hospital due to a cycle accident. Irrespective of training, results indicate very low use of high-visibility clothing, very few girls cycling as part of their school commute, and less than half of helmet owners wearing one on their last cycle. Conclusions: Our results suggest cycle training courses for children can have benefits that persist into adolescence. However, the low use of cycle helmets, very low use of high-visibility clothing, and low levels of cycling to school for girls, indicate the further potential for interventions to encourage cycling, and safe cycling behaviours, in young people.
Bicycle Education for Children: Evaluation of a Program in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2016
The promotion of bicycle use by school-aged children is one way to encourage more active lifestyles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an on- and off-bicycle education program for school-aged children in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to understand how education influences the cycling behavior and attitudes of children and parents. Qualitative measures and descriptive statistics were used to analyze pre- and postprogram survey results from children who participated in the program and their parents. Results showed that children’s knowledge of bicycle safety increased and that participants made significant improvements in their knowledge of bicycle-specific street signs (before = 83%, after = 92%) and hand signals (before = 68%, after = 96%). Children also became more confident. Before the program, 75% of participants stated that to ride a bicycle was not difficult for them. After the program, this percentage increased to 92%. The parents of the participants also reported improveme...
Promoting Bicycle Commuter Safety
2012
Abstract: When cycling is encouraged and the number of cyclists increases, safety can improve. This report focuses on an overview of the risks associated with cycling to emphasize the need for safety. The structure of the Five Es--education, engineering, ...
Safe cycling: how do risk perceptions compare with observed risk?
Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique, 2012
Safety concerns deter cycling. The Bicyclists' Injuries and the Cycling Environment (BICE) study quantified the injury risk associated with 14 route types, from off-road paths to major streets. However, when it comes to injury risk, there may be discordance between empirical evidence and perceptions. If so, even if protective infrastructure is built people may not feel safe enough to cycle. This paper reports on the relationship between perceived and observed injury risk. The BICE study is a case-crossover study that recruited 690 injured adult cyclists who visited emergency departments in Toronto and Vancouver. Observed risk was calculated by comparing route types at the injury sites with those at randomly selected control sites along the same route. The perceived risk was the mean response of study participants to the question "How safe do you think this site was for cyclists on that trip?", with responses scored from +1 (very safe) to -1 (very dangerous). Perceived ...
This paper demonstrates the evolving nature of qualitative field research and is structured upon themes emerging from the data. Following an initial critique of concepts, data was collected progressively at Bikeability training events in a primary school through observations of cycling practice, interviews with parents and questionnaires with children. The research developed from an initial curiosity about cycle training and its effectiveness to reduce accident rates, progressing to investigating parents’ attitudes to Bikeability and whether the cycle training has a positive effect on children’s learning experience, not least their ability ride a bicycle. The researcher also discovered that Bikeability has potential to improve a child’s understanding of a range of concepts encountered across the school curriculum such as mechanical understanding and forces, as well as developing self-confidence, vigilance and awareness to be safe on the roads. Interestingly, it was observed that varying degrees of parental support for Bikeability had a significant effect on children’s ability, interest levels and cycling habits than first anticipated.
A randomized controlled evaluation study of the effects of a one-day advanced rider training course
Accident; analysis and prevention, 2015
Motorcyclists have a relative high risk of crash involvement. As a consequence there is an on-going search for safety measures to improve road safety for motorcyclists. One popular measure is motorcycle training. Although intuitively sound, there are only few thorough studies on rider training courses and they do not always show a positive safety effect. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the advanced rider training course 'Risk'. Through random assignment motorcyclists (N=222) were assigned to an experimental and control condition. At pre- and post-test, participants completed a questionnaire and their riding behaviour was assessed in an on-road ride. Furthermore, a selection of participants took a hazard perception test at post-test. Participants in the experimental condition (n=137) followed the advanced training course 'Risk' between pre- and post-test. s indicated that trained participants were rated higher on safe riding than the control group. ...